A Belfast Telegraph Book for 2026 Have you ever told yourself one of these? I'm stupid... I'm ugly... I'm bad... I'm the best... I'm a victim... I'm different... We all tell ourselves stories to make sense of our place in the world and why we are the way we are. Sadly, the most damaging ones often dominate and hold us back. In The Story Solution, coach Anna Katharina Schaffner identifies the six core self-blaming and world-blaming stories, revealing how to break free from these self-sabotaging scripts and release yourself from their grip. Mixing psychological insights, case studies and practical guidance, this empowering guide will help you to rewrite your self-story in five accessible steps and learn how to grow, thrive and prosper.

Compassionate, insightful and empowering. Anna Katharina Schaffner is one of the wisest authors I know -- David Robson, author of THE LAWS OF CONNECTION
Coach and writer Anna Katharina Schaffner knows the plots we use to cope with adversity well - and the counternarratives that produce different endings. Splitting these stories into 'me' and 'the world' sections, The Story Solution pushes readers to try and thrive when they apply what they learn * Therapy Today *
It's one thing to know that the stories we tell ourselves can be tremendously unhelpful, but unpicking and retelling them is another, much harder thing. This excellent book supports us through that process, teaching us how we landed upon the narratives that play over and over in our heads, and how to turn them into something better, healthier and more kind -- Rebecca Seal, author of BE BAD, BETTER
The narrative you tell yourself is either limiting you or expanding you. This is a useful book to help you understand the stories that you tell yourself and whether they are helpful ... or not -- Nahid de Belgeonne, author of SOOTHE
Praise for Exhausted: A fascinating new book that guides us through the causes of burnout and how to avoid it * New Scientist *
Antidotes to our exhausting modern life * Sunday Times *
Satisfying ... Engaging ... Useful * TLS *
Sensible wisdom for finding emotional support, combating stress and embracing rest -- 'Best Books for 2024' * Stylist *
Offers eminently practical strategies for dealing with sadness, including the false belief that we are tragically different from other people -- David Robson * New Scientist *

Anna Katharina Schaffner is a burnout coach, clinical hypnotherapist and cultural historian. She is the author of The Art of Self-Improvement: Ten Timeless Truths, Exhausted: An A-Z for the Weary and a novel, The Truth About Julia. She has written for the TLS, the Guardian and Psychology Today.