Top 3 Best Self-Help Books of 2018

Here are my Top 3 Self-Help Books of 2018. With an extra bonus!
In reverse order…

No. 3 – Atomic Habits by James Clear

Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk.

No-one likes a book on habits more than me as habits are so vital to living a happy life. James Clear’s Atomic Habits gives us an engaging and helpful book on the making and breaking of habits. He applies something called the “marginal gains” approach to habits. In doing this, he emphasises small, manageable improvements every day. He does an excellent job of distilling complex information and offering us a truly straightforward guide to habit formation. It’s also a really entertaining read with lots of great stories peppered throughout the text. James Clear’s Habits Academy – where he trains individuals and organisations – is known as a benchmark of excellence in the field of habits. He knows what works and he offers us these insights in Atomic Habits.
If you’re interested in changing some bad habits and making some good new ones, this approachable and highly actionable book could be very helpful for you.

No. 2 – Declutter by Debora Robertson

Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

The proliferation of books on clutter and decluttering tells us how important a topic this is to people. Having read a number of these books I heartily recommend Declutter by Debora Robertson. It offers a route to decluttering which is really supportive. At its heart – and why I like this book so much – is Robertson’s desire to help us each find our own way to declutter. She acknowledges that we are all different and have different emotional makeups. And she encourages us to control our clutter within our own personality, rather than enforcing rigid external rules. The reason why many books fail to help us manage our clutter is their attempt to change peoples’ emotional personality – which many of us neither want to do, nor can manage to do. Taking Robertson’s approach means decluttering has much more chance of sticking. Declutter takes each part of the house and breaks down a manageable approach with some excellent short and focused ideas.
If you’re struggling with clutter, especially if you’ve tried other books and failed, try this one. It could finally help you win your clutter battle.

 

No. 1 – Calm & Calm: The Journal by Fearne Cotton 

Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

Fearne Cotton’s book on happiness took the self-help world by storm in 2017 and her book Calm: Working through life’s stresses to find a peaceful centre, has done the same thing in 2018. In an often crazy world, with constant time and other pressures, being calm – feeling in command, being grounded and relaxed, feeling safe – are things we can all struggle with. Looking in turn at each part of our lives, Calm offers us valuable pointers to help us get better control over ourselves and our lives. Known largely for her work on TV and radio, Fearne Cotton is now writing some excellent books in the self-help field. Her writing style is straightforward and engaging. It comes from a personal place and is endearing and highly relatable. As a working mum, with a career which is hugely important to her, Cotton shows she often struggles to juggle work and home life – as so many of us do. Short guest sections in the book, from friends and experts, offer some valuable insights. For example, the GP exploring panic attacks, an explanation by Rebecca Dennis on breathing properly, and even pointers on decluttering! These small vignettes add to the breadth of knowledge within the book and contribute to its comprehensive look at mind, body and the emotions. It’s also a visually beautiful book, with lovely artwork, and it is a real joy to read. It is especially good to dip into and have on your coffee or bedside table. It’s a positive book with lots of depth and valuable information. I’ve enjoyed Calm so much and feel sure it would be of real value to you.

Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

As a pairing for Calm, I wanted to offer a bonus book: Calm – The Journal. Again, this is a beautiful book which will take us right through 2019. By spending a few moments each day considering the journal questions, we can keep an eye on how we’re doing emotionally. I’ve got my copy ready to go in 2019 and I’m looking forward to spending those few minutes each day being prompted to write in this journal. We know how important journaling is and this book gives us real encouragement and motivation to put some daily thoughts on paper. Journaling helps us learn more about ourselves, helps us cope with life better, and means we look after ourselves more emotionally and physically. All of these things have a really positive effect on our lives.
These two books on calm offer some real help for our health, wellbeing, and happiness and that’s why they are in my number one spot.

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So that’s it! Atomic Habits, Declutter, Calm and Calm: The Journal are my best self-help books of 2018.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my Top 3 books (strictly speaking 4 books!) But more importantly, I hope if you decide to read any of them that they really benefit you.
Sending you all my best wishes for 2019.
Ruth