7 Books to Uplevel Your Mental Health in 2025

Posted on 26/12/2024 by Sharee • 0 Comments

‘Tis that time of year when we start thinking about our new-year’s resolutions and goals. There’s a spectrum of goal setters isn’t there? (And I’ve been ALL of them at some point). From the gentle noodler who has a little ponder and shares one or two goals with a friend right through to the magazine-cutting, glue-stick-pasting vision board maker or sage-burning ritual-creator.

Wherever you sit on this spectrum, as you consider what you want to reach for in 2025, I’d like to invite you to reflect upon what could be better than prioritising your mental health? What could be more satisfying than feeling intrinsically calmer and happier when you wake up each morning?

If this’s important to you, then these 7 books I’ve recommended below can help you release anxiety and stress and improve your mood, by targeting both physical & mental/emotional causes of poor mental health.

(This list is in no particular order btw and certainly isn’t exhaustive but includes books I’ve been inspired by lately!)

Radical Compassion by Tara Brach

Tara is a psychologist and Buddhist meditation teacher who beautifully blends Western psychology with Eastern wisdom in a very practical, user-friendly way. One of her most helpful teachings is her 4-step practice of RAIN to awaken self-compassion and heal painful emotions. RAIN is an acronym for:

Recognise

Allow

Investigate

Nurture

This book explains this process in-depth and brings it to life with real-life stories and insightful examples…it’s a simple process to learn but don’t underestimate its power, it’s able to transform difficult emotions and relieve suffering in a matter of moments.

Tara also has a wonderful podcast and several other books.

2. The Glucose Goddess Method by Jessie Inchauspe

Ok, I haven’t read this yet, but it’s on my list. What’s a book about glucose got to do with mental health you may wonder? Well, a lot, and it’s something I teach my clients with anxiety and depression about all the time. Unfortunately, the crappy-carbs of modern-day diets do a number on our blood-sugar levels which gives our bodies a mini freak-out. (Think sky-rocketing stress hormones as well as increased inflammation – including “neuro-inflammation” of the brain and nervous system) This can cause symptoms such as tiredness, cravings, brain fog, mood swings, feeling blue and even panic attacks. Jessie, a biochemist, has done A LOT of research using continuous glucose monitors and discovered simple hacks (like going for a 10 min walk after meals, and the order in which to eat the foods on your plate) to help keep your blood-sugar stable. I’m excited to learn even more about this important subject both as a practitioner and for myself!

3. Hormone Repair Manual by Lara Briden

And here’s another one that tackles a big physical driver of mental health symptoms, particularly for women: hormones. It’s another area that I work on a lot with my clients, and people are often amazed at how much better they feel both mentally and physically when their hormones are balanced. This book, by legendary naturopath Lara Briden is particularly aimed at women going through perimenopause and is jam-packed full of useful info (her other book period Repair Manual is aimed more at women with other hormone issues). So, if you’re in the midst of perimenopause or will be approaching it in the next few years, I highly recommend this book to make the transition as smooth as possible…it’s a very vulnerable time for mental health for women and perimenopausal anxiety and depression, though still not talked about much, are alarmingly common.

4. Dare by Barry McDonagh

I’m still half-way through this and have been recommended this book by some of my anxiety clients, which is who it’s explicitly geared for. The author uses mainly evidence-based, psychological methods to break free from anxiety based on his own experience with anxiety and coaching thousands of other sufferers. His DARE method, which stands for Defuse, Allow, Run Towards and Engage), seems to be a bit of a mash up of mindfulness and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) though without too much psychological jargon. He gives great examples of how to use this method in very specific anxiety-provoking situations. With a few big public-speaking events on the horizon for me next year, it’s something I’m going to put to the test for myself!

5. Disentangling From Emotionally Immature People by Lindsay Gibson

If difficult relationships with people who drain you emotionally or continually disrespect your boundaries is undermining your mental health, this book is for you. It’s more like a practical workbook where you can look up a particular situation/scenario and get valuable insights and immediate strategies to deal with the situation straight-away. It’s especially good for people-pleasers and can help you stand up yourself, let go of guilt and resentment and disentangle yourself frpm relationship dramas.

6. Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

We all know that too much screen time is terrible for mental health and that our nervous systems struggle to cope with the staggering amount of information we’re constantly bombarded with. Digital Minimalism is both a philosophical and practical book that helps the reader examine the question “how much digital do you really want and need in your life” and how might you live more intentionally and deliberately with technology? This has been a big one for me in 2024, as I’ve taken a big step back from consuming the news (but still being active on causes important to me) and I’ve deleted Facebook and Instagram from my phone and taken a looong break from being active on social media. And I feel SO much more grounded and mentally clear, not to mention a lot calmer. My next goal: inbox zero.

7. Kindfulness by Ajahn Brahm

I must admit, I’m probably biased with this one. Ajahn Brahm, the now world-famous Buddhist monk, lives in my hometown of Perth and I’ve been attending his Friday night talks and guided meditation sessions since I was a teenager. He holds a special place in my heart. He’s written many books with his signature wit and simple stories that belie a much greater wisdom underneath. Kindfulness is a short, sweet read about how to meditate – and live life – not just mindfully, but kindfully, and how kindfulness can lead to more joy, inner peace and compassion. I highly recommend not only this book but his talks on Youtube too!

RELATED: The Calmer Mind Course

There you have it! 7 books to dive into over the holidays to boost your mental health, improve your mood and release stress and anxiety. Which one resonates with you the most? Let me know in the comments below.

And if you’d like more personalised support with your mental health, check out my 1:1 Integrative Mental Health Program here.

Wishing you well!