Self-Help, Self-Improvement And Personal Development – Why We Need to Refocus

Think of any fictional or mythological fantasy quest. By the end of the story, the heroes and heroines are usually changed in some way, transformed, improved. But it is rarely the finding of the mythological ‘quest item’ that is responsible for this positive transformation. Rather, it is the many experiences the adventurers encounter along the way.

In other words, it is not the destination which improves them, but the journey.

It is worth bearing this in mind when considering the quest for self help, self improvement and personal development. The search for self help products shouldn’t be perceived as a means to an end, but as an experience in its own right. The journey is as important (and, quite possibly, more important than) the destination itself.

As we browse through the virtual shelves of the online self help marketplace, we are, in a very real way, exploring our own personalities, our strengths and our weaknesses. Too often, we treat the search for self help products as an act of faith. We place our faith in the hands of the guru of the hour, who claims he can improve our lives in (typically) just seven days. When these products fail to completely deliver on their generally outrageous claims, our faith is often shattered.

The solution to this is to focus on the journey, to focus on ourselves, and not put our faith in the hands of others.

This isn’t to say, we should abandon self help products. Quite the opposite, in fact. A journey needs a destination, after all. We should try everything to improve and develop ourselves: self-hypnosis, the Law of Attraction, binaural beats, Reality Creation, Manifesting, Affirmations, Cosmic Ordering… everything. And we should take something away from each product, from each experience, from each little adventure we encounter along the way on our incredible voyage of self improvement. And, like the heroes and heroines of a fantastical quest, we’ll find ourselves transformed by the journey itself.

For the best self help books, audio and downloads, visit The Happiness Superstore, the best self help store on the web!

The Self-Help Paradox

When rethinking this article and searching the web I found a book that was already published in 2003: the self-help paradox (1).

I read the review and decided to write this article after all. The book is about the overflow of self-help support that is available in the marketplace. Basically as I understand it, the premise of the book is that certain books will tell you left, where others will tell you right; one example is: “am I at peace or just lazy?” Now how would you solve this dilemma for “yourself?”

Another way to look at the self-help paradox I had in mind is that with the decision to enter the self-help arena you start to become dependent of what you read. Or put differently: you accept that you need help when you are surfing around the self-help titles.

In my opinion the paradox lies in the fact that the only way to prevent this is not to enter the self-help section at all. So it is not I’m lazy or at ease, but I don’t bother what or how you (others) call what I might be or not be.

Before freud there was no such thing as psycho-analysis. Now there is and there are much more solutions in solving psychological problems. Of course, not all self-help is of the same level or similar domain of psychology, but many books have that focus.

There are many self-help books on nearly any subject or niche. And in the article market it is one of the most heavy segments, both in number of post as in number of reads.

But even if you want to help-yourself, there comes a time to “have had it,” where you leave the self-help behind you. The moment you start reading the self-help section (like this article) you are not able to spend time on other activities.

(1) - http://www.amazon.com/Self-Help-Paradox-David-Alan-Brown/dp/0972217428

Hans Bool

Hans Bool writes articles about management, culture and change. If you are interested to read or experience more about these topics have a look at: Astor White.

Anxiety Attack Self Help – You Can Get Over These Chronic Attacks

An anxiety attack is one of the most freighting things you can experience. A number of the symptoms you will face can be worrisome. However, you can manage your anxiety attacks on your own.

Breathing exercises are a great way to release stress. Finding a quiet room with little to no noise will eliminate the constant stress that surrounds you, giving you time to truly relax and clear your head. Along with breathing exercises meditation is recommended. Also, exercising can help you feel good about yourself and create the image you want.

Most people don’t want to hear that it’s all in your mind, unfortunately, this is something that many doctors do agree with. Keep in mind that a majority of the time anxiety attacks are mental whether directly related to a chemical imbalance or something similar. Therefore, the greatest anxiety attack self help tip is to stay calm, stop worrying about things you cannot change and learn to control your emotions.

Many times panic attacks and anxiety attacks are due to a specific lifestyle or personality of yours. If you have a high-pressured job, you will sooner or later have built-up stress. If you tend to surround yourself in a stressful environment, or if you tend to have a great deal of pressure loaded on your shoulders and worry a lot, you may want to consider a lifestyle change.

The help of a support group is the best way to treat anxiety for many victims. Suffering an attack can leave you feeling lonely and depressed. It can prove to be an extremely valuable resource knowing there are people willing to talk to you who have similar experiences.

You can manage your anxiety attacks on your own.

Self Help Books – From Crappy to Happy

Look in any bookstore and you will notice the section on self help books keeps getting bigger. Self help books offer a variety of tools and techniques to help people learn life skills to improve the quality of their lives. At various times in life, most of us face some form of suffering, whether it is physical, mental or emotional. People faced with these issues have a variety of options for getting help.

They can seek help from medical or health care professionals; work on the issues by themselves through a process of self help; or they can practice a combination of both professional and self help approaches.

There are many reasons why people choose self help books. Perhaps sharing your concerns with a therapist or counsellor may seem overwhelming. Being able to pick up a well structured self help book with clearly defined techniques may seem more manageable. Very often people start out with a self help book and experience personal growth as a result. Self help books train you to become more self aware and make meaningful changes to benefit your life. This is self empowerment at its best, when action follows theory.

It must be noted though, that not all problems can be resolved using self help books. There are some conditions that will require talking to a medical or health care professional for suitable outcomes to occur. Often a combination of both professional and self help approaches is best.

From Crappy To Happy is a self help book that focuses on improving the quality of your life one step at a time. It is easy to read and suitable for anyone 16 years and up. Transitioning from crappy to happy take time, it is a journey not a destination. As you take the journey through the book you will learn how to let go of limiting beliefs that sabotage your success and prosperity. You will learn to create your own self help plan for new intentions, goals and dreams AND how to connect with and use your inner wisdom to discover your highest potential. Increased happiness and well being come about as a result of practicing the techniques in this book.

Cheryl Cattarin has worked in the Personal Development field for over twenty years. Cheryl has taught thousands of people a specific set of skills to improve the quality of their lives. These skills are now outlined in her just released book “From Crappy To Happy” available at http://www.fromcrappytohappy.com

OCD Self Help – 4 Amazing Ways to Break Compulsive Behavior!

Most people have a problem understanding exactly what OCD is. Well let’s quickly define it okay? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that is identified by monotonous obsessions which are intrusive thoughts and/or images that are persistent and distressing in nature. They are also characterized by compulsions which are incessant urges and intense desires to perform specific acts or routines.

Examples of these include, but are not limited to, the following; constant hand washing, fear of dirt or germs, walking in a particular pattern, repetitive phrases in an attempt to ward off worrying thoughts or anxiety. This article will show you 4 OCD self help methods which you can use to eliminate your compulsive and obsessive behavior starting right now…

#1- Develop New Behaviors

You will need to develop some new behaviors, the aim being the cultivation of ways to cope with your condition. You might want to limit the frequency with which you indulge in certain particular behavior, for example; humming or whistling to a tune. This is also known as the implementation of “diversionary” techniques to combat your OCD.

#2 – Join A Self-Help Group
Remember that your aim is the total and permanent eradication of your condition so you will need to do whatever it takes to get a cure right? Moreover it will be immensely beneficial to connect with other people who are experiencing the same condition as you as that will help you to better cope with your ailment and break its hold over your life.

#3 – Get Appropriate Treatment
Don’t use a technique for curing OCD just because your neighbor’s younger brother who also had the condition used it – no; you want to get professional advice from your doctor, a counselor or an ex-sufferer who knows what they are talking about. These people can give you information about how to cure your disorder which is based on experiential knowledge. They have been there; some of them even have firsthand experience, so you will do well to trust their guidance and judgment.

#4 – Relaxation Techniques
These techniques consists of exercise routines and light but consistent workouts, yoga, meditation, tai chi, deep breathing and conscious cultivation of a specific mindset all of which are particularly helpful to sufferers of OCD. Relaxation techniques help you develop your awareness of thought patterns and compulsive actions. Once you can become aware to these thought patterns then you can become adept at recognizing them and avoiding those thought processes that culminate in OCD.

Once you are ready to begin, you can discover…

…how over a hundred thousand Ex-sufferers of OCD successfully cured their conditions permanently using an amazing, natural, easy-to-follow technique? Go Here Now: http://www.analyze-more.com/anxiety-free-report.htmlNote: You will also get access to a FREE eBook about how to cure OCD (limited copies available).

Ty Lamai is an avid researcher and writer with in-depth knowledge spanning a wide variety of topics. He has hundreds of articles published online and has a blog dedicated to info about ocd self help which you should visit today.