Shelf-help your way into 2020-fix

Six self-help titles to make 2026 your year of 2020-fixes

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  • How to be Okay When Nothing is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself by Jenny Lawson

Struggling with depression? Check. ADHD? Check. Anxiety? Check. Creative blocks? Check. Don’t fret, Jenny Lawson has you all set! Humour meets heart in Lawson’s guide on, well, how to be okay when nothing is okay. Yay!

  • The Invincible Brain: The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life by Dr. Majid Fotuhi

Mental dexterity knows no age-restriction, as demonstrated by Johns Hopkins-based neuroscientist, Dr Majid Fotuhi. With his 12-week-program, you can prevent and reverse cognitive decline, improve your memory, and enhance your cerebral abilities — age be damned!

  • Think Less, Sleep More: From Panic & Perfectionism to Stress-free Sleep by Stephanie Romiszewski

As tired of counting sheep as you are of how-tos about sleep? Sleep-physiologist Stephanie Romiszweski’s book will let you off the proverbial insomniac hook as she explores the correlations between sleeplessness and living in an overly-anxious world — and how you can say ‘no’ to a zzz-encumber and ‘yea’ to a deep slumber.

  • The Balancing Act: Creating Healthy Dependency and Connection Without Losing Yourself by Neda Glover Tawwab

‘Co-dependency’, ‘attachment styles’ and ‘boundaries’ might be en vogue terms but are pivotal in reaching equilibrium in a relationship, whether romantic, familial or social. Learn how to find the core of the healthy dependency see-saw in this insightful guide by therapist and relationship-expert, Neda Glover Tawwab.

  • Born to Flourish: How New Science and Ancient Wisdom Reveal a Simple Path to Thriving by Richard J. Davidson and Cortland Dahl

Was your 2025 the antithesis of 2020-thrive? Then this abundantly practical guide is your answer to a new year sans depression, despair, and loneliness. Focusing on key tools to train our brains to overcome Weltschmerz — grounded in neuroscience — the duo of Davidson and Dahl will teach you how to stay sane inside insanity and live a life of clarity.

  • The Wealth Habit: Small Changes that Will Make You Rich by Ken and Mary Okoroafor

Thought ‘wealth’ was synonymous with ‘money’? Not so! Financial prosperity doesn’t start with hard cash, it starts with a canny habit. Free of stringent tips on budgeting or complex investment strategies, this is a clear and habit-based moolah map. Its destination? How everyday pecuniary actions can culminate into a life of riches and richness.

by Jenny Lawson. (Penguin Random House)
Creating Healthy Dependency and Connection Without Losing Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab. (Tarcher)
by Richard J Davidson and Cortland Dahl. (Scribe Publications)
by Majid Fotuhi. (Hachette UK)
by Stephanie Romiszewski. (Macmillan Publishers)
by Ken and Mary Okoroafor. (Hachette Australia)

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