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If you want to improve your understanding of brain chemicals, exercise safely, or reduce concerns about others’ actions, there is a new book tailored just for you.
Here are three must-read self-improvement tomes to check out in the new year.
The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About
Mel Robbins (Hay House, out now)
The newest release from a highly popular podcast host and influencer, with a massive following of 7.1 million on Instagram and 3.2 million on YouTube, has quickly become a #1 bestseller on the New York Times list. The book promotes a straightforward principle: instead of trying to change or control others to make them happy, focus on self-improvement and managing what is within your control. According to Robbins, this shift in perspective can lead to significant changes in your life. By letting go of the urge to interfere in others’ lives, you can enhance your own well-being and relationships by accepting people as they are.
The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain and Body By Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins
TJ Power (Dey Street Books; Jan. 21)
Power, in her book, emphasizes the importance of comprehending the functions of the four main brain chemicals and the factors that cause them to fluctuate. By understanding this, she suggests that we can make meaningful positive adjustments to our daily routines and overall lifestyles. The neuroscientist advises readers to pay attention to how their daily habits affect their mental and physical well-being. The book offers practical advice on how to increase the levels of these chemicals in the brain. For example, dopamine levels can be elevated by replacing screen time with reading physical books. To enhance oxytocin levels and foster a sense of connection, Power recommends engaging in physical touch, spending time in nature, and reducing phone usage. Moreover, boosting serotonin levels can be achieved by ensuring adequate sleep, consuming protein, and getting sufficient sunlight. Endorphins, on the other hand, can be activated through activities like exercise, saunas, or listening to music.
Born to Walk: The Broken Promises of the Running Boom
Mark Sisson with Brad Kearns (Primal Blueprint Publishing; Jan. 21)
In recent decades, everyone from Oprah Winfrey and Pamela Anderson to that guy you know from work has run a marathon. The 2011 bestseller “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” helped fuel the obsession, looking at how the human body is supposedly suited to distance running. But Sisson, a former marathoner and the founder of the popular Primal Kitchen health foods, contends that the vast majority of humans aren’t really built for pounding out 40 miles a week — and would be “fitter, leaner, healthier, and happier” if they walked more and ran less. He writes that moderate exercise like walking is actually more effective than strenuous activity for burning fat and offers up ideas for getting in more steps.