Hi! These are the books and resources I am always mentioning to people to help them with their mental health! Feel free to share this list with anyone you know who might benefit from it!
It is the culmination of 20+ years of studying on how to improve my own mental health. I hope it can help you!
P.S. I am part of the Amazon Associates Affiliate Program and I receive commission off the Amazon links below.
- Matthew Dickson, www.MindAid.ca
Improve your mindset:
"The Survivor Personality" - book by Al Siebert - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Cxaxf4
"Unbeatable Mind" - book by Mark Divine - gives the mental secrets of Navy SEALs - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GJeFv8
"What Doesn't Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth" - book by Stephen Joseph - this book helped me in organizing my thoughts, even though I didn't have PTSD (I had schizophrenia) - it can be used for trauma from non-violent events as well - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XfhZmX
Improve your people skills:
Counselors say one of the biggest things people talk to them about is the people in their life who are causing them problems. Below are my favourite resources for dealing with people:
"Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion" - book by George Thompson - how police officers deal with people - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jWJunh - or see my 4-minute summary of the book: https://matthewdi.medium.com/how-you-can-use-verbal-judo-to-deal-with-people-like-a-police-officer-b547e1bfd638
"Survive the Unthinkable: A Total Guide to Women's Self-Protection" - book by Tim Larkin, foreword by Tony Robbins - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IrJ1nf
"How to Survive the Most Critical 5 Seconds of Your Life" - book by Tim Larkin - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Cwkytb
Melissa Soalt ("Dr. Ruthless"): www.dr-ruthless.com, www.forbes.com/sites/shenegotiates/2012/06/21/being-nice-can-kill-you
"Talk to Strangers" - book by David Topus - how to approach strangers and strike up a conversation with them - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GJSu88
Listening resource:
How to be a good listener - my best tips: https://matthewdi.medium.com/how-you-can-tap-into-the-superpower-of-listening-a598346f52b3
Managing stress/emotions resources:
Beat stress with the "One-Second Pause" Method (I created this): https://matthewdi.medium.com/how-you-can-help-lower-your-stress-with-the-one-second-pause-method-48d00e995ac1
How to balance/regulate your emotions - my best tips:
How to have hope:
"The Biggest Little Book About Hope" - book by Kathryn Goetzke: https://amzn.to/3JkzzT5
How to love yourself:
"Love Yourself Like Your life Depends on It" - book by Kamal Ravikant: https://amzn.to/3GNUFHw
How to find purpose in life:
Martin Seligman's TED talk on how the best predictor of long-term life satisfaction is philanthropy, helping others
https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_the_new_era_of_positive_psychology
How to make decisions with your intuition:
"Five Seconds at a Time" - book by Denis Shackel - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AL5yGw
How to be heroic:
"The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life" - book by Todd Herman - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/42j8xBT
The Heroic Imagination Project - https://www.heroicimagination.org
Addiction resources:
"Free From Addiction" - book by Morteza Khaleghi - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IrKyK1
Allen Carr www.allencarr.com - his methods have been used by Sir Richard Branson and Sir Anthony Hopkins
- “Easy Way to Stop Smoking” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WZt1NO
- “Easy Way to Stop Drinking” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GLMZWk
- “Easy Way to Quit Cannabis” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Xbiizh
- “Easy Way to Quit Cocaine” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jVJjsc
- “Smart Phone Dumb Phone: Free Yourself from Digital Addiction” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VXlBZU
- “Eat Yourself Free from Sugar and Carb Addiction” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vNJatD
- “Easy Way to Lose Weight” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vQNOH3
- “Easy Way to Quit Emotional Eating: Set Yourself Free from Binge-Eating and Comfort-Eating” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jZvedl
- “Easy Way to Quit Vaping” - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vIzSPF
Music resource:
"The Brain Warrior's Way Music Program" by Dr. Daniel Amen - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QkzLmA
Eco-anxiety resource:
“Hope Matters” - book by Elin Kelsey - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VNjU0Z
“Saving Us” - book by Katharine Hayhoe - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vHeLx4
- my summary of the above 2 books on eco-anxiety:
Schizophrenia resources:
Students With Psychosis - student nonprofit - https://sws.ngo
“Living Well With Schizophrenia” - YouTube channel with Lauren Kennedy https://www.youtube.com/livingwellwithschizophrenia
Avatar therapy in Canada - https://avatar-intervention.ca/avatar-therapy
Anosognosia and getting people to take medication - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXxytf6kfPM,
Improving mental health and addiction systems:
“It’s Not About Us: The Secret to Transforming the Mental Health and Addiction System in Canada” - book by Todd Leader - on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3k25nBG
Video games to improve your mental health:
SuperBetter - https://www.superbetter.com
eQuoo - https://www.equoogame.com
Films:
"My Ascension" with Emma Benoit - https://www.myascension.us
"The Ripple Effect" with Kevin Hines - https://www.kevinhinesstory.com/suicide-the-ripple-effect
"Anxious Nation" by Kathy Ireland - https://anxiousnation.com
"Stutz" by Jonah Hill - https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/81387962
"My Mind and Me" by Selena Gomez - https://www.apple.com/ca/tv-pr/originals/selena-gomez-my-mind-and-me
Physical fitness resources:
The Convenient Workout: Perhaps the Easiest Way to Build Muscle in the World (I semi-created this): https://matthewdi.medium.com/the-convenient-workout-perhaps-the-easiest-way-to-build-muscle-in-the-world-5da00fa1643c
Weight Loss - WeightWatchers: https://www.weightwatchers.com
Weight loss - Noom: https://www.noom.com