What is the best self-help book you've ever read?

[christma]

I have an Amazon gift card and I'm thinking of buying a self-help book. This Christmas has felt like a wake up call and a bit of a rock bottom moment and I need to change and I'd love a book to just help give me the push I need

Another for Atomic Habits. It's a game changer and I have the audiobook and think I'll listen to it again in January to start my year off well!

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo. Her 'just do it and here's how' approach really resonated with me. I've felt overwhelmed with clutter and now mine is dealt with.

All I have to do now is get DP to understand, get on board and do it too.

So can anyone recommend a book on how to cope with a lifelong stubborn messmaking hoarder?

Feel the fear and do it anyway is like the gateway to self-help books.

I remember a friend telling me she read a life changing self-help book. I said which one. She said guess, everytime I tell someone they always say oh yeah that one, ive read it. She was amazed so many people had read it. In my head i was thinking susan jeffers but for some reason I didnt want to get it wrong (should have done it anyway ol) so i said i dont know. It was susan jeffers of course.

Atomic Habits.

The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. Really clearly-written and easy to follow, and was also easy to incorporate the changes into my life

I really hated Feel the Fear. A friend bought if for me years ago when several family members of mine were very ill, one with a life threatening cancer. And Jeffers basically argues that not being positive enough causes you to get ill and you can overcome it by changing your outlook and not attracting negativity.

I found it so offensive that I took it back for a refund and didn’t tell my friend, but I was pretty upset that she thought this was an ok messsge to send.

Sorry - only commenting because I need to read these books

@Graphista

Feel the fear and do it anyway - Susan Jeffers

Read it years ago I have terrible ocd and it really genuinely helped

So much so I feel I need to read it again i may buy it on my own kindle

Atomic habits I've seen recommended a lot

I have feel the fear on my book case and have never opened it.. I think it’s been there for a decade now. Probably sat next to a decluttering book.

Is it all about positive thinking or does it include tips/ Suggestions on how to incorporate these ideas?

Anxiety Rx
Dr Russell Howard
Audible too

Magic Words and how to use them by Genevieve Davis is what I'm reading right now, I really like the way she writes. I've read a lot of this stuff including feel the fear but Genevieve is more up my street.

Get out of your head and into your Life by Stephen Hayes.

The Russ Harris book I mentioned in PP (The Happiness Trap) is I think better than Feel the Fear as he is quite clear that the negative thoughts etc WILL be there and it's unhelpful to try to get rid of them and constantly strive to lose the negativity (which is what he calls the happiness trap) so I found it far more realistic in my everyday life to use his suggestions to improve my own life in ways that worked for me. I'm not saying the whole book was amazing, some of it I couldn't get on with at all, but the principles of it were really effective for me and got me to focus a lot more on what really matters to me

Agree with a number of these. I have Atomic Habits and the Happiness Project on my Libby app waiting list.

I think sometimes people are dismissive of self-help books, but even if you only take away two or three things from them, they can change things. Even small changes in the way you do things can affect other people's interactions with you.

www.amazon.co.uk/Responsibility-Rebellion-Unconventional-Approach-Empowerment/dp/154450912X?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

So many aha moments!

www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Connections-Youre-Depressed-Find/dp/1408878720?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Currently reading this - would be life changing for anyone who is depressed.

Creative Visualisation - Shakti Gawain

Feel the Fear - Susan Jeffers

The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

I’ve also just read “Attached” which has helped me a great deal with my relationships.

Once I managed to discipline myself to read it from cover to cover (and finally understood it) the Bible is for me, the greatest self help book and guide to life ever written. Human nature hasn’t changed over the centuries.

@Allsorts1

The Four Agreements. It’s not a self help book really but definitely shaped my life philosophy and you can use them every day to be a better person.

I agree, a great book.

Marking for interest. I keep seeing Mel Robbins pop up on my social media - has anyone read her books?

Agreeing with the Derren Brown, Anne Dickson and Dale Carnegie recommendations.

I have personally found the Bible to be the best handbook to life. It has a wonderful, positive message and hope for the future. There's a lot of powerful lessons to be learnt. We learn about why we are here, the purpose of life, why things went wrong, how/when it will be put right (spoiler alert....very soon!) We learn how to be happy, how to address problems in our life, how to help others etc. And it's wisdom is suitable for everyone, regardless of race, background, situation or personality.

@arlodumbledog

Pyewacket: How to fight your demons

It really helped me, my favourite bit of advice being to sit outside and have a banana every time I felt sad. I now have potassium poisoning but I’m very happy overall

that really tickled me.

Mansfield Park and Bleak House. Couldn't get on with the classics much at school (except Thackeray) but the more I read these wonderful books the more I find wisdom, compassion and the understanding of what's important in life.

The Mountain is You

Stop Thinking Start Living by Richard Carlson. It got me out of depression and back on my feet. Its simple premise is that our thoughts aren't 'real', and how are thinking determines how we feel. Change our thoughts and everything changes. Worked for me.

Interested in Atomic Habits. haven't heard of that one before - will check it out :-)

Glenn on Doyle's Untamed.

I wanted to hate it, I really did. But her writing on motherhood is SO spot on.