Self-esteem is how we value ourselves, how we accept ourselves and how proud we are of ourselves.

Having a high self-esteem allows us to be happy and enjoy greater well-being . Unfortunately, we live in a temporary moment in which our self-esteem can be affected for various reasons.

For example, because of our culture which encourages individualism, consumerism, irrational beliefs about success and in which we sometimes seem to be objects rather than subjects.

Books on self-esteem and self-improvement

As if this were not enough, the unfavourable socio-economic conditions that the West is suffering, which make it increasingly difficult to continue with a state of well-being that guarantees decent living conditions for a large part of the population; and the immersion of new technologies, which have changed the way we relate to our environment, mean that more and more people value themselves negatively.

Luckily, there are a number of editorial works that help us to empower ourselves in the face of the changes that are occurring in recent decades, and provide us with the opportunity to improve our self-esteem thanks to the knowledge and advice that we can find in their pages.

Below is a selection of these self-esteem, motivational and inspirational books – enjoy them!

1. Awakening the Giant Within: A Journey of Self-Discovery to Self-Realization (Anthony Robbins)

An inspiring book that can help you change your outlook on life to reach your destination in the best way . This text will change your view of your inner world, and give you great motivation to keep growing even in the most difficult times. Its pages are full of transforming advice.

  • You can get it here.

2. The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem (Nathaniel Branden)

A great self-help book that will allow you to enter into the knowledge of self-esteem . Everything explained in a simple, logical way and divided into points. In this way, the author makes your work easier to understand. Useful for any individual who wishes to have a greater emotional well-being.

  • Buy it here.

Love yourself as if your life depended on it (Kamal Ravikant)

Self-pity and love for oneself is undoubtedly one of the best ways to strengthen self-esteem and enhance personal transformation. There are times in life when one can experience suffering and one’s worldview becomes clouded. In fact, it is not unusual to go through an existential crisis sometime during our existence, due to the search for our identity, that which fills us. This book helps you overcome life’s difficulties and empowers you in those moments when you need it most.

4. The Practice of Mindfulness (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

The practice of Mindfulness has proven to have a strong impact on how we interpret the world and on our self-esteem. Self-pity, self-acceptance, a non-judgmental mentality and being in the present, i.e. in the “here and now”, are some of the thinking habits that make us mentally strong and ready to overcome any adversity in life. A great practical book to go deep into Mindfulness.

  • Buy it here.

5. Zero limits (Joe Vitale)

Many times (although not always), we are the ones who put the obstacles to our personal growth . These limitations, which come from within us, are paralyzing. This text offers you the possibility to leave these limitations behind, to reach your true desires and needs. In its pages you will find your path in life thanks to Ho’oponopono, a philosophy of conflict resolution and spiritual healing based on forgiveness, compassion and love.

  • You can buy it conveniently at this link.

6. Your Wrong Zones (Wayne Dyer)

This book, by world-renowned American author Wayne Dyer , provides tools for personal growth. Thanks to this bestseller, which is actually the best-selling self-help book of all times, it is possible to learn how to manage emotions, which will allow you to successfully overcome the adverse situations that can appear in your daily life. A book that will improve your self-esteem.

  • You can buy it here.

7. Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict (The Arbinger Institute)

When someone finds inner peace, they become more prepared to adapt to their environment and their self-esteem becomes more resilient. The Anatomy of Peace is an inspirational text that allows us to know the basic concepts of the encounter with oneself and with the connection of one’s own essence. To find inner peace is to find happiness.

  • Buy it here.

8. Self-Esteem: Evaluation and Improvement (Matthew McKay, Patrick Fanning)

This well-known and classic self-help book leads the reader through different exercises that reduce the negative self-evaluation and help to define the identity of the reader. Thanks to the advice that can be found in its pages, the reader will learn to respect and accept himself. A very useful and practical text.

9. Get Out of Your Mind, Into Your Life (Steven C. Hayes)

This self-help book offers a five-step plan for dealing with painful emotions , such as anxiety or sadness. A great work that makes it possible to improve self-esteem and learn to live with painful thoughts and feelings through acceptance and techniques based on mindfulness. It also teaches us to let go of the attempt to control what we often put over our lives and which makes us unhappy. Very useful for, developing compassion and mental flexibility.

  • Buy it here.

10. The Gifts of Imperfection (Brené Brown)

The author shares ten tips on how to achieve a full life , a way of relating to the world from a more optimistic place and with a higher self-esteem. These tips are aimed at cultivating courage, compassion and connection with oneself. The acceptance of oneself is the first requirement for happiness, since the perfectionist mentality creates a great discomfort in us.

  • You can buy it here.

11. You’re Worth More Than You Think: Believe in Yourself and Awaken Your Self-Esteem (Matthew McKay, Patrick Fanning, Carole Honeychurch, and Catharine Sutker)

Believing in oneself, i.e. having high self-confidence is key to personal growth and positively influences self-esteem. This book helps the reader to believe in his or her possibilities to better adapt to the environment around him or her and to enjoy a better appreciation of himself or herself.

  • Buy it here.

12. Transform your brain with NLP (Wendy Jago)

Transformation and personal growth begin in oneself, and neuro-linguistic programming or NLP is one of the most effective tools for change. That is why it is used by psychologists and personal development experts. Thanks to this work, you will be able to know and deepen in this practice.

  • You can buy it here.

13. The Power of the Word (Louise Hay)

There are probably few people more capable of talking about personal growth and improvement than the author of this work . Louis Hay was diagnosed with cancer and had to fight to overcome it. Her mentality helped her to win the battle. This book invites the reader to reflect on the difficulties that she may encounter in her life and sends her a motivating message: no matter how complicated the present is, we must fight to achieve a better future.

  • Available here.

14. Self-Esteem in 10 Days (David Burns)

The author presents a series of innovative, clear and compassionate methods to help the reader identify the signs when he or she is in a downbeat mood and also helps the reader develop a more positive outlook on life. The book is based on the idea that it is not the events that happen to us that cause us discomfort, but how we interpret these events. A practical text containing graphics and step-by-step guides.

  • Buy it here.

15. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (Travis Bradberry, Jean Greaves, and Patrick M. Lencioni)

Emotional intelligence is essential to be happy. It allows you to know yourself better, be self-motivated, relate better to others and, in general, enjoy greater psychological health and better emotional balance. This text is ideal for improving emotional intelligence and quality of life.

  • Buy it at this link.

16. How to Survive in Times of Crisis (Shad Helmstetter)

When things are going well for us it is easy to smile, but when things are not going well for us and the future is complicated, we can enter a serious crisis. This is the moment when we must have more strength and will, because it is possible to overcome adversity even if it is hard to see it at that time. Especially for the most difficult situations, this guide becomes a great help .

17. 40 reflections to awaken your self-esteem (Feli García)

Sometimes, we relate pessimism to realism, but asking yourself certain questions is enough to see that this is not so. This book aims to do just that: to make us see that there are certain unknowns that, far from causing us discomfort by revealing the limits of our knowledge, give way to liberating reflections.

  • To learn more about him, click here.

18. Automatic Self-Esteem (Silvia Congost)

This book is based on the idea that many of the causes of the discomfort and anxiety we experience on a daily basis have to do with problems of self-esteem. From that starting point, it develops practical proposals to make the relationship between oneself and one’s self-image better.

  • To access more information about the work, click here.