LibGuides: Live Wise Book Therapy Collection: Home

Introduction

The Live Wise Book Therapy Collection promotes and supports students as well as staff in strengthening their own self-care and maintaining their physical, emotional and personal wellbeing. It provides information, suggestions and tips on how to manage various issues and experiences that we or those close to us may encounter in life.

This Collection aims to enhance wellbeing, resilience and support us in finding new approaches to life's challenges.

It consists of ebooks and print titles which are located in the Cregan Library, DCU St Patrick's Campus and in the O'Reilly Library on the Glasnevin Campus. Relevant videos and podcasts have also been added to this guide

The collection is managed by the Counselling and Personal Development Service and DCU Library. It has been generously funded by DCU's Quality Improvement Funding.

Library locations

Many of the books in this collection can be accessed as ebooks online. Where a title is listed as an ebook just click on the title link to access the book and start reading. To learn more, watch our video about finding and accessing ebooks.

Most of the print titles in this collection are located in either the O'Reilly Library or the Cregan Library and a small number of titles are available in both locations. At the end of each book description you will find the location information.

The print titles located in the O'Reilly Library can be found on the shelves in the main collection. For more information about how to find a print book in the library, watch our Locating books on the shelf video.

A large number of the print titles located in the Cregan Library can be found on the 2nd floor, on our Live Wise Book Therapy display units. These are pictured in the image above. A small number of titles are located on the open shelves in our Main Collection on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The Cregan Library titles will be clearly labelled either CREGAN LIBRARY (Live Wise Book Therapy display, 2nd floor) or CREGAN LIBRARY (main collection) in this guide.

How to get the most out of the collection

Shows the hands and body of a person who is writing in a notebook

The books in this collection are designed to help you make positive changes in your life. Most of the titles featured will help you to understand an issue that affects you. If you learn and apply the lessons taught in these books they have the potential to change the way you think, feel and act.

We’ve put together tips to help you to maximise the benefits of these books and put the strategies into practice. Click into each tab to learn how planning, note-taking, action and reflection will help you engage fully with the titles you’re reading.

These guidelines also apply to the videos and podcasts featured in the guide.

Before you pick the book you want to read, write down exactly what you’d like to achieve.
Do you have a behaviour you’d like to change or an issue you’d like to solve? Is there a topic you’d like to learn more about? If so, write down the reasons why.
To achieve any goal you need to be able to ‘visualise’ or picture your preferred end result, then work towards it in carefully planned steps. Knowing where you want to go and why will make the path to get there clearer.
Record the ideal amount of time you will set aside for reading each day or week. Choose a set time for reading and make it a regular habit. This way you are more likely to work through the book steadily and complete it.

The books in this collection were selected with a specific reason in mind. Choose a book that will help you achieve the goals you’ve set.
Decide on the type of information you want. Do you need a general overview? A guide that contains practical exercises? An in-depth look at a topic that includes scientific research?
Look through the categories in the collection, or enter a word into the ‘search this guide’ box on each page. Read the descriptions beside each book to understand what subject area it covers. Check a book’s user reviews on goodreads or view its contents page on Google books to learn more about it.
If you read a book that you find helpful, make a note of any other titles the author recommends. Check if there is a reference list at the end showing the books that influenced the author’s writing. Keep a list of books you’d like to read but don’t overdo it – it’s important to take the time to learn and apply the lessons from one book before moving on to the next.
If a book isn’t engaging you because of its style, subject, language or tone then stop reading it. Take the time to find a book that is meaningful to your life as you are then more likely to absorb its message.

The power of these books isn’t just knowledge; it’s being able to understand what you’ve read and knowing how to apply that knowledge to your life.
You will need to read slowly, efficiently, and with a purpose. Aim to read at a speed that is comfortable - speed reading will make it more difficult to retain the information from a book.
It’s important to take notes as you read as it will help you remember what you've read. The act of writing a meaningful passage down helps you to internalise the information i.e. make it part of yourself.
Note down thoughts that occur to you as you read. Keep these short – they will act as reminders when you read over your notes.
Review your notes when you’re finished a chapter. Take the time to reflect on why a certain passage was meaningful to you. Highlight the sections in your notes that include actions you can apply to your life.
Write a summary of your notes to encourage deeper learning and retention of the information further. Use your notes to write a clear description of the important information in each chapter of the book. This will help you to understand the material at a deeper level. A summary will make it easier for you to look back on and remember what you’ve learned.

Most self-help and personal development books include practical exercises for further work and reflection. They sometimes involve recording events from your life and examining them using what you’ve learned. Alternatively, you might be asked to try out a new lesson in your life.
Avoid the temptation to skip these exercises. The reflection you do while completing these exercises encourages deeper learning. They’re there to help you absorb the information you’re reading and it’s important you complete every step to make the most of the book.
So fill out the forms, engage in the personal practices and complete the questionnaires. If you want to solve a genuine problem and make progress towards your goals, these exercises will help you achieve that.

When you’ve finished the book, look back at the notes you’ve made. Use the sections you’ve highlighted to put together an achievable plan of action that will help you put the lessons you’ve learned into practice.
It’s important to put any advice into practice as soon as possible. Try not to procrastinate as the longer you delay the less likely it is that you’ll make any changes.
It’s important not to do too much at once. Choose 1-3 actions you’d like to apply to your own life and take one small step each day or each week. The way to get big results is to make tiny, continuous changes to your daily habits. Start with five minutes a day and build from there.
What matters in the short term is the repetition of new positive behaviours and habits. This repetition makes your behaviour automatic and means that changes you make are no longer relying on willpower.
In the long term, your plan of action may take weeks, months or years to complete. Setting clear short-term and then long-term goals and applying the lessons you’ve learned will help you to overcome any challenges that might tempt you to quit.

Ideally, you’ll be using the books in this collection to improve aspects of your life in a lasting way. It’s important to track your performance to keep yourself motivated. An essential part of any programme for change is to reflect on your progress and adjust your methods if they’re not effective.
Look back on your notes and your summary and compare these with your current behaviour.
Record the actions you found positive or those which had no effect.
Keep a journal of your daily achievements and also note down your failures. Remember that perfect results are extremely difficult if not impossible to achieve. It’s important to recognise your failures as well as your successes.
Sharing your knowledge with others encourages reflection and deeper learning. You might have somebody close to you who would benefit from the lessons in the book. Talking them through the key points of the book will help you to retain the information better.
Having someone you can share your progress with will keep you motivated and will encourage you to record your progress honestly.
You can share your thoughts about the book on goodreads or through social media posts. We’d also like to receive your comments about the resources in the guide. Get in touch with us using the feedback form and let us know what you liked or didn’t enjoy about a particular book, podcast or video.
Thinking about what you’re going to write, even for a short post, encourages you to reflect on what you’ve read and learned.

Further support

DCU students can visit the Counselling and Personal Development Service page for more support. Here you'll learn how to make a counselling appointment, where to find workshops, resources and access information about after hours or emergency support. DCU staff can visit the Employee Assistance Service page for more information about available supports.