Learn how to align heart and head, and to concentrate

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown (Vermilion)

The self-help supremo charts more than 80 emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human.

Brown has built a phenomenal following for her championing of courage and connection, and this takes her can-do philosophy to new heights.

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig (Penguin Random House)

If you’re in search of hope or a more meaningful life in our battered world, Haig serves up a rich collection of anecdotes, quotes, reminders and prompts that he himself relied on in some very dark days. Slow down, he advises, and appreciate the beauty of existence.

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (Jonathan Ball Publishers)

Subtitled Why You Can't Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again, Hari addresses the modern catastrophe of our inability to concentrate. Our focus, he says, has been stolen by corporations determined to divert our attention for profit. He sets out how we can reclaim our sharpness and start paying fruitful attention again.

Smartwoman by Sylvia Walker (PRH)

SA financial guru Walker promises to show us how we can  “Gain Financial Independence and Create Wealth.”

With insight into our unique economy she explains how to  spend smarter, tackle debt and set critical goals. She explains how financial markets work, as well as the universal principles behind growing wealth. This is the year to start taking control.

Speak Your Truth by Fearne Cotton (Orion)

From the bestselling author of Calm and Happy, a collection of essays about finding your true voice. When do we swallow down our authentic words to become pleasers and compromisers at the cost of our own happiness or wellbeing? Cotton will guide you in finding your voice, asserting yourself and speaking out with confidence.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith (PRH)

Smith is a veteran psychologist and a TikTok sensation who reaches through your screen with a helping hand. Covid-19 has decimated our emotional equilibrium and mental health, and in this excellent book Smith shares secrets from a therapist’s toolkit to help get us back on track.