The Happiness Library

The Happiness Library

Throughout the last few years, I’ve been on a journey of self discovery and self help, and I’ve accumulated what I like to call my Happiness Library. I keep the books next to my bed, in my handbag, at work.. I keep them close to me, any time that I feel myself becoming negative or feel my mood becoming negative I take one of these books out and read.

“I’m doing my best” – An inner truth journal.

This journal is probably one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received. One of my besties witnessed me going through my darkest hour, and for my birthday bought me this journal, to document how I felt and what I was going through, a self-help outlet for my anxiety.

During my best moments I write, during my worst moments I write.. I find it to be therapeutic, it reminds me when I look back at it that everything is temporary, we see the ways that our moods and minds change through our own words.

If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, I’d definitely recommend this book as a way to concentrate on the triggers that affect you.

Each day has a space for the date, and an area for you to fill in the ways you’re working on yourself. Fill it with all of the ways you feel and how your feelings have affected your day, and how you’re going to work on ways to maintain or improve your mood. It’s a brilliant little journal, and is really great value for money.

(Huge thank you to Sam Holden, who bought me this for my birthday.)

Brave Enough – A mini instruction manual for the soul – Cheryl Strayed

This book was another gift from a very special family friend. A lady who is no stranger to heartbreak at the hands of depression and mental illness, gave this to me when I was off work because of my anxiety disorder. Open this book at any page, and you’ll be met with a quote, a witty remark, something to make you rethink or something to make you smile. It offers tough love, big love, advice and care.

It teaches us the true value of words and their ability to lift us and guide us through our darkest times.

Every page is full to the brim of words, sentences, paragraphs that will help to lift your spirits and turn a rainy day into a sunny day. If you struggle with day to day life sometimes, this book is a brilliant little companion for a dark mood.

Reasons to stay alive – Matt Haig

This book changed my life. Literally. Reading it made me realise that I’m not alone in my illness, that there is a lot of people out there going through the same things as me. Matt Haig writes about his illness with such compassion and love for himself, that it really does inspire you to want to do the same. Understanding your illness is the key to conquering it, and Haig speaks about his illness openly, exploring different aspects of it, reading the book I found myself saying aloud “I sometimes feel like that”, Haig speaks about a rash he gets when stressed, I get the exact same rash. I’d recommend this book to anyone who has a mental health

problem, or even those who don’t and just want to understand mental health better, it’s a must read.

all of these books are available from https://www.amazon.co.uk/278-3898962-8612734