In the journey to finding mental peace, you aren’t alone. Time and again, people from all over the world have looked at places far and near. Crossed oceans, hiked mountains, and traveled to places unimaginable, looking for answers. Or that’s some of the things we see in the movies. Either way, it doesn’t make the quest any less noble, no matter how far you go to seek answers. 

Some answers lie hidden in plain sight. Here are ten self-help books to help you get started in small ways on your journey toward mental peace.

How to stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Worrying incessantly can affect the quality of your life. How many times have you thought of the what-ifs? This constant state of worrying can overwhelm everyday situations, disturbing your mental peace. When you are in a state of being overwhelmed, optimal functioning is out of the question. This can impact your mood; it can even cause physical symptoms of this stress manifesting in aches and pains, among other signs. The book takes the reader through step-by-step processes in getting to the root cause and analyzing factors that impact your mental peace while also coming up with coping strategies. It is filled with examples that draw from real-life incidents of others.

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

The story follows two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two little people, Hem and Haw, looking for cheese in the maze of their existence. The cheese is a metaphor for people looking for happiness and mental peace. After the cheese is found, one day, finding the cheese reserves empty, the question arises if one should stay in denial or leave behind the fear and look for a new cheese reserve. While Sniff and Scurry find their path, over time, Hem realizes that choosing to look for fresh cheese freed him from fear. This was his journey to mental peace and contentment. He left a trail for his friend to follow. This allowed Haw to find the cheese in his own time. Indicating how letting go of factors outside you also channels your mental peace.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

You wouldn’t be able to make good, consistent habits if you didn’t realize what you were doing wrong with your current practices. James Clear dives into why people’s everyday habits do not work. He pushes people to think of systems and how they work or fail. It is easier to fall to the functioning of our systems than to rise to work towards our goals. This book will help reshape life in small and tangible ways to achieve consistent results and restore your mental peace and control over life.

The 7 Habits of highly Effective People by Franklin Covey

Covey takes us through the seven habits to make everyday life different. Being proactive, having a goal, and knowing your priorities are some of the essential lessons he begins with. He talks about creating high-trust relationships, seeking to understand others’ perspectives and needs, collaborating, and increasing your motivation, among other important factors that aid in your mental control and peace to help you lead the life you want.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

An eye-opener, pun intended, this book has changed the way one can perceive their surroundings. It explores how we make choices in the blink of an eye and how we think without even thinking. Gladwell unveils how the best decision-makers aren’t those who deliberate and over-scrutinize but those who’ve perfected the art of filtering overwhelming amounts of variables. 

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This classic book has taught many to succeed in their social situations. Social situations can be stressful. Reclaim your mental peace and calm as some of the precious lessons taught in this book are how to win over people and make changes without instigating resentment. 

The Subtle Art of Not Giving F*ck by Mark Manson

This refreshing dose of reality is not for the faint-hearted. Taking away all the coddling and the medals for simply showing up, he argues that mental peace cannot be achieved by the faint-hearted. 

This book talks about the raw facts of facing things as they are. Manson argues that we do not need to make lemonade with all the lemons. Instead, we should learn to stomach the lemons better. He argues that facing fears, facing uncertainties, and facing your faults are the only ways to develop courage, responsibility, curiosity, mental peace, etc. There are only that many things one can care about, and it is vital to make that distinction early on.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Another brilliant book by the author of Blink, Gladwell, explores how one can become an expert in any skill they’ve invested at least 10,000 hours in. One can achieve mental peace when one invests enough time to master a skill. Gladwell explores the life of Bill Gates, Joseph Flom, and the Beatles, among other famous personalities, to excavate the secrets of their success. He also draws on his personal experiences.

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

Quite contrary to the Subtle Art book, this one draws on positivity. The four easy ways to success, Peale says, are to work and pray, think and believe. He talks about how having faith is a good thing, yet having faith in the outcome of your actions is the most tangible and realistic thing. He advocates relieving the mind from worry through practical tips and methods to achieve mental peace.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Kondo makes you question how you want to live your life. Concentrating on step-by-step and real-time methods to clear out your life, literally. Her methods of de-cluttering physical objects and how it impacts mental peace. She propagates that to achieve mental clarity, one’s space should also be clear, and this is an essential lesson for anyone trying to relook at aspects of their life for rejuvenation.