We all want to be happy right? But with the stress of day to day life & all the responsibilities that come with being an adult… being happy is sometimes easier said than done.
We become so busy & distracted by everything that is going on around us that we forget to focus on ourselves and what we need.
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Taking some time for self-care is vital in your journey of becoming a happier person, and what better way to fill that designated self-care time than with reading?
Creating a regular reading time is a great way to de-stress & invest in yourself. It’s not about escaping the now, but about taking the time to learn & discover new ways to look at things in your own life.
If you never get time to just sit & read, try audio books instead… instead of listening to the radio in the car or while you’re cleaning, you can use that time to really add value to your day & listen to books instead. At the moment you can try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
which is definitely a deal worth grabbing.
I’ve compiled a list of the absolute best books that will help you to increase your happiness.
12 Rules For Life: An Antidote To Chaos, By Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
is so easy to read & offers a light-hearted approach to serious life-changing points. The insights & honesty given by Peterson are thought-provoking and will help you to learn how to live a more personally responsible life & increase your levels of motivation & happiness.
Thinking, Fast & Slow, By Daniel Kahneman
Thinking, Fast and Slow
is a wonderful book that will help you to understand your thought processes and reveal to you why you make the choices and decisions that you make. You will learn how to make better decisions for yourself by slowing down. You will also gain an understanding of why others around you behave as they do. Kahneman was awarded a Nobel Prize for his work on behavioral economics and you can check out his TED talk here.
The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck, A Counter-Intuitive Approach To Living A Good Life, By Mark Manson
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
is an absolutely brilliant book that will teach you how to accept your life as it is. In his book, Manson gives you the tools you need to cope and deal with life, no matter what is thrown at you. You will learn that life doesn’t have to be perfect for you to happy, rather learning to be happy in an imperfect world is the answer. This book will help you relieve your anxieties and finally get you to stop worrying about the things that just don’t matter.
The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness, By Prof. Steve Peters
If you are an ‘overthinker’ The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence, and Happiness is going to help you out. This book will teach you how your mind works and give you actionable steps to improve your life immediately and permanently. With advice on communicating, stress, happiness, and security, this book will help you to understand how your thoughts and emotions come into play in a variety of real-life examples. Grab yourself a copy of this book if you feel stuck and want to discover what is holding you back.
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, By Eckhart Tolle
Finding inner peace will help you to live a happier life and The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
is the perfect book to teach you how to achieve this. Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher with a huge celebrity following and once you have read this book, you will understand why. This book will guide you into living a life that is in the ‘now’ which will, in turn, allow everything else to simply & easily fall into place.
The 4 Pillar Plan: How to Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep Your Way to a Longer, Healthier Life, By Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Being healthy plays a huge part in your overall levels of happiness. The 4 Pillar Plan: How to Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep Your Way to a Longer, Healthier Life
will help you to take back control and achieve a healthy balance in all aspects of your life in a sustainable way. Dr Chatterjee will show how small, high quality Lifestyle changes like keeping a gratitude journal and creating a healthy bedtime routine will see dramatic improvements in your health & well-being.
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, By Jen Sincero
In You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
you will learn everything you need to know about creating the life you want and deserve to be living. The personal stories Sincero shares will help you to understand why she decided to change her life and give you all the tips to do the same for yourself. Written in a relatable, no-nonsense style, you will find out how to increase your levels of motivation and stop the cycle of self-sabotage.
Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World
If you are feeling unhappy & overwhelmed on a regular basis the Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world
book is going to help you to break the cycle through mindfulness and meditation. The audio included in the book is a fabulous tool that will really allow you to put the lessons in the book into practice. This book will help you to understand what makes you happy and give you a better perspective on your life, no matter what the situation.
Happy: Finding Joy in Every Day and Letting Go of Perfect, By Fearne Cotton
If you have forgotten how happy feels, then Happy: Finding joy in every day and letting go of perfect
is a great book that will show you how you can find happiness again through small practical steps. The book offers real life examples from the author and gives fun activities throughout the pages that will help you look within yourself. This book is a great way to de-stress and unwind and give your levels of motivation a boost.
The Little Book of Mindfulness: 10 Minutes a Day to Less Stress, More Peace, By Dr Patrizia Collard
Finding peace is super easy with The Little Book of Mindfulness: 10 minutes a day to less stress, more peace
. This book will show you how to beat the overwhelm and regain a sense of balance with simple 5-10 minute calming techniques. A perfect little book to dip into when you need a little boost.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: A Simple, Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever, By Mari Kondo
Think you are good a de-cluttering? If you haven’t read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever
then think again! There is definitely some kind of magic held within the pages of this book. This book is the key to finally gaining the energy, motivation and success you want in your life. Simply a must read for everyone!
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, By Dalai Lama & Howard C. Cutler
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
is an easy to read book on how to apply Buddhist teachings to your life. This is a very powerful book that will teach you how to be a better person. This book is easy to read and understand and will help you live a happier life through the development of tolerance, love, compassion and peace.
The Four Agreements: Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, By Don Miguel Ruiz
If you are tired of being unhappy and want to let go of your self-limiting beliefs, The Four Agreements: Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (Toltec Wisdom Book)
is a must read for you. The book will open your mind and help you to be free, happy & show you how you can have a better life in a simple, easy to digest way. This book is perfect to help relieve the symptoms of worry and anxiety.
You Can Heal Your Life, By Louise Hay
If you are ready to accept that you are responsible for your life, You Can Heal Your Life
is the perfect book for you. You will learn how your mind plays a big part in affecting your body and begin to understand ways to re-balance and create well-being in your life. This book will teach you the art of self-love, something that will go a long way to helping you achieve happiness every day.
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives
No list of the best happiness books would be complete without The Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives
. This book is truly inspiring and magical & will guide you on your journey of self-discovery. I cannot recommend this book enough for those who want to improve their lives and find happiness.
Before You Go
All of the above books will help you to find happiness in your life in their own unique way.
Remember to allocate yourself some designated reading time throughout the day. This is your opportunity to develop yourself and learn new insightful ways to enhance & improve your life. It is an investment in you & that is an important investment to make.
Always have your book to hand by downloading an e-reader like Kindle. You can even download the Kindle app for free on your phone & pc.
Or, if you spend a lot of time driving you can get your books in audio format… I highly recommend Audible as they offer a free 7-day trial, so you can try it out first… Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
Have you read any of the books above? Which ones are top of your reading list?