Mindset Books for Your Self-Improvement Journey
By Becky Mollenkamp, PCC
As a feminist life coach, I’ve read a lot of mindset books. These are 10 of my favorites, in no particular order, that I recommend to my clients.
I hope you’ll check out these amazing books and that they’ll inspire you as much as they inspired me. Heck, maybe they’ll even help to change your life. Enjoy!
(Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning—at no additional cost to you—I’ll get earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
“The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks
One of the first self-help books I read was “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks. It’s certainly not a feminist book, but I’m including it in my list because it’s a good starter book. If you are new to mindset work, this book will definitely challenge you to dream bigger for yourself—and to understand some of the personal reasons why you may feel stuck.
“Patriarchy Stress Disorder” by Valerie Rein
To work on your mindset, it’s important to first understand how little of what we often call “mindset” is actually about your brain. In fact, our thoughts are formed by the culture in which we live—and that means they have been shaped by racist patriarchy. Rather than blame yourself, focus your attention first on the systems that contributed to your mindset. Unpack that and then you can consider your personal role inside of that programming. This book is the best place to start.
“All About Love” by bell hooks
I adore bell hooks and honestly recommend all of her work. But when it comes to mindset work, I specifically love “All About Love.” This isn’t just about romantic love. It’s about the very concept of love, how we define it, and how we embody it. It’s about loving ourselves, it’s about platonic love, and yes it’s also about romantic love. This is a rare look at love through a decidedly feminist lens—and that is something that is desperately needed.
“Sister Outsider” by Audre Lorde
My favorite essay, which I use as a foundational piece in my feminist teaching of mindset, is “Uses of the Erotic” by Audre Lorde. It helped me understand the importance of advocating for my wants and needs. That piece is included in this book, along with a dozen others that are just as powerful. If your mindset work doesn’t include some Audre Lorde, it’s probably not truly feminist.
“My Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem
Anti-racism work may not traditionally be considered “mindset” work, but I disagree. I think to change how we show up in the world for the better, we absolutely must confront and dismantle our racist patriarchal conditioning (and we all have it because we all live in a racist patriarchy). I’ve read a lot of anti-racist books, and “My Grandmother’s Hands” is different. Rather than educating about racism, which is certainly important, this book talks about how to protect yourself as you exist in and fight against racism. It’s an embodied approach to anti-racism work, and I can’t recommend it enough.
“The Wisdom of Your Body” by Hillary McBride
After realizing how disconnected I’ve been from my body in my life, I got really interested in embodiment. I read a lot, but much of it left me feeling no different. I started to wonder if I’d ever really understand how to get more embodied. This book is the first to finally help me “get” what embodiment really means. Best of all, she honors lived experience and fully recognizes the problems of patriarchy.
“The Body Keeps the Score” by
Here’s another book to help you better understand the mind-body relationship (and why “mindset” work is about more than just the brain). “The Body Keeps the Score” isn’t an easy read—it’s long and dense—but it’s well worth it. If you’ve experienced any trauma, and we all have, then you’ll benefit from learning how it embeds itself in your body and continues to get triggered throughout life. This is critical to making changes to your mindset.
“The Body is Not an Apology” by Sonya Renee Taylor
Being a woman inherently means you are conditioned to have body issues. I’ve spent the last few years unpacking and releasing this conditioning, and this approachable, powerful book was very helpful in that process. It investigates where systems of oppression live inside all of us. Taylor’s radical self-love framework is a wonderful starting point for dismantling bodily-based hierarchies inside and outside as you heal your relationship with self.
“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
The first book to really blow open my mind to mindfulness and presence was “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. Fair warning that this book can feel unnecessarily dense, but I still really find a lot of peace in listening to Tolle’s thick accent as I go for long walks in nature. Dipping in and out of this book with regularity is a sure way to help you return to a calmer state.
“You Belong” by Sebene Selassie
As mentioned above, I love “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. It used to be my top recommendation for people interested in mindfulness. But now I more often tell people to check out “You Belong” by Sebene Selassie. That’s because it covers much of the same ground, but in a way that feels much more accessible. Plus, it dives into so many other topics (connection/community, confidence) that are important to women.
Mindset Books for Your Self-Improvement Journey
By Becky Mollenkamp, PCC
As a feminist life coach, I’ve read a lot of mindset books. These are 10 of my favorites, in no particular order, that I recommend to my clients.
I hope you’ll check out these amazing books and that they’ll inspire you as much as they inspired me. Heck, maybe they’ll even help to change your life. Enjoy!
(Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning—at no additional cost to you—I’ll get earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
“The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks
One of the first self-help books I read was “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks. It’s certainly not a feminist book, but I’m including it in my list because it’s a good starter book. If you are new to mindset work, this book will definitely challenge you to dream bigger for yourself—and to understand some of the personal reasons why you may feel stuck.
“Patriarchy Stress Disorder” by Valerie Rein
To work on your mindset, it’s important to first understand how little of what we often call “mindset” is actually about your brain. In fact, our thoughts are formed by the culture in which we live—and that means they have been shaped by racist patriarchy. Rather than blame yourself, focus your attention first on the systems that contributed to your mindset. Unpack that and then you can consider your personal role inside of that programming. This book is the best place to start.
“All About Love” by bell hooks
I adore bell hooks and honestly recommend all of her work. But when it comes to mindset work, I specifically love “All About Love.” This isn’t just about romantic love. It’s about the very concept of love, how we define it, and how we embody it. It’s about loving ourselves, it’s about platonic love, and yes it’s also about romantic love. This is a rare look at love through a decidedly feminist lens—and that is something that is desperately needed.
“Sister Outsider” by Audre Lorde
My favorite essay, which I use as a foundational piece in my feminist teaching of mindset, is “Uses of the Erotic” by Audre Lorde. It helped me understand the importance of advocating for my wants and needs. That piece is included in this book, along with a dozen others that are just as powerful. If your mindset work doesn’t include some Audre Lorde, it’s probably not truly feminist.
“My Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem
Anti-racism work may not traditionally be considered “mindset” work, but I disagree. I think to change how we show up in the world for the better, we absolutely must confront and dismantle our racist patriarchal conditioning (and we all have it because we all live in a racist patriarchy). I’ve read a lot of anti-racist books, and “My Grandmother’s Hands” is different. Rather than educating about racism, which is certainly important, this book talks about how to protect yourself as you exist in and fight against racism. It’s an embodied approach to anti-racism work, and I can’t recommend it enough.
“The Wisdom of Your Body” by Hillary McBride
After realizing how disconnected I’ve been from my body in my life, I got really interested in embodiment. I read a lot, but much of it left me feeling no different. I started to wonder if I’d ever really understand how to get more embodied. This book is the first to finally help me “get” what embodiment really means. Best of all, she honors lived experience and fully recognizes the problems of patriarchy.
“The Body Keeps the Score” by
Here’s another book to help you better understand the mind-body relationship (and why “mindset” work is about more than just the brain). “The Body Keeps the Score” isn’t an easy read—it’s long and dense—but it’s well worth it. If you’ve experienced any trauma, and we all have, then you’ll benefit from learning how it embeds itself in your body and continues to get triggered throughout life. This is critical to making changes to your mindset.
“The Body is Not an Apology” by Sonya Renee Taylor
Being a woman inherently means you are conditioned to have body issues. I’ve spent the last few years unpacking and releasing this conditioning, and this approachable, powerful book was very helpful in that process. It investigates where systems of oppression live inside all of us. Taylor’s radical self-love framework is a wonderful starting point for dismantling bodily-based hierarchies inside and outside as you heal your relationship with self.
“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
The first book to really blow open my mind to mindfulness and presence was “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. Fair warning that this book can feel unnecessarily dense, but I still really find a lot of peace in listening to Tolle’s thick accent as I go for long walks in nature. Dipping in and out of this book with regularity is a sure way to help you return to a calmer state.
“You Belong” by Sebene Selassie
As mentioned above, I love “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. It used to be my top recommendation for people interested in mindfulness. But now I more often tell people to check out “You Belong” by Sebene Selassie. That’s because it covers much of the same ground, but in a way that feels much more accessible. Plus, it dives into so many other topics (connection/community, confidence) that are important to women.
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Mindset Books for Your Self-Improvement Journey
By Becky Mollenkamp, PCC
As a feminist life coach, I’ve read a lot of mindset books. These are 10 of my favorites, in no particular order, that I recommend to my clients.
I hope you’ll check out these amazing books and that they’ll inspire you as much as they inspired me. Heck, maybe they’ll even help to change your life. Enjoy!
(Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning—at no additional cost to you—I’ll get earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
One of the first self-help books I read was “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks. It’s certainly not a feminist book, but I’m including it in my list because it’s a good starter book. If you are new to mindset work, this book will definitely challenge you to dream bigger for yourself—and to understand some of the personal reasons why you may feel stuck.
To work on your mindset, it’s important to first understand how little of what we often call “mindset” is actually about your brain. In fact, our thoughts are formed by the culture in which we live—and that means they have been shaped by racist patriarchy. Rather than blame yourself, focus your attention first on the systems that contributed to your mindset. Unpack that and then you can consider your personal role inside of that programming. This book is the best place to start.
I adore bell hooks and honestly recommend all of her work. But when it comes to mindset work, I specifically love “All About Love.” This isn’t just about romantic love. It’s about the very concept of love, how we define it, and how we embody it. It’s about loving ourselves, it’s about platonic love, and yes it’s also about romantic love. This is a rare look at love through a decidedly feminist lens—and that is something that is desperately needed.
“Sister Outsider” by Audre Lorde
My favorite essay, which I use as a foundational piece in my feminist teaching of mindset, is “Uses of the Erotic” by Audre Lorde. It helped me understand the importance of advocating for my wants and needs. That piece is included in this book, along with a dozen others that are just as powerful. If your mindset work doesn’t include some Audre Lorde, it’s probably not truly feminist.
My favorite essay, which I use as a foundational piece in my feminist teaching of mindset, is “Uses of the Erotic” by Audre Lorde. It helped me understand the importance of advocating for my wants and needs. That piece is included in this book, along with a dozen others that are just as powerful. If your mindset work doesn’t include some Audre Lorde, it’s probably not truly feminist.
Anti-racism work may not traditionally be considered “mindset” work, but I disagree. I think to change how we show up in the world for the better, we absolutely must confront and dismantle our racist patriarchal conditioning (and we all have it because we all live in a racist patriarchy). I’ve read a lot of anti-racist books, and “My Grandmother’s Hands” is different. Rather than educating about racism, which is certainly important, this book talks about how to protect yourself as you exist in and fight against racism. It’s an embodied approach to anti-racism work, and I can’t recommend it enough.
After realizing how disconnected I’ve been from my body in my life, I got really interested in embodiment. I read a lot, but much of it left me feeling no different. I started to wonder if I’d ever really understand how to get more embodied. This book is the first to finally help me “get” what embodiment really means. Best of all, she honors lived experience and fully recognizes the problems of patriarchy.
Here’s another book to help you better understand the mind-body relationship (and why “mindset” work is about more than just the brain). “The Body Keeps the Score” isn’t an easy read—it’s long and dense—but it’s well worth it. If you’ve experienced any trauma, and we all have, then you’ll benefit from learning how it embeds itself in your body and continues to get triggered throughout life. This is critical to making changes to your mindset.
Being a woman inherently means you are conditioned to have body issues. I’ve spent the last few years unpacking and releasing this conditioning, and this approachable, powerful book was very helpful in that process. It investigates where systems of oppression live inside all of us. Taylor’s radical self-love framework is a wonderful starting point for dismantling bodily-based hierarchies inside and outside as you heal your relationship with self.
The first book to really blow open my mind to mindfulness and presence was “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. Fair warning that this book can feel unnecessarily dense, but I still really find a lot of peace in listening to Tolle’s thick accent as I go for long walks in nature. Dipping in and out of this book with regularity is a sure way to help you return to a calmer state.
As mentioned above, I love “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. It used to be my top recommendation for people interested in mindfulness. But now I more often tell people to check out “You Belong” by Sebene Selassie. That’s because it covers much of the same ground, but in a way that feels much more accessible. Plus, it dives into so many other topics (connection/community, confidence) that are important to women.
