Sometimes it can be challenging to find the time and motivation to work on personal growth and development. Self-help audiobooks can offer a convenient solution to this as they can be listened to anytime, anywhere. By offering guidance, inspiration, and practical advice, self-improvement audiobooks can help you change your life and reach your full potential.
Self-help audiobooks cover a wide range of topics, including mental health, habits, time management, and personal relationships. No matter what aspect of your life you’d like to improve, there’s an audiobook out there to help you.
With the help of Libro.fm and their community of independent bookstores, I’ve selected ten of the best self-help audiobooks. Not familiar with Libro.fm? It’s actually my favorite audiobook service because, among other things, it splits its profits with independent bookstores (read my Libro.fm review). Enjoy these bookseller picks for the best self-improvement audiobooks!
Atomic Habits
By James Clear. Read by the author.
Bookseller recommendation:
“Atomic Habits handily breaks down the four facets of habits and teaches you how to use these to build good habits, and break bad habits. I loved the simple, precise language he used, as well as many examples and studies that show habits in the real world. I’ve already started using things I learned to help make my habits and behaviors more effective, and I can see myself returning to this one over and over.” – Tildy, Belmont Books
The Art of Asking
By Amanda Palmer. Read by the author.
Bookseller recommendation:
“What could an indie punk rock cabaret star (The Dresden Dolls), married to one of the world’s most celebrated fantasy writers (Neil Gaiman), teach the average person about asking for and accepting help? A lot, apparently! Personal stories turn into advice, vignettes turn into examples, revelations turn into promises; and before too long, The Art of Asking becomes a well-crafted roadmap for living your truth, advocating from the heart for what you need, and trusting in your community – your friends, your fans, and your family – to help provide it.” – BrocheAroe, River Dog Book Co.
The Comfort Book
By Matt Haig. Read by the author.
Bookseller recommendation:
“As a fan of Matt Haig’s fiction, I added The Comfort Book to my playlist but hadn’t yet listened to it. ‘The right book at the right time’ was never truer for me than the day I did need support and comfort, and Matt’s narration of his inspiring, uplifting perspectives was perfect. I pressed ‘rewind’ more than once, as his words were such a balm.” -Cheryl, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
Four Thousand Weeks
By Oliver Burkeman. Read by the author.
Bookseller recommendation:
“A game-changer. People tote time management as a way to accomplish everything, but that’s impossible—time is a limited resource. The whole way we think about time is wrong. So how can we approach our relationship to time in a way that doesn’t overwhelm? This book is a powerhouse. A must-read, especially for folks with anxiety, an intimate relationship with social media, or big ambitions. Fantastic on audio!” – Nicole, Oblong Books
First, We Make the Beast Beautiful
By Sarah Wilson. Read by the author.
Bookseller recommendation:
“First, We Make the Beast Beautiful evokes the strange and magical feeling of having discovered a personal journal in a public place. It is first and foremost a memoir that tackles difficult subjects, touching on many experiences, both traumatic and constructive, that the author feels have affected her journey through anxiety. A great deal of the book is spiritual and suggests that anxiety is the product of an unrest in the soul. Fans of Rupi Kaur will enjoy the candid rawness of this book, as it pulls them through a journey that is perhaps all too painfully familiar.” – Kaitie Radel, Oxford Exchange
The Gifts of Imperfection
By Brené Brown. Read by Brené Brown.
Bookseller recommendation:
“When I first heard of this book, I waved it off. I was 30, and the title sounded too self-helpy and didn’t seem relevant to my life. By the time I reached the ripe old age of 40, the book was about to hit its tenth anniversary and Brené Brown was not just a household name but someone whose books, podcast, and talks have influenced me and millions of others. “The Gifts of Imperfection” is brief yet substantive, full of evidence-based information about how we can live a more full-hearted life. Brown is a researcher, and she uses results from her rigorous studies to come to conclusions about why we do what we do, and how we can stop self-sabotaging and begin living wholeheartedly. Highly recommend this audiobook!” – Janet, Avid Bookshop
The Hilarious World of Depression
By John Moe. Read by the author.
Bookseller recommendation:
“An excellent book exploring depression–the discovery of having it and the effect of living with it–mixed with both funny commentary and thought-provoking insight. I appreciated listening to Moe’s perspective both as one who suffers from depression himself, as a family member of one who was depressed, as well as the stories of those he has interviewed on his podcast. Mental illness is an important topic to discuss, and the more courageous folks like John Moe are willing to speak up about their experience, the better we can support and love those who are dealing with it.” – Tina, Leaves Book and Tea Shop
What Happened to You?
By Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry. Read by the authors.
Bookseller recommendation:
“In What Happened to You?, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce D Perry discuss the effects of trauma on the human brain, especially the young brain, and how our brain and minds are resilient, how these traumas affect each of us later in life, and how we heal from them. In a balanced back and forth between very personal stories from Oprah’s life, anecdotes of helping patients deal with trauma from his career, and analysis of the psychology of the human mind and biology of our brain, Oprah and Dr. Perry lay out an informative, scientific and emotional book that focuses not on ‘what is wrong with you?’, but instead on ‘what happened to you?’ and how we are equipped as humans to move past those traumatic events. Both Oprah and Dr. Perry are incredibly engaging narrators.” – Will, Newtown Bookshop
The Light We Carry
By Michelle Obama. Read by the author.
Bookseller recommendation:
“Michelle Obama is back with more words of wisdom, pillars of humility, and just simply Michelle. The Light We Carry is an uplighting book that will help you deal with the emotions and isolation that we have had to deal with during and after the pandemic. But more than that, she has compiled questions that she has been asked again and again, and acknowledges each with personal stories, anecdotes, wisdom, and love. This book feel like you are sitting down with an old friend when you have had a bad day and and just need some love and a hot drink.” – Elon, Apotheosis Comics
Wintering
By Katherine May. Read by Rebecca Lee.
Bookseller recommendation:
“When Katherine May set out to write her book, Wintering, she could not have foreseen that it would be published in the middle of a pandemic, nor that it would be so beautifully suited to our current circumstances. Wintering is the author’s account of how she made it through unforeseen difficult times and depression (emotional winters). Gentle, understanding, hopeful, and empathetic, this is a book you will listen to and then want to buy a copy of, just so you can have it nearby for difficult times.” – Mary, Skylark Bookshop
Have you listened to any of these self-help audiobooks? Do you have your own suggestions for the best self-improvement listens? Please share in the comments below.
