8 Books To Read To Prevent Holiday Blues
Beyond Tinsel and Tears: Essential Reads to Keep the Holiday Blues at Bay
The holiday season is a time of joy, celebrations, and warmth—at least, that’s the story we’re all sold. But for many, the season brings a mix of emotions that don’t quite fit into a cheerful greeting card. From the stress of family dynamics and packed schedules to the quiet feeling of loneliness that can sneak in between festive gatherings, the “holiday blues” are all too real. The good news? You’re not alone, and there’s comfort to be found in the right book. Reading can offer a fresh perspective, a reassuring voice, or even just a bit of escapism when things feel heavy. Whether you’re looking for wisdom, humor, or simply a reminder that others have felt this way too, these books are here to help you get through the season with a little more peace. So grab a cozy blanket, make some tea, and let these reads lift your spirits.
The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery, by Brianna Wiest
This is a book about self-sabotage. Why we do it, when we do it, and how to stop doing it—for good. Coexisting but conflicting needs create self-sabotaging behaviors. This is why we resist efforts to change, often until they feel completely futile. But by extracting crucial insight from our most damaging habits, building emotional intelligence by better understanding our brains and bodies, releasing past experiences at a cellular level, and learning to act as our highest potential future selves, we can step out of our own way and into our potential. For centuries, the mountain has been used as a metaphor for the big challenges we face, especially ones that seem impossible to overcome. To scale our mountains, we actually have to do the deep internal work of excavating trauma, building resilience, and adjusting how we show up for the climb. In the end, it is not the mountain we master, but ourselves.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, impeccably researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how you see yourself.
Things to Look Forward To: 52 Large and Small Joys for Today and Every Day, by Sophie Blackall
In these pages, beloved author and illustrator Sophie Blackall has gathered a collection of joys for all of us—reminders of everyday magic, like the sun coming up and new babies being born. With wisdom, whimsy, and compassion, the 52 illustrated ideas in this book offer moments of uplift and serendipity for yourself and your loved ones. Suggestions range from baking muffins for a friend to drawing a face on an egg and putting it in the fridge where it will smile at you each time you open the door.
A message of hope and solace in hard times and of joyful anticipation at times of new beginnings—whether you're grieving a loss or starting a new chapter, and for all the days in between—Things to Look Forward To is full of gentle reminders of the objects, occasions, gestures, and ideas that warm our hearts. There is always something bright on the horizon, and sometimes that horizon can be a lot closer than we think.
Save Me An Orange, by Haley Grace
In her debut poetry collection, Hayley gives voice to the roots of struggle and pain growing up, as well as the love and pursuit of self-acceptance that were fundamental in her own choice to live. Her verses weave a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally resonant–through shadows of the past and the fleeting moments of joy captured in the simplicity of sharing an orange.
Now And Not Yet, by Ruth Chou Simons
Too often, we feel disappointed with our "right now"—our life circumstances, our relationships, our lack progress towards our dreams and goals, our daily grind. We want to do so many things—good, godly things—but our situations don't allow us to step into them.
In Now and Not Yet, bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons has a powerful message for you when you're restless in your current season of life and just waiting—waiting to get beyond the pain, waiting for God to show up, waiting to get to tomorrow—she reminds you that it's okay to not like the right now we've been given, but we don't have to like it to lean in.
The Freedom of Being: At Ease with What Is, by Jan Frazier
Frazier, the author of the bestselling When Fear Falls Away: The Story of a Sudden Awakening, offers practical and effective suggestions for developing "presentmoment" awareness as the key to awakening. Frazier shows how getting caught up in being on a spiritual journey often sustains the illusion of timespecifically some future time when you hope to awaken. But letting go of the idea of the future and staying focused in the present can give you access to a rich life free of suffering.
"When you are hurting, or feeling very unawake, or dissatisfied with yourself, instead of saying 'I've got to change' or 'I've got to get enlightened,' step outside of the whole thing and simply observe your thoughts and feelings neutrally, without judgment. This nonjudgmental looking is transformative." Jan Frazier
Whether you feel stuck in your life, or simply want to suffer less and live more consciously, The Freedom of Beingoffers a blueprint to make the shift into the present.
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness, by Ingrid Fetell Lee
Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset, or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring? Is there a reason that people—regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity—are mesmerized by baby animals, and can't help but smile when they see a burst of confetti or a cluster of colorful balloons?
We are often made to feel that the physical world has little or no impact on our inner joy. Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward—through mindfulness or meditation—and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible source of joy?
In Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and psychology, she explains why one setting makes us feel anxious or competitive, while another fosters acceptance and delight—and, most importantly, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.
Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: 5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinking, by Caroline Leaf
Toxic thoughts, depression, anxiety--our mental mess is frequently aggravated by a chaotic world and sustained by an inability to manage our thought life. But we shouldn't settle into this mental mess as if it's a new normal. There's hope and help available to us--and the road to healthier thoughts and peak happiness may actually be shorter than you think.
Backed by clinical research and illustrated with compelling case studies, Dr. Caroline Leaf provides a scientifically proven five-step plan, the Neurocycle, to help you
● find and eliminate the root of anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts in your life
● experience dramatically improved mental and physical health
● clean up your mental mess and be on the road to wholeness, peace, and happiness