i've been following ro for a while now and have witnessed her recovery journey. it's not my place to speak on it and discuss how other people should feel about it, but i do think she comes from a good place. what started off as an online diary to help keep herself accountable has morphed and grown into a way of helping and inspiring other people.

she's not putting herself on a pedestal and saying every recovery journey has to be identical to hers. hers is shaped by her circumstances, while other people's will inevitably be different. but i do think it's admirable she's aware of this and has used her platform to uplift others and bring some light into something so bleak.

you can tell how hard she worked on this book. she spoke from the heart. she was vulnerable and candid. and sometimes that's exactly what you need.

5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been following Ro for many years through her TikToks and YouTube channel so when I heard she was coming out with a book I was SO intrigued. The way that she spoke about mental health in her videos always made me feel so at ease, so I was desperate to read this book. This book couldn’t have come at a better time for me. In other self-help books I have read, I never really felt as though they had much of a lasting impression on me and I tend to forget about them quickly after finishing them. How To Talk to Yourself had me engaged right from the introduction. I felt so incredibly seen throughout this book and related to so many things Ro speaks about (I have a crazy amount of annotations lol). I loved the personal anecdotes included throughout, it felt like she and I were having a DMC.
The main thing I look for in self-help books is things to change my perspective and this book truly delivered. This really opened my eyes to the fact that I can be incredibly harsh with myself and that it’s ok to feel certain emotions that I shy away from. While my mental health struggles are not the exact same as some discussed in the book, I still was able to relate to a lot what was said, and I believe so will everyone else who picks up this book. This book is genuinely such a comfort read for me, and I know I will go back to it time and time again.
I am so excited for release day so that I can get my hands on a physical copy! I highly recommend if you are looking for a self-help book that will genuinely stick with you as I know for a fact this book will have a lasting effect on me!

Many well-intentioned and empowering tips, thoughts and discussions by Ro Mitchell.
For the ideal target audience, especially young women, this is 3.5-4 star read at least.
I wish this were longer, more detailed and complex - however, I understand that the aim is to encourage self-compassion, which does not need to be complex. It is my personal preference to have read something a bit different, that is all.

How to Talk to Yourself by Ro Mitchell is a helpful and inspirational guide to being kinder to yourself and accepting yourself flaws and all.