No matter what your confidence level is, I bet you have some insecurities – we all do. There is always a little voice that will say that you are not good enough or smart enough to go ahead with whatever it is you want to do. Is it because we fear rejection? Or is it because don’t even care about rejection but because we truly believe those insecurities? Either way, insecurities hold us back. They break down our confidence, leave us unable to trust easily. This compromises both our personal and professional relationships. For this reason, we should try to overcome our insecurities before it takes over our lives. This article will focus on the best books on insecurity and how to overcome it in order to build your confidence.
Books on Insecurity, Anxiety and Social Confidence
The first 5 books on this reading list deal with our anxieties, insecurities and its effect on our social confidence. Insecurities can become debilitating which in turn can lead us to avoid social situations altogether. These books on insecurity will ensure that that does not happen and you will be more confident in social situations.
- Audible Audiobook
- Kathleen Smith (Author) – Kathleen Smith, Christine Lakin (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
- 12/31/2019 (Publication Date) – Hachette Books (Publisher)
This book, by a licensed therapist and mental health writer Dr Kathleen Smith, provides a humorous guide to obtaining a calmer life. Despite the humour, the book takes a serious, informative and hands-on approach to anxiety. Using her experience and real-life examples, the author allows the reader to take charge of their anxiety (no matter where it stems from) and increase their capacity to choose how to respond to it. The book also includes easy and effective exercises which you can follow to overcome your insecurities and control your anxieties. Ultimately, living a calmer, less anxious life – one that isn’t terrible – is possible, and with this audiobook, you’ll learn how to do it.
- Audible Audiobook
- Patrick King (Author) – Joe Hempel (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 09/13/2016 (Publication Date) – Patrick King (Publisher)
This book by Patrick King takes a deeper look at social confidence. Many of us fear social interaction because it feels like we are going to be judged or we will be rejected. But it is this fear that keeps us from living our best lives. That is why this book aims to eliminate that dreaded feeling that you’re just not good enough. The author takes the time to explain how confidence is built and what drains it before describing how you can handle any situation.
- Audible Audiobook
- Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (Author) – Sean Pratt (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 11/04/2013 (Publication Date) – Gildan Media, LLC (Publisher)
This book by Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic takes decades of research and explains what’s the best way to improve our social skills. In contrast to most books on confidence, this one explains the downside of high confidence levels. The author’s research shows that in the long run, high confidence makes one less likeable and less successful. He then teaches the reader the benefits of low confidence – which is centred around being more self-aware and motivated. This does seem counterintuitive, but it is explained much better in the book and I must say, it’s pretty enlightening!
- Audible Audiobook
- Brené Brown (Author) – Brené Brown (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 05/31/2013 (Publication Date) – Sounds True (Publisher)
Dr Brown draws upon more than 12 years of investigation to bring you this book about self-worth. According to the author, the one obstacle to our sense of worthiness is shame. Our inner voices of shame or, simply put, our insecurities, greatly diminishes our self-worth. By building resilience to this “shame” it is possible to overcome it and disarm the influence it has on our lives. This book is an easy read, with humour which helps the reader digest its pivotal message.
- Audible Audiobook
- Jennie Allen (Author) – Jennie Allen (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 01/28/2020 (Publication Date) – Random House Audio (Publisher)
This book by Jennie Allen takes a more spiritual look at insecurities. She uses her personal journey of having destructive thoughts and getting stuck in toxic thinking patterns. The author was able to overcome this by her faith in God. Using what she discovered, the author provides the readers with ways in which to take control of your thoughts and transform your emotions. In doing so, the feelings of insecurity and helplessness can be eliminated if you put your faith in a higher power.
Books on Insecurities in Relationships
The next three books on this list deal with insecurities and our relationships. Many relationships end because insecurities cause us to act defensively and reject the other person before they reject us. Imagine if we knew how to deal with these insecurities to build stronger, lasting relationships? Well, these books on insecurity in relationships will help to show you how.
Anxiety and Insecurity in Love & Relationships by Lana Grey
Discover more about:
- How to understand anxiety in its differing forms
- Why people feel insecure in relationships
- The secrets to a happy relationship
This book by Lana Grey is actually 2 books in one. Just like how relationships are complex things, the author takes the time to carefully explain how insecurity, anxiety and jealousy can ruin relationships. She then begins to provide sensible and actionable solutions which you can use to deal with different situations. This book will give you valuable insight into how insecurity can hold you back from having a fulfilling and meaningful relationship. It truly is a great read!
Healthy Relationships by Michelle Martin
Discover more about:
- Understanding and overcoming insecurities in a relationship
- What external influences affect your relationship
- Tools to improve your relationship
This book by Michelle Martin does not hold back and dives right into what makes relationships succeed or fail. Every person is unique and the lack of understanding of this crucial fact leads to most failures. The book provides the knowledge and the tools needed for you to understand your partner, both your insecurities and how to communicate effectively. This is all you need to learn about each other and help your relationship succeed.
- Audible Audiobook
- Sofia Price (Author) – Risa Pappas (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 04/06/2016 (Publication Date) – Sofia Price (Publisher)
This book by Sofia Price is all about negative emotions: jealousy, insecurity and fear. These negative emotions will remove your peace of mind if you let them take over. The author explains how overcoming jealousy will help you nip insecurities in the bud and remove your reliance on material things and other people for your own happiness. This book will guide you through the process of defeating jealousy and gaining back your confidence in your life.
This reading list on books on insecurity provides something for eliminating insecurity in every situation. Insecurities, if left unchecked, will make a mess of our personal and professional relationships. We have to be able to overcome them and build our confidence up to a level where we can recognise insecurity and deal with it accordingly. The books listed above will definitely show you how! So, what are you waiting for? Go get started on taking back your life!
