5 Books that Helped Me Overcome Social Anxiety

There’s a ton of books out there about how to overcome social anxiety. But as someone who’s struggled for years with social anxiety, I know there’s nothing worse than reading advice from someone who just doesn’t understand what it’s really like to have an anxiety disorder.

You might feel jaded from hearing the same ole’ basic advice from self-help or psychology books. But I assure you these 5 books for overcoming social anxiety are different. They have made a huge impact in my own life in helping me to reduce and overcome my social anxiety.

Of course, these books are no substitute for the help of a licensed therapist, you can find one near you here.

Read on for my 5 favorite books that have helped me overcome social anxiety:

5 Books that Helped Me Overcome Social Anxiety

1. Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Panic Attacks by Barry McDonagh

This is hands-down the best book I’ve read about reducing all kinds of anxiety, including social anxiety. Barry McDonagh suffered from severe anxiety and panic attacks himself for many years. Then he created a simple technique that helped him master his anxiety. He now helps others to do the same.

The DARE response outlined in this book is an extremely simple and practical method that you can start using right away. At first, it may seem overly simple, but I challenge you to just try it out and stick with it for at least a month or so. This book will teach you to respond to your anxiety in a whole new way. You learn how to diffuse anxious thinking rather than feed the negative mental loop. Learn more about the main concepts from this book here.

2. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns, M.D.

This was one of the first self-help books I ever read. It’s a classic best-seller about how to practice Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to decrease depression and anxiety.

You’re probably already aware that changing negative thinking can significantly reduce social anxiety. However, this book will show you how to change your thoughts in a simple method that will start to relieve your anxiety right now.

3. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

This book was a total game changer in teaching me how to manage my social anxiety in an entirely new way. The main concept of this book is to practice being the mindful watcher of your thoughts. This will help you to get out of your head and become present in the moment.

Pairing the practices of 1) changing negative thoughts with 2) being present in the moment have been key for helping me overcome my social anxiety. Changing negative thoughts is important. However, I found that it’s not very effective when you’re actually having to interact with others in a social situation. That’s because when you’re socializing with others – you need to be totally present with them – and not caught up wrestling in your thoughts.

The Power of Now will teach you how to practice awareness (or mindfulness) to overcome negative thinking and anxiety.

4. The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristen Neff, PhD, and Christopher Germer, PhD

This book is an amazing science-backed workbook that combines the practices of mindfulness with changing negative thinking. The authors, who are psychologists, will show you how to develop what they call ‘self-compassion.’ According to research, there are many benefits of self-compassion, such as greater self-esteem and reduced anxiety and depression.

Self-compassion is the habit of being kind to yourself. You learn to replace harsh self-criticism with reassuring, empathetic self-talk. Developing self-compassion is crucial for gaining a healthy amount of self-love. And more self-love means less negative thoughts and feelings that cause social anxiety.

5. Mastery of Your Anxiety and Worry: Workbook (2nd Edition) By Michelle G. Craske and David H. Barlow

This book was recommended by my therapist when I was working through my generalized anxiety. This book provides easy-to-use techniques for reducing all types of anxiety, including social anxiety.

You’ll gain a greater understanding of the causes of anxiety and how it affects your brain. Then you’ll learn tons of research-backed techniques to successfully reduce and manage it. This book will teach you how to recognize and change irrational thinking for long-term results.

Closing Thoughts

Overcoming social anxiety has not been an easy process, but these books have helped me so much. So if you’re feeling stuck, remember that there’s always hope – there will be a solution that works for you, but it takes time and practice. You just have to find what works for you, and master it until it becomes a habit.

I hope these books will help you overcome social anxiety and gain greater self-confidence, like they’ve helped me to. I’d also like to know – what books have helped you with anxiety or mental health? Please share in the comments below 🙂