Best Self Help Books to Ease Anxiety

Hello loves! The last few weeks have been surreal and challenging for us all. I have personally been dealing with a lot stress and anxiety this week. None of us have ever experienced a pandemic and we are all just trying to manage the best that we can. I thought it would be helpful to share some of my favorite self help books for easing anxiety and bringing positivity to our minds and bodies. Reading is a great way to help navigate our minds away from focusing on anxious cycles and worry patterns. The best thing we can do right now is take care of ourselves in the best way possible.

Healing Books to Calm Your Mind

1. Simple Soulful Sacred: By Megan Dalla-Camina

This book isn’t directed towards anxiety, but it is healing and helps gives women the clarity and peace they need to feel one with themselves. Right now a lot of us are questioning our own future. We may be unsure of our calling in life and how things will go in the future financially, in relationships and fueling our passions. This is a guidebook to help live the life of our dreams on our own terms.

2. When Panic Attacks: By David Burns

This book was actually suggested to me by fiance’ who has been telling me for the last few months how much it has changed his outlook on stress and anxiety. I was hesitant to start at first because the name seems so intimidating, especially if you are someone who deals with anxiety regularly. I am SO happy I started reading it. David Burns uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques and examples to teach you how to retrain your negative/anxious thinking patterns and face your fears so they no longer have control over you. He includes daily mood logs that you can fill out and access each day. It’s perfect for what we’re going through right now. Everyday seems to be more overwhelming than the next.

3. When Less Becomes More: By Emily Ley

Since most of us are spending our days at home, it can be really easy to feel overwhelmed and cluttered by “things”. I don’t just mean physical things, although having too much clutter in your home can leave us feeling just as anxious. More than ever we are feeling fatigued and burned out. Each time we turn on the news there seems to be more negative information that we have to process. We live in a world where we mindlessly scroll through social media, which sometimes leads us to feel drained and playing the comparison game. In this book, Emily discusses how we can rework on minds with some out-of-the-box changes to our day that will leave us feeling more fulfilled and joyful. Life is not about physical things or who has a better life on social media. It’s about our experiences and quality time with those that we love.

4. You Already Know: By Helen Jacobs

This is for all my spiritual babes out there searching for their spirit guides and answers from the Universe to heal and help change their lives. Okay, I know not ALL of you believe in things like this, BUT seriously this book teaches you to listen to your inner self, your inner intuition to become the best YOU.

5. The Invisible Load: By Dr Libby Weaver

This is an ultimate guide to overcoming worry and stress, you guys! At some point in each of our lives we carry a heavy weight, sometimes without even realizing it. Whether that be a career change, a terrible break-up, a move, death in the family or a crazy time like this where we all experience a pandemic. Although we are aware that these changes are happening, we tend to carry the stress of them on a much deeper level than we may understand, hence the invisible load. This book helps us understand the drivers of those loads and how to overcome them.

6. The Yoga Body: By Lola Berry

It’s not secret that yoga is a healing tool for the mind, body and soul. I started incorporating more yoga and breathing practices into my daily routine and I can honestly say it does wonders for the stress you carry. The Yoga Body book teaches you yoga techniques from flexibility to breathing and toning up.

7. The Mind Gut Connection: By Emeran Mayer, MD

This book discusses “how the hidden conversation within our bodies impacts our mood, our choices, and our overall health”. I love the description this book provides so I’m going to copy it for you here:

The Mind-Gut Connection shows how to keep the brain-gut communication clear and balanced to:

• heal the gut by focusing on a plant-based diet

• balance the microbiome by consuming fermented foods and probiotics, fasting, and cutting out sugar and processed foods

• promote weight loss by detoxifying and creating healthy digestion and maximum nutrient absorption

• boost immunity and prevent the onset of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s

• generate a happier mindset and reduce fatigue, moodiness, anxiety, and depression

• prevent and heal GI disorders such as leaky gut syndrome, food sensitivities and allergies, and IBS, as well as digestive discomfort such as heartburn and bloating

8. Light is the New Black: By Rebecca Campbell

I’ve read this book twice. Light is the New Black is a book about awakening your soul to find your calling. One positive way to look at our current situation is that many of us have time to learn and discover new things about ourselves and what we want out of life since we have more time at home. Rebecca Campbell provides tools that you can use to help channel the Universe and bring back the light you carry. We should all share our talents and passions with the world.

I hope you guys try out some of these books! They really can help heal an anxious heart. We all need to support each other right now because we are all going through the same challenges. Even if you aren’t a big reader (which I definitely am not!) these books are life changing and I hope they benefit you as much as they have for me. Stay safe! Xo