Self-help books can help you learn something new or work through a problem you're having.

The field of self-help is very wide. There are self-help books for a lot of different things, like how to deal with anxiety, how to improve your relationships, or how to deal with a new phase in your life.

Even if you don't have anything going on that you want to improve or get help with, there are always new strategies and mindsets to learn.

Self-help books have been praised and sold well, but which one is best for you is entirely up to you. Different styles work for different people. So, a self-help book that resonated with you in your early 20s might not have the same effect when you're in your 30s or 40s. This is because your life has changed.

Self-help and nonfiction books can be hard to read at first if you don't know what you like. You might need a few books to figure out which style you like best. Do the work once you find one that fits your needs. You'll want to make changes in your life if you do.

The way we chose

It's important to find a self-help book that fits your style, tone, and subject matter.

This is how we chose these self-help books: We looked at their subject matter, ratings, and a lot of customer reviews.

Healthline’s picks for the best self-help books

Best classic

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

There have been more than 40 million copies of the self-help book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" sold since it came out in 1989. There are lessons in this book that can be used in many different situations in both your personal and professional life. Even though it was written for business, the lessons apply to many different situations.

Author Stephen R. Covey thinks that how we see the world is based on how we think about it.

Throughout the book, he tells personal stories to show how seven lessons, or habits, can be used in everyday life to improve your mindset, relationships, communication, and more. This can lead to a more successful and effective life.

However, there are parts of the book that may seem a little old at times. This is the kind of book that you'll want to read again and again. It's full of timeless lessons and stories that you'll be able to connect with.

Declutter Your Mind

It can be hard to keep our minds from being stimulated when we live in a busy world, especially when we have negative thoughts. This is especially true for people who are afraid.

"Declutter Your Mind" has a lot of ideas and techniques that can help you stop worrying, relieve stress, and stop thinking about things that aren't good for you.

The book starts by mentioning a few things that can cause mental clutter, like stress. It also talks about why mental clutter can be bad for both your mental and physical health.

The book then talks about the mindfulness and decluttering habits you can do, like meditation, to get a better handle on your thoughts and turn them into things that are good.

This book is good for people who want to learn how to be more mindful. A lot of reviewers also say that the tips are easy to follow and easy to understand. A good self-help book for people who aren't familiar with the genre is also a good one for people who want to improve their lives. This book has powerful self-improvement tips that anyone can use.

Big Magic

Creativity is something we can all use, whether it's at work, in our daily lives, or to reach our goals. As the author of "Big Magic," Elizabeth Gilbert says that anyone can live a creative life if they think in the right way.

The author of "Eat, Pray, Love" talks about how she's been able to deal with common problems that creative people face, like finding inspiration and dealing with the pressure to make money from your work. All of this was done by changing her mindset about creativity.

In "Big Magic," even though you might not think of yourself as an artist or a creative person, you can learn how to use the power of creativity by changing your habits.

Gilbert also uses stories from other people to show how creativity is important in so many parts of life.

You Are a Badass at Making Money

She wrote the best-selling self-help book "You Are a Badass." Jen Sincero's second book is a continuation of the message she talked about in her first book. However, this one is all about money.

For many of us, money plays a big role in stress, anxiety, and tension in our relationships with other people and with ourselves.

If you identify your money beliefs and change your mindset, you can open yourself up to more abundance and reach your money goals, says Sincero in her book "You Are a Badass at Making Money." Whether that means making a certain amount of money, paying off debt, or saving up for a house.

Sincero shows this by telling personal stories and telling stories of people who have overcome money problems by changing how they think and feel about money.

If you want to change how you think about money, this book has a lot of mantras, affirmations, and mindset tools that can help you do that. This isn't true for everyone. If you're looking for a more in-depth way to manage your money, you might want to read a book on personal finance.

Daring Greatly

She talks about the power of vulnerability in "Daring Greatly," which many people have had trouble with at some point or another.

In research, Brown found that vulnerability is the key to great things in life: courage, engagement and connection. Vulnerability is uncomfortable and has even been seen as a weakness in the past.

When we're vulnerable, we feel ashamed. Brown talks about how we can deal with shame, work through vulnerability, and come out on the other side more brave.

It can help people be more courageous in many ways, such as by improving relationships, being more courageous at work, or having the courage to pursue their dreams.

It can be hard for some people to understand the big picture when it comes to shame and vulnerability, but most reviewers think the explanations and research are very good.

The way Brown is so interested in this subject and how much of her career has been devoted to it also impresses the people who read her book. "Daring Greatly" is only one of Brown's five best-selling self-help books, but it's still one of the best.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow" has been a best-seller since it came out in 2013. It's an in-depth look at how we think and how that affects our decisions.

Kahneman, a well-known psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, talks about two types of thinking: one that is quick and intuitive, and the other that is more slow and logical.

There are many benefits to slow thinking in both business and in life, so he talks more about them. He also gives practical ways to put them into practice.

It's a great book for anyone who wants to improve their decision-making skills at work. Kahneman also shows how the two systems of thinking work in the corporate world, and he shares his insights through the lens of business.

A lot of people love the book "Thinking, Fast and Slow" because of its intellectual approach and detailed explanations. However, some people say that it can be a pain at times.

One of the best books on behavioral economics is this one. It's been well-researched and written by someone who knows a lot about it.

Tiny Beautiful Things

Tiny Beautiful Things is the book and advice column that author and former Dear Sugar columnist Cheryl Strayed wrote. In the book, she shares her best advice on love and life based on the reader questions she answered during her time at the Dear Sugar column.

The book is full of personal essays written by Strayed. It talks about everything from love to grief to stress, and it answers a lot of common questions and problems people have in relationships.

People who write to Strayed's anonymous advice column share their stories, and she uses her own personal experiences to give heartfelt and sometimes "tough love" advice to personal and relatable topics that many people deal with in their own way.

This self-help book was written in 2012 and is very popular with readers. Many people say that this is the kind of book where they'd read an essay and let it sink in, then move on to the next one. They "pretty much marked up the whole book."

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