The year 2020 is definitely one for the books, with the number of unpredictable things it has thrown us so far. Most of us find everything that is happening to be overwhelming, causing our outlook to drift all over the place. Luckily, we can always find refuge in literature in the form of self-help books that aim to help us get through life’s hurdles.
These self-help books can serve as our compass to redirect us as we try to keep up with the physical, mental, and even financial stress brought by the fast-paced world we live in. If you’re ready to search for the perfect slump-saver, check out our buying guide and book recommendations below.
Quick List - Top Self-Help Books
Mark Manson
Necessary to Hear Hard Truths
Jen Sincero
For Someone Who Needs a Friendly Push
Ryan Holiday
A Year-Long Guide to Resilience With Daily Wisdom from Ancient Stoicism
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
Table of Contents
There is a wide array of self-help books dealing with different aspects of life, but how do you know which one to go for? Scroll down to find out about the things you should remember when buying self-improvement titles.
Self-help books usually delve into the deepest aspects of life. Thus, they require your utmost focus and understanding, but you won’t be able to focus if the kind of book that you have is not suited to you. Weigh the differences and choose what’s best for you.
If you love the feel of holding a book in your hand and that musky scent that lingers on your nose as you flip through the pages, then getting a physical copy is a no-brainer. Physical books also foster focus and emotional connection.
The physical nature of books also contributes to the motivation of finishing it since you can actually see how much you’ve read and the remaining pages. This could be a good factor if you’re planning to incorporate self-help books on your self-care ritual since you can see that it’s a process, and you progress along the way.
Another factor that physical copies can offer you is personalization. One of the points of self-help books is to help you introspect and rethink your perspectives. If you suddenly had a provoking thought or realization halfway reading, you can scribble it on your book, and you can occasionally go back to that whenever you’re in a slump.
Electronic copies, on the other hand, are very portable and convenient. You can sync the book on your mobile phone and read it on your idle hours every day - may it be while waiting for your dish to be cooked or while you wait for your scheduled zoom meeting.
E-books can be useful for night reading too. Since it is backlit, you can read them in the dark or low-light situations anywhere, perfect when you suddenly had midnight musings that made you want to turn to your self-help book.
Electronic copies mostly come in the form of Audiobooks too. These are recorded versions that you can listen to. This is ideal when you’re multitasking or when you just need some sort of a pep-talk to listen to uplift your spirits.
Needless to say, to offer a solution, you must first identify the problem. Before caving in and purchasing a self-help book, ask yourself “What is it that I need help with?”.
There are a plethora of self-improvement titles in the market that talk about different aspects like career success, personal relationships, growth, and mental well-being. Here are some of the common topics that these books could revolve at.
The pressure that modern-day twentysomethings carry is unbelievable, there are just so many expectations, and if you don’t meet them, you start to feel less.
If you’re part of the club and feel like you are running out of time to get your life together, breathe a little because there are plenty of self-help books written to help you understand that you are not alone and eventually help you get out of this quarter-life crisis phase.
Books that tackle this topic usually contain need-to-know stuff for those who are just getting a headstart on being an adult. They normally consist of anecdotes, advice, and noteworthy experiences, as well as stories of failures to help guide you on your adulting journey.
If you want to get started on a business or venture, countless self-help books can give you the advice and tips that you will need to navigate your path to success.
These books are usually authored by business figures who are at the top of their industries. The focus of these books usually dwells on strategies about startup culture as well as practices to embody the businessman mindset.
When it comes to relationships, we could all use a little advice. There are also self-help books that you can read to be a better partner, friend, family member, and overall better person.
These usually dive into topics like maintaining healthy relationships, dealing with old flames, and even grieving processes. Books on this topic can come from a collection of essays, memoirs, and real-life experiences that can help penetrate some new and fresh perspectives you can look at in the relationship aspect.
Some topics that self-help books revolve at can be sensitive and serious; hence, it is important to research authors who wrote them. Let’s say the book focuses on career growth, then there’s no way that a non-career man can help you with an issue that he has never dealt with.
It’s not really about only trusting the words of known authors but more of gauging how credible the author is to be writing about a certain topic.
Most self-help books that dwell on improving your mental state have some science to back them up or helpful information that has been proven to work. For books like that, it is important to check whether the author has some knowledge on the topic, or you might end up picking up ineffective, or worse - bad advice.
One way to find the best self-help title is to read the reviews online, whether on websites, forums or even on YouTube. These reviews are the easiest way to help you gauge the book’s content and effectiveness.
Self-help books have prompts that dwell around serious matters, so you wouldn’t want to get something that just vaguely tells you that “it will get better” or “stop overthinking.”
To avoid encountering titles like these, pay attention to the people’s feedback. You wouldn’t want to get a self-help book about productivity with a review that says, “this has worsened my procrastination.”
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mark Manson The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck|A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life | ![]() | Necessary to Hear Hard Truths | |
2 | Jen Sincero You Are a Badass|How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life | ![]() | For Someone Who Needs a Friendly Push | |
3 | Daniel Kahneman Thinking, Fast and Slow | ![]() | Your Guide to Making Better Decisions | |
4 | Ryan Holiday The Daily Stoic|366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living | ![]() | A Year-Long Guide to Resilience With Daily Wisdom from Ancient Stoicism | |
5 | Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People | ![]() | Improve Social Relations With This Self-Help Book | |
6 | Soo Hyun Kim I Decided to Live as Me | ![]() | Brave the Adulting Phase With This Book | |
7 | Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now|A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment | ![]() | Your Guide on Becoming Conscious of the Present Moment | |
8 | Stephen R. Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People|Powerful Lessons in Personal Change | ![]() | Induce Paradigm Shift for the Better | |
9 | Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich|The Classic Edition | ![]() | Recipe for Productive Grit | |
10 | Simon Sinek Start with Why|How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action | ![]() | Unlocking the Power of Purpose for Success |
It is often said that positivity is the key to living a good life, but because of limitless prompts that shove this thinking into our heads, it has caused us to develop an obsession over positive experiences, and according to Mark Manson, that itself is a negative trait.
This book talks about accepting that life is not all glitters and rainbows all the time, and it is totally alright. We, human beings, are flawed and limited, and we should be able to embrace those flaws and limitations as acceptance of one’s negative experience is a positive experience itself.
By the bold title itself, it aims to convince readers that we should stop wasting our time losing sleep over things that we have no control over and figure out which things really matter.
This book might be your much needed refreshing pep-talk without any sugar coating. If you’re not into the moving dialogues and coddling tone of usual self-help books, then this is the one for you.
This is perfect for the young adults who would always drown in self-loathe, not realizing how great they are. This book by Jen Sincero contains feel-good but motivating stories, solid advice, and even easy exercises to combat self-destructive thinking and behaviors.
Sincero emphasizes in her book to live your life the way you want and pay no attention to other people’s destructive opinions about you. You are not for everyone, there will always be people who will say things about you, but you should deem all of these irrelevant.
This book claims that it made even many skeptics and pessimists believe in their awesomeness as the author herself confessed that she was once like that. Grab this book now to start living the best life and to start being the best you.
This self-help book by a renowned Psychologist tackles the two systems that coexist in our brains, system 1 being responsible for fast and impulsive thinking, and system 2 is attributed to rational and slow thinking.
The book focuses on how these two systems work against each other and how that brawl can lead us to commit errors and mistakes. It also explains the concepts behind people’s decision-making process, and it provides real-life situations as well, where it teaches you when it would be ideal to resort to your system 1 or system 2.
It will help you understand the reason behind our lack of proper judgment at times, and it can teach you how to spot signs when you’re about to make impulsive decisions so you can resort to making a rational choice instead.
"The Daily Stoic" by Ryan Holiday is a daily devotional and practical guide that draws wisdom from the ancient philosophy of Stoicism to cultivate resilience, wisdom, and inner strength. Each day presents Stoic teaching with insightful commentary and exercises designed to help individuals navigate life's challenges.
In this book, Ryan Holiday provides timeless lessons on topics like virtue, adversity, and personal growth, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their emotional well-being and live a more meaningful life. "The Daily Stoic" is a companion for those aspiring to incorporate Stoic principles into their daily routines and achieve greater peace of mind.
This self-help book is one you should add to your shelf if you want to be an effective people person. It talks about how working in harmony with people is so much better than working against people. It tackles how efficiently dealing with people can be used as your asset that can boost profitability, productivity, and morale.
Whether you want to climb the ladder of success or improve your personal relationships, you can pick up useful advice from this book regarding the relationship aspect. It also teaches actual strategies to improve human relations by being a good conversationalist, being generous with compliments, and having a genuine interest in others.
Are you among the many young adults who are just so lost, almost not knowing what to do in this new chapter of your life? This book might have everything you need to hear right now.
“I Decided to Live as Me” is the English version of the 2016 Korean best selling title “나는 나로 살기로 했다 (Naneun Nalo Salgiro Haessda)” written and illustrated by Kim Soo-Hyun. It is a perfect book to help you navigate the frightening world of adulting by providing tips and tricks on how to not succumb to the worldly and external pressure around you.
The book revolves around words of comfort and validation that might give you the inner healing that you need. It also comes with an actual to-do list that every twentysomething going through adulting might find useful.
This self-help book functions as a day-to-day manual, guiding readers on how to harness the transformative potential of living in the present moment. Through a blend of guided meditations, breathing exercises, and reflective prompts, the book empowers users to cultivate mindfulness and enhance their overall well-being.
One notable feature is the inclusion of markers that prompt readers to take breaks, encouraging them to reflect on the content. The book provides an avenue for introspection, promising to help readers become more conscious of their thoughts and emotions. As such, you can eliminate barriers to genuine peace and happiness.
This business and self-help book emphasizes that to attain success. It is your character, not your personality, that needs to be enhanced. Rather than focusing on altering yourself on the surface level, you should work on your inner core, character, and motives.
The book's main focus dwells around the 7 primary principles of character that contribute to attaining happiness and success. You can also learn about the concept of being interdependent, which means understanding that even though you are independent, working in harmony with other people can yield greater results.
This book is ideal for people seeking a challenge to lead a better life, as this title can make you realize how there are so many simple things that you tend to overlook, and knowing these could help you navigate your life correctly.
In the society we live in today, admit it or not, we all desire to live a comfortable life and experience every perk that comes along with that - which would involve having access to quality education, a prestigious job, and a multiple digit paycheck. The author of this title believes that success is not based on luck or privilege.
According to him, there is a concrete plan that we can carry out to be successful. Hence, this book shares several ‘formulas’ to help readers get where they want to be. Aside from having that burning passion, it also mentions how it is important for this desire to be a part of your being for it to take effect.
Although this book’s title makes it seem like it’s all about money and external achievements, it actually discusses beyond those. The 'rich' that is being mentioned in the book is not caged with the idea of money but also quality friendships, family harmony, good work relationships, and spiritual peace.
If you're looking for a transformative book that explores the power of purpose and its impact on individual and organizational success, this one's for you. Simon Sinek's Golden Circle concept challenges conventional thinking about leadership and motivation by emphasizing the significance of "why" we do what we do before addressing "how" and "what."
Through a variety of real-world examples, like Apple and Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership, Sinek illustrates how a clear sense of purpose inspires loyalty and drives innovation. The book provides practical strategies for individuals and businesses to uncover their unique "why" and use it to inspire meaningful change, foster collaboration, and achieve lasting success.
Self-care is not limited to enhancing aspects of your lives. It also involves indulging in activities that keep you calm and warm when the world seems colder. Check out these self-care essentials to incorporate into your self-care ritual!
Truth be told, nobody has everything figured out. There are times when we feel like we could use some advice about personal issues, work, relationships, money, and life in general - and there’s no shame in that. Self-help books are a good aid in rediscovering and improving a certain aspect of our lives.
However, we must remember that no matter how many pages of self-help books we read, it would not change a thing unless we take action. The whole point of these books is just to enhance what we have, derived from the term itself. It is still us who have to help ourselves.
Author: Rica Victoriano
No. 1: Mark Manson|The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck|A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
No. 2: Jen Sincero|You Are a Badass|How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
No. 3: Daniel Kahneman|Thinking, Fast and Slow
No. 4: Ryan Holiday|The Daily Stoic|366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
No. 5: Dale Carnegie|How to Win Friends and Influence People
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