3 of My Favorite Emotional Health Books – Have You Read Any of These?
After succumbing to ministry burnout and depression three years ago, I was desperate not only to get healing, but also to find the root cause of my demise in hopes of preventing a future relapse.
I’m so grateful to be able to say that I have found healing and restoration.
As far as not having another relapse, there are no guarantees.
But…
I can say that I’ve learned enough about my flawed inner makeup in the past three years to give myself more than an okay chance.
The primary source of my restoration, of course, has come through the Holy Spirit, God’s word, and brothers and sisters and mentors in Christ whom I will never be able never be able to repay for their unconditional love.
But God used more than explicitly Christian teachings to restore me.
For example, going to see a professional counselor was a total game changer.
I wrote an article about that here.
But something else was also vitally instrumental in helping me untangle the jumbled wiring that had short circuited my ministry and mental health since I was a wee lad.
Books.
Yes, during this three-year period of reflection and emotional auditing, I came across several books that changed my life.
While these books weren’t my primary source of spiritual and emotional healing, they were a healthy supplement that God used to unlock some things that had kept me imprisoned for decades.
These are some of my recent favorites – so whether you’re really struggling emotionally, wanting to do a little maintenance, or simply looking to thrive in your mental life, these books will have you on your way.
There are tons of great titles out there, but these have been really meaningful to me.
Book 1: Mindset by Carol Dweck
Since reading this book. I’ve never looked at my failure (or success) the same way again.
Here’s a personal story on how this book changed me.
Description:
After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.
People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes:
“Becoming is better than being”
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.
Book 2: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
This book will shine the light on the hidden lies we all tell ourselves. (Yes, you lie to yourself too.)
Here’s another article I wrote that fleshes out how Kahneman’s principles helped reduce my stress at work.
Description:
In the international bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, the renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think.
System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical.
The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation―each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes:
“Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it.”
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.
Book 3: The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Pete Scazerro
This book unequivocally convinced me that Christian leaders are not immune from mental illnesses just because God has put a wonderful call on our lives.
This book really gave me permission to get honest about my emotional struggles, including fighting depression as a pastor.
Description:
Do you feel too overwhelmed to enjoy life, unable to sort out the demands on your time?
Are you doing your best work as a leader, yet not making an impact?
Have you ever felt stuck, powerless to change your environment?
In The Emotionally Healthy Leader, bestselling author Peter Scazzero shows leaders how to develop a deep, inner life with Christ, examining its profound implications for surviving stress, planning and decision making, building teams, creating healthy culture, influencing others, and much more.
Going beyond simply offering a quick fix or new technique, The Emotionally Healthy Leader gets to the core, beneath-the-surface issues of uniquely Christian leadership. This book is more than a book you will read; it is a resource you will come back to over and over again.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes:
“Watch for the internal signs that you are exceeding your limits, doing more for God than your abiding relationship with him can sustain.”
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.
What About You?
What are some of your favorites? I’d love to hear them — especially if you’re in a season of transition. Leave a comment below!
Jathan,
I love Carol Dweck’s approach to the growth mindset was fascinating—what a revelation the book was!
Yes! I’ve always had a tendency to see each moment as either confirmation or denial of my worth. She helped me see that events are just giving us information. Information that I can use to see myself up for improvement going forward.