A compilation of the top books on self-improvement
The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Nonsmokers Using the Easyway Method
Authors: Allen Carr,
Allen Carr was just like any smoker, if not worse. He used to smoke 100 cigarettes a day until he turned his life around. In this book, he shows you how you can do the same as well. From the psychological effects of smoking and the social pressures that lure you into the habit, this book covers it all.
Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You–At Work And In Life
Authors: Spencer Johnson,
What the unhappy young man from the valley learns from the old man who lives in the mountains holds the key to changing your life. The author of Who Moved My Cheese gives you Peaks and Valleys. It is a book that shows you how to master the art of remaining calm, even when you are in the eye of the storm.
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
Authors: David D. Burns,
David Burns reveals a new kind of therapy for anxiety, depression and even procrastination, and it doesn’t involve drugs! In Feeling Good, the acclaimed psychologist provides techniques that are guaranteed to have an instant effect on your mood and change how you’ve been looking at life all along. His insights will make you feel good about everything, every day.
Status Anxiety
Authors: Alain de Botton,
Alain de Botton reveals the reason why you worry about your reputation as a winner or a loser. He argues that the cause of this kind of anxiety is that people treat you based on your social class. In this book, he eliminates this practice and helps you overcome the fear that the society might deem you worthless.
What to Say When You Talk to Your Self
Authors: Shad Helmstetter,
You’re always talking to yourself, sometimes even without realizing that you are. But this self-talk is often negative and crippling. It is the reason why you aren’t where you are destined to be in life. Shad Helmstetter puts an end to this and gives you five life-changing levels of self-talk so that you can reclaim your life from the shackles of negativity.
I’m OK – You’re OK
Authors: Thomas A. Harris,
During childhood, we relied on our parents for comfort and care. But with time, we started identifying our feelings in relation to how others feel. Harris shows you how you can come out of this trap and communicate with the world like an adult who has control over childlike emotions and is able to effectively give the comfort of a parent.
You Can Heal Your Life
Authors: Louise L. Hay,
Louise Hay has a simple, yet empowering message for you. If you are willing to utilise all of your mental strength, you can heal yourself from anything life throws at you. In this remarkable book, you will learn to understand your thoughts, the various ways in which they can limit you and how you can improve your life as a whole.
F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way
Authors: John C. Parkin,
John C. Parkin provides a radical new approach to handling life, stress and anxiety — F**k it. He gives you a quick way of living a carefree life, putting an end to the worries that trouble your mind and the self-doubt that has been stopping you from reaching your full potential. In his uniquely genial style of writing, Parkin’s work will change your life.
The Feeling Good Handbook
Authors: David D. Burns,
Not many experts address the small, everyday conflicts we face in life. But they are often the reasons behind the greater problems, such as depression and anxiety. Dr. Burns eliminates this and reveals some simple techniques to make your life more fulfilling. From improving communication skills to becoming a better spouse, this book has the answer to most of life’s overwhelming situations.
Change: What Really Leads to Lasting Personal Transformation
Authors: Jeffrey A. Kottler,
Jeffrey Kottler gives you the most comprehensive guide to change. He infuses religion, psychology, and even your body’s biology to make you put an end to all the negative habits in your life. Learn how to cope with failure, stress, anxiety and even physical disability and make your life one worth living.
Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
Authors: Thich Nhat Hanh,
Many centuries ago, Buddha taught us that in life, there are three happiness destroyers — an obsessive desire for more, incorrect knowledge and anger. In this profound book, the Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, will help you conquer these three destroyers of happiness. His insights will give life to every corner of your soul that anger has damaged.
The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety
Authors: Alan W. Watts,
Anxiety has caused us to either regret the past or plan excessively for the future. In the midst of this, we forget the only guaranteed moment of our life — the present. Alan Watts helps you overcome this problem so that you can have what it takes to make the most of your life, and do so immediately.
The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT
Authors: Russ Harris,Steven C. Hayes
An expert psychologist, Russ Harris, shares a life-changing but simple psychotherapy called ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) that can lead to real satisfaction in life. His book will take you out of the happiness trap and its implications such as stress, depression and anxiety. If you seek empowerment, this book was made for you.
Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You Want to Do (A No F*cks Given Guide)
Authors: Sarah Knight,
Sarah Knight gracefully pulls you out of your pity-potty and introduces you to the concept of “mental decluttering.” True to the title of the book, you learn how to pull yourself together, overcome the crippling negative thoughts, overcome your anxiety issues and to face your fear of failure. In her unique genial style of writing, Knight gives you the tools you’ll need for self-help.
Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure
Authors: Tim Harford,
The world is so consumed with unpredictability that plans and strategies alone won’t suffice. Harford combines psychology, economics, physics and even biology to help you develop the trait that will help you thrive — adaptability. Whether it’s to tackle global warming or starvation, Harford’s Adapt holds the key to overcoming the challenges you will face.
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness
Authors: Daniel G. Amen,
Dr. Amen provides you with some unique “brain prescriptions”. For example, practice easy breathing techniques to overcome surges of anxiety or panic. Eliminate negative thoughts to fight depression. Change your dietary habits to overcome an anger-problem.
Reasons to Stay Alive
Authors: Matt Haig,
Matt Haig was just like you, or like someone who is close to you. He suffered from depression, but he made it through. In Reasons to Stay Alive, he shares his story and shows you how writing, reading, and above all, love can help you out of your mental illness. This is a book that will touch your heart and then change your life.
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works
Authors: Dan Harris,
The voice in your head — this could determine your life’s successes and failures. It was this inner voice that made Dan Harris experience a panic attack on national television and made him delve into its powers. What he discovered will teach you to control your body’s biology and psychology and open doors to new potential in your life.
You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life
Authors: Eleanor Roosevelt,
A legendary figure, Eleanor Roosevelt helps you discover yourself, your hidden potentials and transform your life. She guides you to overcome the fears that cripple you, face life with courage, take the challenges as they come and discover new opportunities in them. That way, you can truly go out there and live your life
No Solid Ground: Renewable Contentment and Sustainable Happiness in an Age of Uncertainty
Authors: Jeffrey Joe Miller,
Professional psychologist Jeffrey Joe Miller offers five steps to give you mental peace and maintain a harmony between your mind and your body. His guidance will mold you into a better and stronger individual who is able to cope with life’s uncertainties and experience an undying contentment with it.
The 4:8 Principle: The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life
Authors: Tommy Newberry,
We are so used to looking at life from the eye of pain — as if every moment of it is about recovering from something traumatic. In The 4:8 Principle, Newberry eliminates this toxic notion and makes you realize a life of happiness and purpose; the life God has given you.
Man’s Search for Meaning
Authors: Viktor E. Frankl,Harold S. Kushner, William J. Winslade, Isle Lasch
His experiences in life, from Nazi camps to the loss of almost all of his loved ones, make psychiatrist Viktor Frankl realize one thing — in life, you cannot eradicate pain but you sure can find a more effective way of dealing with it. He profoundly illustrates how you can discover meaning amidst the chaos and keep going until you reach the very end.
Finding Your Own North Star
Authors: Martha N. Beck,
Just as the North Star guides lost travellers, your discovery of your potential will guide you to a greater life. Beck removes all the obstacles on this path — the emotional scars you have forgotten about and the negative thoughts that hinder your progress. By the end of this book, you’ll have enough knowledge to transform your life into one that will give you endless happiness and fulfillment.
Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
Authors: J. Mark G. Williams,Danny Penman, Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a universally recommended therapy that is even more effective than drugs. Based on this, the authors of this book give you practical habits you can incorporate into your daily life to battle anxiety, depression and stress. Unlike other books that focus on the problem, this book actually provides a solution to the problem.
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself
Authors: Kristin Neff,
Whether you want to lose weight, become a better parent or cope with emotional trauma, Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion is sure to help you out. Neff reveals the power of being kind to yourself and helps you remove the toxic thoughts that plague your mind. As a result, you will uncover a new potential in living a life that is happier and more fulfilling.
Meditations
Authors: Marcus Aurelius,Martin Hammond, Diskin Clay
Meditations is a collection of a Roman philosopher and emperor Marcus Aurelius’ thoughts and reflections on his journey towards self-discovery. In this book, he addresses and resolves the various human challenges that occur in life such as doubt, despair, and the struggle to make sense of one’s emotions. This book is a philosophical masterpiece that has changed the lives of many.
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
Authors: Daniel J. Siegel,
Dr. Daniel Siegel introduces you to a profound discovery — you have the power to change how your brain operates. He shows you a way to discover a memory from childhood that is the cause of your crippling anxiety, the power of meditation in coping with bipolar disorder and how you can view your own life in your mind and control your compulsive behavior.
Year of Yes
Authors: Shonda Rhimes,
Shonda Rhimes is the mother of three and the producer of three groundbreaking TV shows (including Grey’s Anatomy!). Year of Yes is the story of how she overcame anxiety, forced herself to go out and explore the world despite being an introvert, how she accepted all of life’s challenges and fell in love with her authentic self.
The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live–and How You Can Change Them
Authors: Richard J. Davidson,Sharon Begley
Just like your fingerprint, your brain has a unique emotional print that is made up of resilience, outlook, social intuition, self-awareness, sensitivity and attention. In this book, Richard Davidson gives you access to this side of your mind, so you can gain a better understanding of yourself, learn to cope with depression and even treat autism.
Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel By Changing the Way You Think
Authors: Dennis Greenberger,Christine A. Padesky, Aaron T. Beck
Greenberger and Padesky are experts in the field of cognitive therapy and training. In this book, they provide some strategies that can be implemented on your own or with professional help, to improve your mental health. This book can help you cope with panic attacks, anxiety, poor relationships and even depression.
Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life
Authors: Susan David,
Emotionally agile people still face large setbacks, similar to all people. But what sets them apart is how they react to them. They magically manage to convert this negative energy into an unlimited potential for growth. This is the secret behind their undying happiness, creativity, and fulfilling lifestyles. In this book, Susan David shows you how you too can develop this skill.
Changes That Heal: The Four Shifts That Make Everything Better And That Anyone Can Do
Authors: Henry Cloud,
Dr. Cloud will introduce you to four guaranteed healing strategies. Bond with each other, develop an identity of your own, filter out the bad in your own life and in the lives that you touch, and finally, become an adult. Once you’ve mastered these habits, your life is sure to change. Then you will realize why you’ve been feeling stagnant all along.
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You
Authors: Elaine N. Aron,
If you’re someone with a highly imaginative spirit who is easily shaken by noise and requires solitude every day to survive, you are an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person). Dr. Aron believes she is one too. She will show you a way to gain a better understanding of yourself so that you can find your place in this world without getting overwhelmed.
Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing
Authors: Caroline Myss,
Dr. Caroline Myss unveils the impact poor health can have on your mental and spiritual health. What she shares in this book will make you develop a more mindful mental state and maturity in your relationship with your inner self. She also opens your eyes to the power of intuition and how you can use it to transform your life.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
Authors: Pema Chodron,
How can one achieve happiness when every day is an overwhelming battle with anxiety, panic, and stress? Pema Chodron shows you how. She claims that the solution to this problem isn’t in running away from it, but in running towards it. Your happiness begins when you respect your pain and give your heart enough space to heal.
Rising Strong
Authors: Brene Brown,
No matter how painful your experience in life was, you will only discover your courage when you’ve walked right through it and learned to rise after you have fallen. This is the essence of Brene Brown’s profound teachings in this book. You will learn to give your emotions their due right and reduce the weight that holds you down.
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
Authors: Adam Grant,Sheryl Sandberg
The remarkable true story of how Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook’s COO), used Adam Grant’s (Wharton professor) research on how resilience to life-shattering experiences is a muscle that can be built, to recover from the sudden death of her husband at a young age. Option B explores how a broad range of people have overcome intense hardships, and is a must-read for anyone going through a tough life situation.
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind
Authors: Joyce Meyer,
In an inspiring and intimate style, Joyce Meyer guides you towards overcoming panic, anxiety, stress, and depression. She helps you strengthen your battlefield (your mind) so that you can combat all of these attacks with patience, resilience, and courage. Learn to live life the way God wants it and navigate through the ups and the downs until you ultimately make it through.
Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life
Authors: Eric Greitens,
This book contains the personal and life-transforming letters that were shared between Eric Greitens and his former comrade, Zach Walters. It covers some of life’s greatest struggles, such as PTSD and discovering the purpose of your life. It also has solutions to these problems and shows you a way to bring the fighter inside you back to life.
Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender
Authors: David R. Hawkins,
Letting Go is a revolutionary work in the field of psychology. Dr. Hawkins introduces you to the things that are blocking your path to happiness. He teaches you to identify these obstacles, overcome them and continue your journey until you’ve reached a certain point in life — a point where your happiness isn’t affected by external factors.
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
Authors: Brene Brown,
Whether it’s how we look or how we perceive our contributions to the world, we are often caught believing the lies our brain feeds us — we are just not good enough. In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown shows you how to love yourself for who you are, with flaws and all.
The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry
Authors: Lance Dodes,Zachary Dodes
Nowadays, addiction experts conveniently guide addicts to a rehabilitation centre where the famous 12-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous, is used. Dr. Lance Dodes reveals the flaws in this treatment method. He scrutinises its entire history and gives you useful information that can help you get over an addiction.
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow
Authors: Elizabeth Lesser,
When life knocks you down, you can either break down or, as Elizabeth Lesser calls it, break open. You can use those events to transform your life into one filled with wisdom, resilience, and strength. Using countless stories and personal insight, Lesser teaches you how to use difficult times to grow in this life-changing book.
Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life
Authors: Susan Forward,Craig Faustus Buck
Not everyone in this world has enjoyed a happy relationship with their parents. For some, it was abusive, manipulative and the reason why they lack confidence in themselves. Even after becoming adults, they are confronted with threats and emotionally draining reactions from their parents. Susan Forward addresses this issue and helps you rediscover yourself in the midst of all of this chaos.
Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears
Authors: Pema Chodron,
According to Pema Chodron, everyone possesses intelligence, warmth, and openness. In this book, she shows you how you can uncover these hidden traits. Once you’ve done so, you will find an easy way to deal with issues such as anger, hatred, and addiction. In essence, this book will transform your life in every way possible.
Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time
Authors: Brigid Schulte
Juggling work, parenting and personal space can get very overwhelming. In order to find the true meaning of happiness, Brigid Schulte, a career-oriented mother, undertook a journey around the world and met with countless numbers of people of every age and career. The pages of this profound book reveal everything she learned during this journey.
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