By Leaf staff writer Naomi Dunford https://xxnaomi.com
If you’re struggling with mental health issues, talking to a therapist, confidant or close friend can help you work out what you’re feeling and what you can do to start managing the situations you’re dealing with.
But in between those conversations, it’s always helpful to have additional advise and counseling to give you something practical and positive to think about. Fortunately, thousands of authors have given us a wide body of work to choose from.
If you’d like to learn about options and approaches that can help you manage issues like depression, anxiety, anger, stress, and more, take a look at this list of 10 books about mental health that get rave reviews from readers all over the world.
Radical Compassion by Tara Brach, Ph.D.
In Radical Compassion, trusted mindfulness expert Tara Brach brings us a practical way to ground our thoughts and emotions in stressful times through a simple 4-step meditation ritual called RAIN (which stands for Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture).
This mindful meditation framework can be used to tackle mental health issues like shame, fear, and negative self-talk, and help you cultivate a sense of compassion for yourself that can help you navigate difficult days.
In a world where we’re exposed to so many messages that can make us feel badly about ourselves, this book can help us see ourselves in a better light.
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.
With over a million copies in print, The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook has been a go-to book for those struggling with ongoing fears and anxieties that can make you feel like you aren’t in control of your life.
Written by one of the world’s leading experts in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), this book outlines practical, proven strategies for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorders, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and more.
Updated and in its seventh edition, this workbook can be a powerful tool to help you not only understand the causes of anxiety, but what you can do to begin breaking free of it.
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön
Written by American Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön, but applicable to people of all walks of life, the advice and guidance in When Things Fall Apart is as useful today as it was when it was written 25 years ago.
This book delves deep into healthy ways to think, act, and live in times of life-changing flux, making it an ideal read for the shifting circumstances of a world currently in the midst of a global pandemic. Fear, anxiety, and pain are topics not shied away from, but embraced in this timeless classic.
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
A riveting read from an author who studied mental health from the inside of a WW2 concentration camp, Man’s Search for Meaning is not only psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir, but a fascinating look into how to be resilient in the face of life’s most challenging difficulties and trials.
With over 12 million copies in print, and translated into 24 languages, this book covers healthy ways to cope with pain, hopelessness and despair – and how to come out the other side with a renewed sense of resilience and purpose in life.
Rising Strong, By Brené Brown
“When we deny our stories, they define us. When we own our stories, we get to write the ending,” says Brené Brown in Rising Strong, a book about how to recover from life events that make us stumble, fall, and doubt our own ability to bounce back.
Through the process of acknowledging our own hurts, fears, and stories about what has happened to us in life, Brown introduces a way to take control of our own personal narratives and rewrite them in a way that can heal trauma, foster resilience, and help us develop a healthier relationship with our inner emotions.
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff, Ph.D., and Christopher Germer, Ph.D.
Written as a guidebook for those struggling with intense negative self-judgements and the pressure of impossible-to-meet standards, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook is a research-backed introduction to the concept of being a supportive friend to yourself.
Created by the authors of the wildly popular 8-week Mindful Self Compassion program, this workbook contains guided meditations, exercises to help you practice self-compassion, and moving stories of people who have used these techniques to cope with anxiety, stress, body image issues, and more.
First, We Make The Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson
Filled with humor, compassion, and actionable strategies for living with severe anxiety, First We Make The Beast Beautiful is Sarah Wilson’s best-selling guide to embracing anxiety and learning how to develop deep resilience in spite of it.
Packed with insights from her own personal journey as well as interviews with fellow anxiety sufferers, mental health professionals, and – wait for it – the Dalai Lama, Wilson takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of what we can do to cultivate a healthier state of mind and live a full, satisfying life in the face of the anxiety issues that have been holding us back.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottleib
Written by Los Angeles therapist Lori Gottleib, Maybe You Should Talk To Someone explores the inner challenges of a highly-respected therapist (who is going to a therapist herself) and what she learns about mental health in the process.
Disarmingly funny and filled with stories of everyday people struggling to find answers about life – and about their own mental health issues – this book provides a candid, honest look into what it means to be human in a world where so many things are confusing and uncertain.
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin
In 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, Amy Morin makes the case for mental health being a lot like physical strength – good habits build fitness, bad habits weaken it. Drawing on her experience in her own psychotherapy practice, she describes 13 “bad mental habits” that you can kick to boost your mental well-being.
With a straightforward, honest approach, this book walks you through over a dozen potentially life-changing mental shifts you can make to lower stress, build confidence and become more resilient in your day-to-day life.
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Based in the spiritual philosophy of Toltec teachings, The Four Agreements is a book that introduces four simple concepts that can help foster a mentally healthier approach to life. Don Miguel Ruiz discusses the impacts of “breaking” these agreements on our state of mind, and offers alternatives that can make us feel better than we do now.
Each of these agreements is easy to understand, but challenging to master – from “Don’t Make Assumptions” to “Don’t Take Anything Personally” – but with even a little bit of practice, all four of them can help create a happier, more satisfying life.