Confidence is often misunderstood as something you either have or you don’t. In reality, it usually develops through experience: doing something difficult, discovering you can cope and gradually learning to trust yourself.
That means you don’t necessarily need to feel confident before speaking up, trying something new or making a change. Quite often, confidence arrives afterwards.
As a BACP-accredited psychotherapist, I have selected these books to reflect the different ways low confidence can manifest. Some focus on fear and avoidance, while others address social anxiety, vulnerability, assertiveness and the relentless internal commentary that tells you not to risk it.
These are practical, widely read books that offer more than empty instructions to “believe in yourself”. Because if it were that simple, nobody would need the books.
What Is the Difference Between Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem?
Self-confidence is generally about how capable you feel in a particular situation. You might feel confident at work but not in relationships, or comfortable with friends but terrified of speaking in front of a group.
Self-esteem is broader. It concerns your underlying sense of worth and how you feel about yourself as a person.
The two can overlap, but they are not identical. If your difficulties are more about feeling fundamentally inadequate or unworthy, you may find my guide to the best books for self-esteem and self-worth more helpful.
The books on this page focus primarily on building confidence through action, courage, communication and self-trust.
The Confidence Gap – Russ Harris
If you keep waiting to feel confident before doing something, this is probably the best place to begin.
Russ Harris challenges the idea that fear and self-doubt must disappear before you can move forward. Drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), he explains how to make room for uncomfortable thoughts and feelings while still doing what matters.
This is a psychologically informed book, but it remains accessible and practical. It is particularly useful if overthinking, fear of failure or avoidance keeps making your world smaller.
Best for:
- Fear of failure
- Avoiding difficult situations
- Performance anxiety
- Overthinking before taking action
- Wanting practical, evidence-informed strategies
The Confidence Gap – Russ Harris
One of the best books on confidence, this bestselling guide is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Rather than trying to eliminate self-doubt, Russ Harris shows you how to stop letting fear hold you back, take meaningful action despite uncertainty, and build genuine confidence by living according to your values.
View on AmazonFeel the Fear and Do It Anyway – Susan Jeffers
There is a reason this book has remained popular for decades. Its central message is simple: confidence is built by facing uncertainty, not by successfully removing all uncertainty from life.
Susan Jeffers explores the fears that sit beneath indecision, people-pleasing and staying within familiar situations. She encourages readers to take greater responsibility for their choices without turning the book into a lecture about positive thinking.
Some of the language reflects when it was originally written, but the central principle still holds up remarkably well.
Best for:
- Feeling stuck or indecisive
- Fear of change
- Worrying about making the wrong decision
- Depending heavily on other people’s reassurance
- Wanting an encouraging and accessible read
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway – Susan Jeffers
A classic self-help book that has helped millions of readers build confidence and overcome fear. Susan Jeffers explains why confidence grows through action rather than waiting to feel ready, offering practical techniques to face uncertainty, make decisions, and create lasting personal growth.
View on AmazonThe Confidence Kit – Caroline Foran
This is a modern, straightforward guide to understanding fear and preventing it from making your decisions for you.
Caroline Foran writes openly about anxiety and low confidence, combining personal experience with practical techniques. Her style is informal and refreshingly direct, making the book accessible if more traditional self-help books feel dry or overly clinical.
The emphasis is on recognising fear, questioning the stories you tell yourself and becoming more willing to act despite discomfort.
Best for:
- Fear holding you back
- Everyday self-doubt
- Becoming more decisive
- Wanting a conversational, relatable style
- Readers who dislike heavy psychological language
The Confidence Kit – Caroline Foran
Written in a friendly and relatable style, this practical guide helps readers tackle self-doubt, perfectionism, and fear of failure. Caroline Foran combines psychological insights with actionable exercises to help you build genuine confidence and develop healthier thinking patterns in everyday life.
View on Amazon Listen on AudibleUltimate Confidence – Marisa Peer
Ultimate Confidence focuses on identifying and changing the beliefs that leave you feeling inadequate, incapable or dependent on other people’s approval.
Marisa Peer provides a ten-step programme intended to strengthen self-belief and change negative thought patterns. The writing is encouraging and motivational, with techniques designed to be practised rather than simply understood.
The approach is more motivational than academically rigorous, but it may appeal if you want a positive, structured guide focused directly on confidence.
Best for:
- Negative beliefs about yourself
- Depending on external approval
- Wanting a structured confidence programme
- Building a more encouraging internal voice
- Readers who enjoy motivational self-help
Ultimate Confidence – Marisa Peer
Marisa Peer combines practical techniques with mindset strategies to help readers overcome limiting beliefs and develop lasting self-confidence. Focusing on changing negative thought patterns and strengthening self-worth, this book offers straightforward tools for building confidence in both personal and professional life.
View on Amazon Listen on AudibleThe Confidence Code – Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
The Confidence Code examines why capable women can still doubt themselves, underestimate their abilities or feel that they need to be completely prepared before stepping forward.
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman combine research, interviews and real-life examples to explore how confidence develops. A particularly useful theme is the relationship between confidence and action: people rarely become more confident by endlessly thinking about whether they are ready.
Some of its claims about gender and biology should be read thoughtfully rather than treated as the final word, but its discussion of perfectionism, risk and competence is valuable.
Best for:
- Women struggling with professional confidence
- Impostor feelings
- Perfectionism at work
- Holding back despite being capable
- Becoming more willing to take reasonable risks
The Confidence Code – Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, and interviews with successful women, this bestselling book explores what confidence really is and how to develop it. While written with women in mind, its practical insights into self-belief, resilience, and taking action make it valuable for anyone wanting to overcome self-doubt.
View on AmazonPresence – Amy Cuddy
This book focuses on the moments when confidence is most likely to desert you: interviews, presentations, difficult conversations and situations where you feel evaluated.
Amy Cuddy explores how anxiety can pull your attention away from the present and into constant self-monitoring. The most useful parts of the book are not about appearing powerful to other people, but about feeling grounded enough to communicate what you actually think.
Some of the early “power posing” research associated with Cuddy has been debated, so this should not be treated as a clinical manual. However, the wider ideas about presence, body awareness and approaching intimidating situations remain useful.
Best for:
- Interviews and presentations
- Feeling intimidated by authority
- High-pressure conversations
- Becoming overly self-conscious
- Learning to remain present under pressure
Presence – Amy Cuddy
Amy Cuddy explores how we can feel more confident, authentic, and capable in life's most challenging moments. Combining psychological research with practical advice, this book offers strategies for managing self-doubt, improving performance under pressure, and presenting your best self without pretending to be someone you're not.
View on Amazon Listen on AudibleThe Self-Confidence Workbook – Barbara Markway and Celia Ampel
If you want practical exercises rather than another book telling you to “just believe in yourself”, this is a strong choice.
Psychologist Barbara Markway and writer Celia Ampel offer a structured programme for recognising self-doubt, challenging unhelpful beliefs and gradually becoming more confident. The exercises encourage you to identify where confidence is lacking and take manageable steps towards change.
It is particularly useful if you want to actively build your confidence rather than just reading about it.
Best for:
- Practical exercises and reflection
- Understanding where self-doubt comes from
- Building confidence gradually
- Fear of failure or rejection
- Readers who prefer a workbook format
The Self-Confidence Workbook – Barbara Markway and Celia Ampel
This practical workbook uses evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques to help readers overcome self-doubt, challenge negative thinking, and develop lasting self-confidence. Packed with exercises and worksheets, it's ideal for anyone who prefers a hands-on approach to building self-esteem and resilience.
View on AmazonIf low confidence is part of a deeper pattern of shame, self-criticism or feeling fundamentally not good enough, you may also want to explore:
