10 Books to Strengthen Your Self-Care and Wellbeing

When we talk about self-care and wellbeing, the conversation can quickly become prescriptive. We’re told to get up earlier, optimize our routines, or cultivate better habits, as if caring for ourselves were another task to complete. For many of us (myself included), that framing can feel exhausting rather than supportive.

In reality, self-care doesn’t always require improvement or productivity. Sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves is slow down and focus on what feels most manageable in the moment.

Reading can be a form of self-care because it allows us to pause, creating space for self-reflection. Books can be helpful not as instructions to follow, but as companions we turn to when we need insight, comfort, or perspective.

I chose the books on this list with one question in mind: Does this offer support without demanding productivity or transformation? The resulting list includes some books I’ve personally read, alongside others that are widely recommended and often described as life-changing reads. These books demonstrate what the best self-care books can offer, particularly when energy or motivation is limited.

Choosing the Right Book for You

Self-care isn’t static; what supports you during one season may feel unhelpful in another. There isn’t a single approach that works for everyone or every situation.

As the GWU School of Medicine & Health Sciences explains, self-care refers to the multiple ways people “maintain, improve, or protect” their wellbeing.

With that in mind, the books below are best approached as resources rather than prescriptions each offering something different, depending on what you need right now. There’s no “right” choice here; focus on what feels most supportive based on your current capacity and emotional bandwidth.

Practical Self-Care

Some seasons of life leave little energy for insight or reflection. In these moments, simple, practical support can be the most beneficial. If you’re feeling depleted, it may help to start with one of the four books from this section.

1. How to Keep a House While Drowning by KC Davis

Widely recommended for people navigating burnout or mental health challenges, this book reframes daily care tasks as morally neutral. Its compassionate approach offers support without judgment when functioning feels difficult.

2. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig

Designed to be read in small moments, this collection of short reflections offers reassurance rather than advice. It supports self-care and wellbeing by providing steadiness, familiarity, and emotional relief.

3. How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

This book challenges the pressure to be constantly productive by encouraging readers to reclaim their attention and time. It offers a thoughtful, practical reframing of rest, presence, and disengagement as meaningful forms of self-care rather than withdrawal.

4. How to Be Fine by Jolenta Greenberg & Kristin Meinzer

A thoughtful critique of self-help culture, this book examines what actually helps through lived experience rather than rigid frameworks. It validates ambivalence and fatigue around constant self-improvement.

Psychology-Informed Self-Care and Wellbeing

When there’s a bit more capacity, psychological insight can help us make sense of what we’re experiencing. Psychology can help us understand how we think, feel, and cope, especially when grounded in compassion rather than optimization. This section brings together books that draw on psychological insight, including clinical perspectives and research-informed reflection. These books don’t require prior knowledge or a clinical background; they’re written for people looking to better understand themselves, not diagnose themselves.

5. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

Blending memoir with clinical insight, this book offers an honest look at therapy from both sides of the couch. It normalizes vulnerability and reminds us that seeking support is not a sign of failure, but rather a way to care for ourselves.

6. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

This book encourages readers to let go of shame and embrace vulnerability as part of living wholeheartedly. It frames self-acceptance as a foundational form of self-care rather than something to be earned. Rather than offering steps to follow, it suggests how compassion toward ourselves can change how we show up in everyday life.

7. Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Often referenced in discussions of fulfillment, Flow explores the state of deep engagement that arises when we’re absorbed in meaningful activity. It broadens the idea of wellbeing to include focus, creativity, and intrinsic satisfaction. For self-care, this perspective can be especially grounding, reminding us that wellbeing can come from immersion and meaning rather than rest alone.

Philosophy and Living Well

Philosophy offers a slower, more contemplative approach to self-care, focusing on how we can live more wisely and make sense of our experiences rather than trying to fix or optimize them. This section may be a good fit if you’re drawn to questions about meaning, values, and how to live well, rather than immediate or task-based support.

8. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

Using the average human lifespan as its frame, this book challenges productivity culture and the illusion that we can do everything. It reframes wellbeing as learning to live within our limits rather than constantly pushing past them. It resonates as self-care by easing the pressure to optimize every moment and inviting a more sustainable relationship with time.

9. The Art of Living by Epictetus

This accessible introduction to Stoic philosophy focuses on resilience and discernment. Its teachings support self-care by encouraging emotional steadiness and self-compassion in the face of what we cannot control. Rather than offering comfort, it provides perspective that can be especially grounding during periods of uncertainty or frustration.

10. How to Live a Good Life by Pigliucci, Cleary, & Kaufman (eds.)

For readers exploring self-care through reflection rather than technique, this book offers space to consider which values genuinely support a well-lived life. Drawing from philosophical traditions across cultures and centuries, this collection helps readers explore different approaches to meaning and ethical living, and consider which philosophies best align with their own values and lives.

Honourable Mentions

These titles and ideas don’t fit neatly into one category, but they still offer meaningful support.

11. Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

This book challenges the moral weight we attach to productivity and rest. It reframes “laziness” as a signal of unmet needs rather than a personal flaw.

12. Pure Unlimited Love by Stephen G. Post

Written by one of 365give’s board members, this book explores how altruism, compassion, and generosity can contribute to wellbeing and a sense of meaning.

Any book that isn’t about self-care

Sometimes self-care doesn’t come from a self-help book at all. Choosing a book purely for enjoyment can be its own form of self-care, offering rest, escape, and pleasure without asking anything in return. Cozy fantasy, in particular, is my go-to genre for this kind of reading experience (Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree is a personal favourite).

Closing Thoughts

My hope is that somewhere in this list, you found a book—or even just an idea—that resonates. If nothing else, I hope this list made the idea of caring for yourself feel more accessible. Not every season calls for growth or transformation; sometimes what we really need is acceptance and self-compassion.

It’s also worth noting that caring for others can contribute to self-care. If you’re curious about this, 365give has a thoughtful guide on how giving can support mental wellbeing.

And remember: if today’s self-care looks like choosing rest over growth, that’s enough.

For more information about how giving can contribute to self-care and wellbeing, explore more from our blog.

Lauren Bersaglio

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I’m a volunteer contributor to 365Give with over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector as a digital marketer and communications strategist. My writing is grounded in self-reflection and focuses on mental well-being and doing good. If you’d like to connect, you can find me at laurenbersaglio.com or on LinkedIn.