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There are many ways to take care of your mental health, but it’s sometimes difficult to know where to begin. Reading books with mental health tips can be a great way to understand the mind and plan your own path forward. There are many books out there, but some of the top ones are written by experts like psychologists, neuroscientists, and others who have a deep understanding of mental health. Start by adding the following five books to your reading list and making time to read a few chapters every week.

1. Atomic Habits

It’s tempting to want to make big changes that will immediately improve your life. However, this is usually unreasonable. By reading Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, you’ll learn how to make small adjustments (called atomic habits) to your everyday routine to see the results you want.

2. The Body Keeps the Score

If your mental health issues are due to trauma, there’s no better book for you than The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. He talks about how trauma affects the areas of the brain responsible for trust, pleasure, and control. The good news is it’s possible to rewire your brain by practicing some of the mindfulness activities described in the book.

3. Your Twenties

Whether you’re already in your twenties or you’re nearing this decade of your life, you’ll find it useful to read Your Twenties: No One Ever Teaches You How to Grow Up, You Know? by Jessica Smith. Your twenties is an important decade — it’s the end of the structured life of childhood and the beginning of adulthood, when you’re out in the world on your own. Whereas many people find their twenties to be a fun time, others find it stressful.

Reading this book will help you cope with the transition, especially as you finish college, embark on a career, and perhaps even think about settling down and starting a family. It covers the five aspects that tend to be most important to people at this time in their lives: a healthy mind, a career, relationships, self love, and body acceptance. You should find that reading this book relieves some of the stress you’re feeling about making the right decisions.

4. Switch on Your Brain

In Switch on Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, Dr. Caroline Leaf explains how genetics influence your mental health. She then provides advice, based on neurobiological concepts, to change neural networks formed from fears and trauma into positive connections.

5. Get Out of Your Head

Many students find solace in hearing about how other people have struggled with their mental health but overcome their problems. In Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts, Jennie Allen offers advice based on her own experiences of using positive affirmations.

An important way to take care of your mental health while you’re at college is to strike a balance between socializing and having time for yourself. This is easiest when you have your own space but also live with other students. To do this, move off campus and into student rentals. Barrie students can find a home at Arcadian Students. You’ll be able to relax, study, and entertain friends in your five-bedroom suite or townhouse and meet other people in places like the outdoor basketball half court, common area lounge, and fitness center. Contact us for details about a lease.