May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to spotlight the importance of mental well-being. These 10 essential reads for Mental Health Awareness Month offer permission to pause, feel, heal, and grow. From expert insights to moving personal stories of resilience, this list is a compassionate companion for anyone seeking greater mental clarity, emotional well-being, and self-understanding. 

10 Essential Reads For Mental Health Awareness Month

1. Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb

A therapist turns the lens on herself in this humorous and moving memoir that humanizes therapy and explores what it means to heal.

2. The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power by Katherine Morgan Schafler

Reframes perfectionism as a powerful asset, guiding readers to embrace their high standards with self-compassion instead of self-criticism.

3. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

A classic that examines the importance of finding purpose, even in the most harrowing circumstances, by a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist.

4. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

A groundbreaking look at how trauma reshapes the body and mind, and the innovative treatments that can lead to recovery.

5. Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

With honesty and poetic clarity, Haig shares his struggle with depression and how he learned to embrace life again.

6. It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine

This compassionate guide challenges the cultural myths around grief, offering validation and practical support for those grieving.

7. Move the Body, Heal the Mind by Jennifer Heisz, PhD

Move the Body, Heal the Mind explores the powerful connection between physical activity and mental health, based on cutting-edge neuroscience and the author’s personal experiences.

8. The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban

A practical, no-nonsense guide to setting clear, compassionate boundaries in every area of life to protect your energy, improve relationships, and prioritize your mental health.

9. How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee

A powerful reminder to break free from society’s obsession with productivity and reclaim time for rest, connection, and a more meaningful life.

10. What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

A powerful memoir that chronicles a journey of healing from complex PTSD, offering readers an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs of reclaiming one’s life after trauma.

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