Reading is an awesome hobby that's both entertaining and educational. We can use books to help us understand the world, and ourselves. Reading self-help or mental health books is beneficial to us because we can learn the author's perspective, research, and experience. If the author is a doctor or professor then we have better and more reliable information!
I've looked around the internet to put together a list of mental health/self-help books that are popular, helpful, and hopefully enjoyable to read. I aim to avoid dry, textbook-like books and include books that will keep you engaged. An article will be coming soon about self-help/mental health books that are completely written by doctors/psychologists.
Take a look at the following list of interesting self-help and mental health books and see if any of them catch your attention. These reads could help you with personal growth and mental wellness, or they could provide a fun, informational read.
Interesting Self-Help/Mental Health Books You Need To Read
1. Get Your Sh*t Together
by Sarah Knight
"A national best-seller, this is a truly practical guide to living your best life. Organize what you need and what you need to ditch (the self-sabotage) to get happy and stay that way. You'll learn about the power of negative thinking, three simple tools for getting it together, how to spend less and save more, ways to manage anxiety and conquer your fear of failure and so much more!"
Check out this book here.
2. Do One Thing Every Day That Makes You Happy: A Journal
by Robie Rogge & Dian G. Smith
"Each day presents a unique new opportunity to find happiness - whether it be in your surroundings, your work, your relationships, your insights or your actions - and this journal will guide you both inside and outside to help you uncover it! With prompts, exercises and wise words from writers, musicians, philosophers + leaders, this 365-day journal will help you reflect on what fills you most with joy. After a year's worth of journal-ing, your smile might just be bigger than ever!"
Check out the book here.
3. How to Unplug: Get Off Your Gadgets and Start Enjoying Real Life
by Ross Dickinson
"Do you feel like a slave to your smartphone? Are you constantly glued to a screen? If it seems like you've become a technology addict, there's help at hand. This sanity-saving collection of ideas and inspiration will motivate you to switch off your gadgets and get more out of life. Full of imaginative suggestions to help you unwind, recharge + reconnect with the world and people around you, How to Unplug is a handbook for refreshing yourself in the digital age."
Check out the book here.
4. You're Weird
by Kate Peterson
"Part journal and part activity book, You're Weird is a valentine to the inner weirdo in all of us. A self-taught illustrator, Kate Peterson filled each page with hand-drawn exercises that include writing prompts, quizzes + more. it's a delightful and affirming book for creative weirdos everywhere!"
Check out this book here.
5. Dirty Pretty Things
by Michael Faudet
"Dirty Pretty Things is the internationally best-selling book of poetry by Michael Faudet. A finalist in the 2015 Goodreads Readers Choice Awards, Michael's poetry and prose explores the many different facets of love and relationships. His whimsical writing quickly went viral and continues to attract a growing cult following of readers from around the world. He paints vivid pictures with intricate words and explores the compelling themes of love, loss + relationships - all beautifully captured in poetry, prose, quotes + little short stories. Michael lives in a house by the sea in New Zealand with his girlfriend, international bestselling author, Lang Leav."
Check out the book here.
6. Healthy Happy You
by Nora Rosendahl, Nelli Lahteenmaki & Aleksi Hoffman
"All it takes is two minutes a day to make small, achievable steps toward a Healthy, Happy You! This interactive journal takes you on a 365-day journey of suggested mini actions that will make your life better: from healthy snack recipes to innovative ways to combine shopping with working out + so much more. Take it on the go or keep it on your nightstand to remind yourself to take action. Authored by the co-founders of the YOU well-being app with contributions from celebrity wellness experts like chef Jamie Oliver, author Caroline Arnold + thought coach Dr. Tara Swart."
Check out the book here.
7. Dare to Win: Lessons from 57 of the World's Most Successful People
by Jeff Chegwin, Carmela DeClementi & Kate Hazell
"All we do is win win win no matter what with this guide to winning. In Dare to Win, explore the success stories of 57 inspirational winners - from athletes to scientists to icons."
Check out this book here.
8. The princess saves herself in this one
by Amanda Lovelace
"Winner of the 2016 Goodreads Choice Award and elected as 1 of 18 Literary Quotes Every Feminist Needs to Read Right Now, the princess saves herself in this one is the story of a princess turned damsel turned queen, told through a four-part collection of poetry about resilience and writing your own ending. The debut publishing from author Amanda Lovelace, this moving book explores love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment + inspiration."
Check out the book here.
9. The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas
"Angie Thomas's debut novel, the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Hate U Give, is an important and timely read that reflects the reality of the world that modern teens inhabit, boldly tackling topics like racism, gangs, police violence + interracial dating. The story of Starr Carter, a 16-year-old who sees her unarmed childhood best friend fatally shot by a police officer, is compelling, thought-provoking + conversation-enabling. Whether it speaks to you as someone whose life is like Starr's or provides necessary perspective because yours is not, this is one that all readers are sure to be talking about for a long time."
Check out this book here.
10. I Just Graduated... Now What?
by Katherine Schwarzenegger
"I Just Graduated... Now What?: Honest Answers from Those Who Have Been There is a must-have resource for all recent graduates of every type. Determined to power through the uncertainty of post-graduation, 24-year-old (now, best-selling) author Katherine Schwarzenegger embarked on a year-long quest to gather the best guidance possible from more than 30 highly successful people like celebrities Eva Longoria + John Legend, TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie and award-winning journalist + television personality Anderson Cooper. Answering the tough questions like how to find your first job in a tough economy, decide between a career that pays well vs. a career you're passionate about, how to balance work with friends, relationships and family + how to deal with student loan debt, this keepsake makes an invaluable graduation gift that could change the course of you or your grad's life as they know it!"
Check out this book here.
11. The Book Of Questions
by Gregory Stock Ph.D.
"A paperback book filled with over 300 questions that invite you to explore yourself - and the people around you - by asking and answering queries about everything from man to machine - and all the topics in between: If you were handed an envelope with the date of your death inside, and you knew you could do nothing to alter your fate, would you look? Would you be willing to give up sex for a year if you knew it would give you a much deeper sense of peace than you now have? How would you react if you learned that a sad and beautiful poem that touched you deeply had been written by a computer? The answers you arrive at - and hear from others - will challenge and change the way you view the world."
Check out the book here.
12. The Art Of Creative Thinking: 89 Ways To See Things Differently
by Rod Judkins
"In short and engaging entries, this deceptively simple volume presents examples of creative thinkers from the worlds of writing, music, architecture, painting, technology, and more, shedding light on their process, and showing how each of us can learn from them to improve our lives and our work."
Check out the book here.
13. Start Where You Are: A Journal For Self-Exploration
by Meera Lee Patel
"Start Where You Are is a paperback journal for self-exploration, an interactive paperback designed to help you nurture your creativity, mindfulness, and self-motivation. Navigate the confusion and chaos of daily life with a simple reminder: that by taking the time to know yourself and your dreams, so you can appreciate the world around you and achieve what you desire. Uplifting and inspiring, the supportive prompts and exercises inside will encourage reflection through writing, drawing, chart-making, and more."
Check out the book here.
14. The Psychology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
by DK Publishing
"Everything you need to know about Psychology published in 1 easy-to-read book. The Psychology Book takes complicated theories and methods and explains them in plain English, pairing each with beautiful illustrations."
Check out this book here.
15. Psych 101
by Paul Kleinman
"Psychology facts, basics, statistics, tests + more. Filled with entertaining information, from the Rorschach Blot Test to B.F. Skinner. Unravel the intricacies of the mind, and find out what makes people tick."
Check out this book here.
16. Subliminal
by Leonard Mlodinow
"A softcover study of how your unconscious rules your behavior, filled with easy-to-understand explorations of how the human mind influences the ways we interact with friends, strangers, spouses, and coworkers."
Check out this book here.
17. How To Be Happy (Or At Least Less Sad): A Creative Workbook
by Lee Crutchley
"Through a series of supportive and surprising prompts, How To Be Happy (Or At Least Less Sad) is a paperback that helps readers see things in a new light and rediscover simple pleasures and everyday joy...or at least feel a little less sad. It's a workbook, a trusted friend, a creative outlet, a security blanket, and a secret diary, created to offer solace, distraction, engagement, a fresh perspective, and hopeful new beginnings."
Check out the book here.
18. You Can Be An Optimist: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
by Lucy MacDonald
"Tired of being bummed out? Try looking on the bright side. Optimism is an attitude that sets us up for success by helping us focus on what works and how we contribute to what works. Optimistic people have more fun, are healthier and achieve more of their potential. Best of all? Optimistic thinking is a skill that anyone can learn. In this easy-to-use paperback book, you'll find 20 ideas designed to help you think in a whole new way - from journaling and visualization, to affirmations and simple physical exercises - all created to help you cope with problems, deal with stress and stop being so negative."
Check out this book here.
19. 52 Lists For Happiness: Weekly Journaling Inspiration For Positivity, Balance, And Joy
by Moorea Seal
"Drawing on happiness research and her own personal philosophy, Moorea Seal creates an inspiring tool for list lovers everywhere to discover the keys to their own unique happiness and bring more joy and balance into their lives. This beautiful, undated hardcover journal with 52 listing prompts encourages readers to reflect, acknowledge, and invest in themselves, and ultimately transform their lives by figuring out exactly what makes them happy. Like Seal's The 52 Lists Project, this keepsake journal comes in a luxurious package full of lush photography, charming illustrations, copper foil, and a lush red velvet ribbon."
Check out this book here.
20. I Am Here Now: A Creative Mindfulness Guide And Journal
by The Mindfulness Project
"While learning to live in the moment, the joyful mindfulness exercises, meditations, coloring pages, and habit-breakers in this beautifully designed and illustrated book will challenge your powers of observation, investigation, and cultivation while bringing new awareness to your senses, thoughts, and emotions. I Am Here Now inspires readers to explore the world with greater curiosity and find moments of mindfulness in everyday life, while unleashing your creativity along the way."
Check out the book here.
21. The Little Book Of Confidence: Cool Calm Collected
by Tiddy Rowan
"There must be few people who have never felt a lack of self-confidence or heightened self-awareness when going to a party, meeting, or social occasion. Reading this book will help transform a wallflower into a sunflower. The Little Book of Confidence shows us how to challenge our preconceived notions about confidence. Through tips, quotes, and practical exercises we can learn how to restore or improve positive faith in ourselves through heightened levels of competence, compassion, and self-awareness."
Check out the book here.
22. The Positivity Kit: Instant Happiness On Every Page
by Lisa Currie
"Brimming with engaging prompts that focus on the good things in life, this interactive book is guaranteed to cheer up even the grumpiest person on the rainiest day. Including prompts like making a grateful list, drawing yourself a tattoo on paper, and listing 30 ways to spend an hour of free time. Makes a perfect gift for yourself or a friend!"
Check out this book here.
Share this list of 22 mental health/self-help books with friends and family so they can read these awesome books too! Comment your favorite books from this list below, or add some recommendations for others to check out. This article includes affiliate links, for more information check out our disclaimer.