The ‘Mind’ Book Club

Introducing our new bi-weekly series for members of balanceclub, where we delve into new books in the health and wellness sphere. From fiction to non-fiction, memoirs to self-help, poetry to cookbooks – we are exploring it all! This week, we are taking a look at modern self-help classics that have shaped the mental health conversation in the digital world in the past few years. Take a look at this week’s picks… 

The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk 

Perhaps you have seen this book recommended to you on TikTok, or your fave influencer is promoting it on reels – either way, the internet is loving how The Body Keeps The Score speaks about the brain, mind, and body when healing trauma. It has been described as pure therapy and an insight into how to help yourself when figuring out how external influences like friends, relationships, or work affect your body. It ushers in a conversation on somatic exercises to help heal the nervous system. Though definitely not a fix-all (as with anything in the field), it can open up new doorways in your journey, and lay out research in the psychology field by one of the world's foremost experts in trauma that you may find an interesting read. From neurofeedback to meditation in sports and drama, it reveals how relationships hurt and heal, and how the neuroplasticity of our brain can – and will – recover. 

I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee
A bestseller like no other, I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki is an intimate memoir by author Sehee where she outlines the very real conversations from her therapy. She was working at a publishing house when she started to slowly see signs of a decline in her mental health, but she didn’t know what to call it. Performing daily and covering her feelings by being social and calm on the outside, she slowly reveals how depression crept up on her, and the very vulnerable conversations that come with this. Why is it that, no matter how low and hopeless she feels, she can always make it outside for the popular traditional Korean dish tteokbokki? When will the cycle of feeling and eating end? Sehee combines memoir with self-help in this tell-all about her mental health. A pioneering collection of essays and dialogue for those who have ever struggled with feelings of anxiety or depression, it is also an amazing read for those who just want to learn more about how these cycles affect others.

The Joy of Being Selfish by Michelle Elman 

Why is selfish such a negative word? Sometimes, it’s important to help yourself before others, and Elman knows all about the life-saving value in knowing your boundaries and – more importantly – setting them. Life coach and influencer (known previously as @scarrednotscared), this author lays out why extreme openness can be our enemy. From a young age, we are taught to put others first, and consequently, we bring that into our adulthood. But with busy lives, it can leave us with burnout and neglect of our self-love and self-care. So if you are feeling the effects of not getting a break, or perhaps you have physical or mental burnout, we would recommend picking up Elman’s bible to self-love.