7 books to read on World Mental Health Day
October 10 is World Mental Health Day; a day for advocacy or the awareness and education of mental health issues. World Mental Health Day is the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health and aims primarily at raising public awareness of the ways that mental health affects individuals and communities from all over the world. By reducing stigma and encouraging discourse around mental health issues, #WorldMentalHealthDay helps alleviate mental health in a positive way.
In honour of World Mental Health Day, here are 7 books that encourage self-love, self-care and promote positive understandings of mental health!
The Art of Self-Kindness, Rebecca Ray
Dr Rebecca Ray is a writer, speaker and clinical psychologist. She invites you into the practice of self-kindness as the bravest of human art forms. Cast aside the bullet-point lists or assembly instructions in favour of self-care that seeks flow over force and progress over-prescription. Come on a journey back to yourself through the art of self-kindness.
‘This book is for you, the one with sensitivity as a super-power, though you’re still learning to offer it to yourself.
You, the first to share a kind word with others even when you’re not gentle on yourself.
You, known for your generosity but who forgets to give to yourself.
This book is in your hands now because it’s time to befriend yourself.‘
first, we make the beast beautiful, Sarah Wilson
In first, we make the beast beautiful, Sarah directs her intense focus and fierce investigatory skills onto this lifetime companion of hers, looking at the triggers and treatments, the fashions and fads. She reads widely and interviews fellow sufferers, mental health experts, philosophers, and even the Dalai Lama, processing all she learns through the prism her own experiences.
“Probably the best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read” Mark Manson, bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Gratitude, Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks died in August 2015 at his home in Greenwich Village, surrounded by his close friends and family. He was 82. He spent his final days doing what he loved: playing the piano, swimming, enjoying smoked salmon – and writing. As Dr Sacks looked back over his long, adventurous life his final thoughts were of gratitude. Dr Sacks reflects on and gives thanks for a life well-lived, and expresses his thoughts on growing old, facing terminal cancer and reaching the end.
“I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and travelled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”
The Path Made Clear, Oprah Winfrey
In her latest book, Oprah shares what she sees as a guide for activating your deepest vision of yourself, offering the framework for creating not just a life of success, but one of significance. The book’s ten chapters are organised to help you recognize the important milestones along the road to self-discovery, laying out what you really need in order to achieve personal contentment.
Paired with over one hundred awe-inspiring photographs to help illuminate the wisdom of these messages, The Path Made Clear provides a beautiful resource for achieving a life lived in service of your calling – whatever it may be.
‘Your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you are meant to be, and begin to honour your calling in the best way possible.’
Heal, Pete Evans
So many of us are looking for practical changes we can make to nourish our body, be more active and find meaningful connection – ways to be stronger, happier and healthier, in a fast-paced world.
Pete begins with what he knows best – food – and offers suggestions on how to eat and drink in ways that will support your wellbeing. Next, he explores different ways to move and play that are known to positively influence physical and mental health. There are ideas on how to relax your body and mind, including massage and meditation, as well as the best strategies for restorative sleep. Finally, Pete explores activities that promote creativity, self-awareness and connection with other people, which are all essential to emotional wellbeing. With ideas to inspire everyone to make a change in their lives – no matter how big or small – Heal will help you to find the path to your healthiest self.
StressLess, Matthew Johnstone & Michael Player
Experiencing stress is a normal part of being human, but in our increasingly complex and fast-paced world, our stress levels can interfere with our enjoyment of life, including through anxiety, lack of energy, sleeplessness, muscle tension and irritation. What many might not know is that in large doses, ongoing stress is considered to be a contributing factor to instances of cancer, heart disease and stroke.
In StressLess, clinical psychologist Dr Michael Player and bestselling author-illustrator Matthew Johnstone use their own experience to help you recognise stress in your day-to-day life. You will learn how to: Recognise the patterns that lead to stress, Disentangle yourself from stressful activities, Relax using breathing, meditation and mindfulness, and Nurture relationships.
The Talking Cure, Professor Gillian Straker & Jacqui Winship
The essence of successful therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the patient, a dance of growing trust and understanding. It is an intimate, messy, often surprising and sometimes confusing business -but when it works, it’s life-changing.
In The Talking Cure, psychotherapists Gill Straker and Jacqui Winship bring us nine inspiring stories of transformation.
They introduce us to their clients, fictional amalgams of real-life cases, and reveal how the art of talking and listening helps us to understand deep-seated issues that profoundly influence who we are in the world and how we see ourselves in relation to others. We come to understand that the transformative power of the therapeutic relationship can be replicated in our everyday lives by the simple practice of paying attention and being present with those we love.