Book Review: "Better Than Before" by Gretchen Rubin

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

There are so many self help books out there, it can make your head spin. All of have the same goal-to help you become happy and make your life a thousand times better. "Better Than Before" by Gretchen Rubin is no exception. 
This isn't Rubin's first exploration of the study of happiness/habits, as she's the author of "The Happiness Project" and the "Happiness Journal." "Better Than Before" is like her similar works, however, it goes into the study of habits. 
Rubin goes into the four tendencies-rebel, upholders, questioners and obligors. These "tendencies" were the motivation behind your habits. I am an upholder, which means I'm self-directed, have little trouble meeting deadlines and am reliable. 
This book gives you a lot to examine, about yourself and the habits that you have. Ever since I read this book, I've been more critical of my spending habits, and asking myself why I'm buying things. This is a thousand times better than me just buying them for the sake of "treating myself." (The book even had a whole chapter on that very subject)
 It made me reflect on what I can do/change in my life to make it better. For example, one thing that I changed was putting things, whether they were responsibilities or not, on my schedule and in my planner. That way, I knew to make time for them. 
This book was extremely insightful, and pretty fun to read. I've been struggling with maintaining my sanity while juggling school, three jobs and life in general. This book taught me the root of some of my habits, and shed some light on what I have to change. I highly recommend it, because Rubin brings an extreme amount of insight that I would have never gotten otherwise. Furthermore, if you're a college student whose struggling to create positive habits or just a person trying to get a few good habits under their belt, consider giving "Better Than Before" a read.

Book Review: Instant Happiness Journal

*Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review
Lately, it seems like I've been a little short on the Happy front. Between stresses from work and school, I've been on a constant sinking ship of anxiety. Therefore, I decided to take up journaling in the effort to help combat my stress and anxiety. The book 'Instant Happiness Journal' by Karen Salmanson instantly became a must-have for me, and I was eager to see what this book had to offer.
The book is basically like a journal, but extends more than just a standard notebook.The book has a series of prompts for someone to write in. The book itself is a journal, and is filled with prompts to be written in. I've used it a few times, and can honestly say that the journal is cute. I've used it for the past few days, and I've looked foreword to writing each prompt. They all require some thinking, and even opens your mind up to new thoughts.
Overall, this book is a must have for those who are going through a hard time, those who are starting to journal but are at a loss as to where to start, and writers. I recommend this book highly, as both a blogger and a person whose going through a hard time and needs an outlet for them to vent about their lives. As the holiday season approaches, I recommend this book as something on everyone's gift list, or something to give to the one whose going through a rough time.

Book Review: You First by Lea Michele

For those of you who don't know, I am a huge fan of journaling. I've kept a journal of thoughts and various things since the end of my senior year in high school. I may not always have time to write in it, however, I still manged to fill 5 to 6 books during that time.
"You First" by Lea Michele is a book about journaling. The former Glee star, also author of Brunette Ambition, gives a series of various journal prompts to write about. Some of the examples include thinking about your family, recording exercise and eating habits, and talking about ideal relationships. There's a section for each topic, as well as space to write down your thoughts and reflections. In mine, I've used my own personal journal, but I think this format is extremely effective.
I've been using the book for a couple of days now for inspiration for my own journaling. So far, I find the topics very helpful. As a stressed college student, I always don't have the time to take care of myself. This book does exactly that, because it forces me to take a step back and reflect on certain things.

One of the prompts I liked was to talk about past relationships and write about the patterns I've noticed with them. This helped me further realize things about myself that I may not have realized before. This then prompted me to change things about myself for the better, which is always good to do.
Journaling is something that I use to relieve stress. However, for some, it can be hard to begin. While I highly recommend this book for anyone, I especially recommend this for those who want to begin their journal but are stuck on what to say or write. This book gives you prompts on what to say, and it can lead you into self-discovery.

I recommend this book highly. But, if you're going to argue that "I don't have time for this!" let me say that for those who argue that taking the time out of their day to just spend 15 minutes to reflect is crucial in my opinion. Rome wasn't built in a day, so you don't have to fill the entire thing up at once. By doing one prompt a day, it helps you relax and even helps you discover something about yourself that you may not have noticed.
Therefore, I believe this book does in fact put you first, which I believe is an important mindset for many to have. Myself included.
Disclaimer: I've recieved this book from Blogging for Books for this review.