The best mindfulness reads to get you ready to live your best life in 2026

7 Jan, 2026 | Admin | No Comments

The best mindfulness reads to get you ready to live your best life in 2026

Range of colourful books on beige background
These are just some of our faves at Metro HQ. (Picture: Metro/Getty)

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It’s that time again, when we start looking ahead to the year to come and promising ourselves that this will be the year we get our lives together.

And while goals can range from career progression to fitness wins, there’s one resolution we think deserves the top spot in 2026: prioritising yourself.

Whether you’re keen to slow down, stress less, sleep better or simply feel a bit more grounded in the chaos of everyday life, mindfulness is a brilliant place to start.

We’re not talking about spending hundreds on a retreat high in the mountains, or suddenly becoming a master at meditation, there is a much simpler way of achieving this goal. 

Whether you like to turn physical pages, easily flick through with the likes of a Kindle, or sit back and listen to audiobooks, these mindfulness books are packed with gentle wisdom, realistic advice and feel-good inspiration to help you step into 2026 feeling calmer, clearer and ready to live your best life.

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Shop The Best Mindfulness Reads:

Blue book with pink writing

Smarter by Em Austen

Hustle culture is rife in today’s society with endless social media accounts offering endless advice to us consumers, to the point where it can be considered to become toxic. Em Austen brilliantly explains how she made small changes in her life to provide her with the tools and exercises to create a better work-life balance that worked for her and allowed her to live Smarter in 10 easy steps.

Buy Now for £11.50 (was £18.98)

Green bookcover by Mel Robbins

Let Them by Mel Robbins

If you need to shake feelings off and become unbothered in the new year, then this is the book for you. Mel Robbins is an American author and podcaster who rose to fame with her theory of 'the five second rule' and became increasingly popular on social media. Let Them is all about learning what you can and can’t control and how to mentally deal and process this. It’s a very simple rule of saying the words 'Let Them' when certain situations arise like not being invited somewhere, not being informed of a decision etc. and then stating 'Let Me' which then asks what you can do to act on this.

Buy Now for £11.49 (was £22.99)

Pink book with orange graphic

The Confidence Journal by Jules Von Hep

This is the ultimate confidence boost to realise your own potential. Think of it as a toolkit for a new year glow up that is deeper than relying on the acceptance from others, and focuses on your own worth. Global beauty expert and confidence guru Jules Von Hep provides practices and guides you through daily self-care routines, rituals and honest truths to let go of comparison.

Buy Now from £10.11

Orange book with black lettering

Manifest by Roxie Nafousi

Whether you want to find your soulmate, score a promotion at work, move into a new home or simply want a less stressful life, then this is a great start. First released in 2022, Manifest is still as prevalent now as it was then. Made up of seven chapters that assist you in creating the life you want with titles such as ‘remove fear and doubt’, ‘overcome tests from the universe’, and ‘embrace gratitude’, Roxie Nafousi excellently describes and explains the process without creating confusion and overwhelm.

Buy Now for £18.99

White book with pale blue butterfly

The Power of Letting Go by John Purkiss

This book is basically a friendly guide to finally stopping yourself from holding on to all the stuff that keeps you stuck – fear, hurt, expectations and overthinking. It breaks letting go down into simple steps like being present, dropping stuck thoughts and tuning into your intuition, so you can learn to trust yourself more. Think of it as the pep talk you needed to start living lighter.

Buy Now from £7.74

Bright green book with white writing

How To Fail by Elizabeth Day

As humans we try not to fail at anything with all of our power. However, Elizabeth Day reveals why we should lean into failure and not run from it. In this excellent and funny book that’s all about messing up, Elizabeth takes the idea of failure and turns it on it’s head to explain how it teaches us much more than success does. So, whether you’ve had disasters in dating, careers, friendships, this is an empowering way to reflect and go forward.

Buy Now from £9.97

Beige book with black writing

Start With You by Emma Grede

Known for her business ventures with the Kardashians and more, Emma Grede is now sharing her story and advice on how to conquer the world on your terms.The book is written like you’re having a heart-to-heart with a super successful friend who tells you straight how she thinks about life, work and success – no fluff. Emma shares her own journey from tough beginnings to building big businesses and offers practical mindset tools to help you stop overthinking, ditch unhelpful beliefs and start owning your goals.

pre-order for £25

Green book with female on the front cover

Simply More by Cynthia Erivo

Whilst this isn’t specifically a self-help book, Actress and Singer Cynthia Erivo, famous for her recent role in Wicked and Wicked: For Good, tells her story of her training and upbringing, whilst posing questions at the end of each chapter to get you to reflect on your own life and experiences. From the realisation of the trauma of her father leaving her, to audition for countless movie and theatre roles, Cynthia helps you tap into your past and present to prepare for your future and realise your worth. It feels like sitting down and having a therapy session with a friend.

Buy Now for £5

Whote book with black writing on the cover

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Dr Julie Smith

Dr Julie Smith, a clinical psychologist and TikTok star, shares shares simple, practical mental-health tools you actually use when life gets messy. From calming anxiety and beating low moods, to building confidence and breaking negative thought loops, it’s full of bite-sized advice that feels like a wise friend helping you make sense of your brain and emotions without being overwhelmed.

Buy Now for £20

Get these ordered pronto, and kick start your New Year right!

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