Perhaps unsurprising given last year’s bestselling self-help book in Australia was The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins, many readers learned to stop bending over backwards for others. Eva let go of being the emotional diplomat in every social situation. She now resists the urge to resolve every conflict, sustains 30 seconds of “awkwardness” in difficult interactions, and leaves others to “clear their own mess”, she wrote. As a result, she has more emotional energy. “I realised that trying to keep everybody happy was counterproductive to me and my family’s long-term wellbeing.”