The modern world can be a hectic place. Trying to balance work, college courses, a social life, extracurriculars and just having a moment to relax alone is undeniably challenging. These tasks become even worse with an overwhelmed, overworked, or just plain disorganized mind. Taking time to clear the mental clutter and gain control of your thoughts can make just about anything easier — and may even result in a happier, more productive you. Here are some books we think are essential reads for nurturing a clear, focused and organized mind, no matter what you have going on in your life.
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Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Written in the 6th century BC, this classic Chinese text’s Taoist wisdom is just as applicable in today’s world as it was when it was created. Topics in the Tao Te Ching range from political advice to practical wisdom, with many wise sayings including guidance like, "knowing others is wisdom, knowing the self is enlightenment." With a wide range of interpretations possible, readers can internalize the advice for just about any personal battle they’re going through. -
Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger
This best-selling book offers advice on how to conquer stress and anxiety by changing the way you think. Developed by two clinical psychologists, it provides readers a chance to get emotions that may be holding them back (like low self-esteem, guilt and anger) under control. As they slowly make their way through the worksheets and activities, readers will learn to feel more confident, happy, and in control of everything in their lives – including the negatives. -
How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein
Need some help showing your brain who’s the boss? Lakein’s book offers guidance on building willpower, working smarter and the importance of wasting time — all things that combine to make you happier and healthier, both personally and professionally. It can be especially useful for college students struggling to build time management skills, as it offers a simple and effective method to help you get more done for less investment. -
Organizing for Life: Declutter Your Mind to Declutter Your World by Sandra Felton
Think your cluttered apartment doesn’t have any effect on the way you think and feel? This book will show you how a messy home (or office) can cause stress and nurtures emotional issues, like guilt, fear and bad habits, which may be causing you to wallow in a negative, disordered and restless space. With the help of Felton’s advice, readers will learn how to not only create an organized home, but mind as well. -
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
A bestseller since its 1990 release, Covey’s book explores the underlying issues that can help one person succeed while another flounders. From improving your work performance to deepening relationships with loved ones, the book offers advice on topics like time management, productivity, positive thinking and controlling your thoughts. -
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
What makes one experience deeply satisfying while a similar one is not? In this book, psychologist Csikszentmihalyi explains that a state of consciousness called "flow" is the culprit. Readers will learn how to control this state and find deeper, more powerful enjoyment in many more life experiences. -
Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Study after study has demonstrated the powerful and brain-altering effects of meditation, and for those seeking greater mental organization, few more beneficial practices exist. In this book, Kabat-Zinn shares lessons about the art and what varying methods have to offer practitioners. A great read for both beginners and pros alike, it is essential to any library for the organized mind. -
Getting Things Done by David Allen
One of the best-selling productivity books of all time, David Allen’s Getting Things Done is a must-read for anyone hoping to seize control of their thoughts and lives. Using Allen’s methods, readers will learn how to quit procrastinating, be more productive and have more time for work and personal and play. One of the GTD’s most effective method? Users can get all those pesky to-dos out of their minds, into a schedule and out of the way so they can use those brain cells for something else. -
Games People Play by Eric Berne
Whether we’re at work or at play, human beings are a theatrical species. As much as we’d like to think otherwise, many of our interactions with others take on the form of elaborate and carefully-orchestrated games. It can often be difficult to puzzle out the rules or understand winning them. That’s where this book comes in. Readers will find an in-depth analysis of basic human social interactions, which can help them better process the power, competitive, and sexual games we play each and every day. -
The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler
Happiness is no accident, as you’ll learn here. Essentially an interview with the world-renowned Buddhist leader, the text may answer many questions weighing on your mind, from how to deal with death and loss to the best anger management strategies. At the heart of the lessons the Dalai Lama offers are keys perhaps unlocking true happiness and inner peace — maybe even a touch of enlightenment.
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