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Emotion Hacks: 50 Ways to Feel Better Fast
Master your emotions and learn to be happy through 50 science-backed and highly accessible strategies from The Anger Professor Dr Ryan Martin.
The Anger Professor Dr Ryan Martin shares easy research-driven hacks to help you manage your emotions and improve your day-to-day life. His goal is to show that small changes to lifestyle, diet, sleep and ways of thinking will create real and beneficial changes in the way you experience fear, sadness, anger, happiness and the other emotions. This step-by-step guide to great emotional management will enable you
Understand the science of emotions – to enable you to hack them.Interpret emotions as signals that guide behaviour and decision-making.Learn how emotions develop in stages – 1. the stimulus; 2. your pre-existing mood; 3. your appraisal; 4. feelings; 5. actions – so you can intervene.Manage other people's emotions.Deploy 50 easy and effective emotion hacks that will enable you to deal with any challenging situation, eg Identify Your Patterns, Avoid Catastrophizing, Pay Attention to Self-directed "Shoulds", Refocus Positively – and many more!
Rooted in psychological research and everyday experience, How to Feel Better Fast will enable you to work with the science of happiness. It's all about establishing healthy emotional small changes that will lead to seismic changes in your state of mind.
The Anger Professor Dr Ryan Martin shares easy research-driven hacks to help you manage your emotions and improve your day-to-day life. His goal is to show that small changes to lifestyle, diet, sleep and ways of thinking will create real and beneficial changes in the way you experience fear, sadness, anger, happiness and the other emotions. This step-by-step guide to great emotional management will enable you
Understand the science of emotions – to enable you to hack them.Interpret emotions as signals that guide behaviour and decision-making.Learn how emotions develop in stages – 1. the stimulus; 2. your pre-existing mood; 3. your appraisal; 4. feelings; 5. actions – so you can intervene.Manage other people's emotions.Deploy 50 easy and effective emotion hacks that will enable you to deal with any challenging situation, eg Identify Your Patterns, Avoid Catastrophizing, Pay Attention to Self-directed "Shoulds", Refocus Positively – and many more!
Rooted in psychological research and everyday experience, How to Feel Better Fast will enable you to work with the science of happiness. It's all about establishing healthy emotional small changes that will lead to seismic changes in your state of mind.
224 pages, Paperback
Published January 6, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 24, 2025
2.5-3 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Watkins for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Oh I do love a little self-help book.
This is quite heavy and involved and intense. The first 10% or so if Ryan explaining the science behind emotions and our reactions, touching upon the fight and flight response. I already know a lot about this, but I know this may be new to some. It can feel overwhelming at times but overall I think he's got the right balance. He's written it in a way we can understand but without dumbing it down too much, and it helps make more sense out of the main crux of the book, which is the fifty hacks.
The hacks are split into themed sections, which I thought was good because it means you can just dip in and out when you want, relating to the particular topics you need at that moment.
It's not really a book you pick up and read over to cover like a novel, and I think that was my problem. I sat there and I read it through and I just think it was too intense and negative. He's not negative in the sense that he thinks everything is bad or wrong, but the majority of the hacks he provides are for negative or confusing emotions, and so by reading it in one go, all those negative emotions piled on top of each other and I ended up not enjoying it as much as I think I would if I'd read it bit by bit.
I think it would be helpful for a medical student, particularly those working in mental health or psychiatry, or life coaches. But as a general minion looking for something to read? It was interesting but just a bit too much for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Watkins for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Oh I do love a little self-help book.
This is quite heavy and involved and intense. The first 10% or so if Ryan explaining the science behind emotions and our reactions, touching upon the fight and flight response. I already know a lot about this, but I know this may be new to some. It can feel overwhelming at times but overall I think he's got the right balance. He's written it in a way we can understand but without dumbing it down too much, and it helps make more sense out of the main crux of the book, which is the fifty hacks.
The hacks are split into themed sections, which I thought was good because it means you can just dip in and out when you want, relating to the particular topics you need at that moment.
It's not really a book you pick up and read over to cover like a novel, and I think that was my problem. I sat there and I read it through and I just think it was too intense and negative. He's not negative in the sense that he thinks everything is bad or wrong, but the majority of the hacks he provides are for negative or confusing emotions, and so by reading it in one go, all those negative emotions piled on top of each other and I ended up not enjoying it as much as I think I would if I'd read it bit by bit.
I think it would be helpful for a medical student, particularly those working in mental health or psychiatry, or life coaches. But as a general minion looking for something to read? It was interesting but just a bit too much for me.
November 14, 2025
Dr. Ryan Martin, the self-proclaimed "Anger Professor" due to his last book about managing anger, now tackles anxiety in his newest book "Emotion Hacks: 50 Ways to Feel Better Fast." Martin begins by asserting that learning to manage your emotions will never be accomplished by doing just one big thing. Rather, it will take a lot of small habits that you can complete easily to create a new healthy lifestyle. He says that "having a healthy emotional life is about recognizing what parts of that (thought/emotional) pattern we have some control over and exerting that control when we can." There are certain things we can do before an emotional response ("antecedent focused strategies") and things we can do after the response ("response-focused strategies"). These things/strategies are listed as the following: "situation selection, situation modification, attentional deployment, cognitive change (appraisal), and response modulation."
The author then goes on to list 50 small hacks that the reader can employ. The one that provoked thought in me the most was Hack 18, "Drop the Labels." I appreciated his reminder that when we label or define someone, we stop seeing them as a person and instead they become what we label them as. It was a good reminder, especially in this time period in which our country is so divided. I enjoyed this book and found many helpful ideas. While I wouldn't say these hacks were completely new to me, the author did a good job of laying them out and defining them easily. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
The author then goes on to list 50 small hacks that the reader can employ. The one that provoked thought in me the most was Hack 18, "Drop the Labels." I appreciated his reminder that when we label or define someone, we stop seeing them as a person and instead they become what we label them as. It was a good reminder, especially in this time period in which our country is so divided. I enjoyed this book and found many helpful ideas. While I wouldn't say these hacks were completely new to me, the author did a good job of laying them out and defining them easily. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
January 7, 2026
Martin's book is an easy-to-read, entertaining, and useful book about how to live an examined and less triggered life.
Speed is not the goal here. This is one that is worth slowing down and really grokking the material. It's not esoteric, but we tend to fool ourselves about who we really are. I found myself, at times, reading with the mentality of "Oh, I already do this. I'm good here."
But when I stopped to consider it, I'm not.
The goal is also not total mastery. That would be impossible.
Thoughtful reflection of what resonates most for each reader is the path. That, and a plan to implement the takeaways that will have the most impact.
This is what I recommend:
1. Read it through once for a global relationship with the material.
2. Highlight those hacks that seem like they'd be most useful and those that seem like they'd be most realistic to implement.
3. Review those highlights and pick one to work on.
4. Come back and repeat step three once the previous hack feels more in-hand.
This work doesn't have to be drudgery. It could also be seen as fun or challenging.
Speed is not the goal here. This is one that is worth slowing down and really grokking the material. It's not esoteric, but we tend to fool ourselves about who we really are. I found myself, at times, reading with the mentality of "Oh, I already do this. I'm good here."
But when I stopped to consider it, I'm not.
The goal is also not total mastery. That would be impossible.
Thoughtful reflection of what resonates most for each reader is the path. That, and a plan to implement the takeaways that will have the most impact.
This is what I recommend:
1. Read it through once for a global relationship with the material.
2. Highlight those hacks that seem like they'd be most useful and those that seem like they'd be most realistic to implement.
3. Review those highlights and pick one to work on.
4. Come back and repeat step three once the previous hack feels more in-hand.
This work doesn't have to be drudgery. It could also be seen as fun or challenging.
November 8, 2025
Emotion Hacks: 50 Ways to Feel Better Fast by Dr Ryan Martin wasn’t quite what I expected as it’s far more detailed than I imagined it would be. Each section focuses on a different aspect of our emotions, from mood and stimulus to interpretation and expression, and everything is backed up by solid scientific research.
I recognised many of the strategies in here but also picked up some new and useful ones. It’s clearly written and engaging throughout, though personally I would have preferred a little less detail, but I can see that many readers will appreciate the depth. There are also plenty of helpful extras such as notes, references, and snippets of personal experience that bring the ideas to life.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to just about anyone. It’s the sort of guide you can dip in and out of whenever you need a bit of support or perspective.
I received a free advance copy from NetGalley and Watkins Publishing, and this is my honest review.
I recognised many of the strategies in here but also picked up some new and useful ones. It’s clearly written and engaging throughout, though personally I would have preferred a little less detail, but I can see that many readers will appreciate the depth. There are also plenty of helpful extras such as notes, references, and snippets of personal experience that bring the ideas to life.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to just about anyone. It’s the sort of guide you can dip in and out of whenever you need a bit of support or perspective.
I received a free advance copy from NetGalley and Watkins Publishing, and this is my honest review.
November 9, 2025
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I found the book to be a helpful and practical read full of tips and CBT type reframing tools.
Although I’m very familiar with many therapeutic interventions and tools, I felt, especially for the first half or so of the book, it went in depth into the scientific and research aspect of things which lost me a bit particularly reading on a Kindle. It was useful though how examples and different scenarios we’ll likely face in our lives were provided and how we can approach them with these prompts and tips (or hacks) for a better outcome and it made me reflect a lot and I did appreciate a lot of the humour in the author’s style of writing.
I also felt that I’d possibly benefit more from a physical copy when it’s released, as reading the Kindle version meant I couldn’t highlight pages and make notes to refer back to.
I found the book to be a helpful and practical read full of tips and CBT type reframing tools.
Although I’m very familiar with many therapeutic interventions and tools, I felt, especially for the first half or so of the book, it went in depth into the scientific and research aspect of things which lost me a bit particularly reading on a Kindle. It was useful though how examples and different scenarios we’ll likely face in our lives were provided and how we can approach them with these prompts and tips (or hacks) for a better outcome and it made me reflect a lot and I did appreciate a lot of the humour in the author’s style of writing.
I also felt that I’d possibly benefit more from a physical copy when it’s released, as reading the Kindle version meant I couldn’t highlight pages and make notes to refer back to.
December 1, 2025
I enjoyed reading about how to manage your emotions and I found that this book really helped me. The thing that helped me the most was the five senses approach which I used whenever I felt overly anxious or overwhelmed. Also, for example, sometimes I hate work like I would rather do anything else than go to work (I work in customer service - if you get it you know what I mean) - for me when I feel overwhelmed at work or before work I used to think about how I will feel after work and try to focus on getting through it but I have found after reading this book that it helps in the moment to just breathe and realise that it's not so bad (and think of the money obviously)
Thank you to net galley, Dr. Ryan Martin and Watkins publishing for allowing me to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review
Thank you to net galley, Dr. Ryan Martin and Watkins publishing for allowing me to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is not a quick list of 2 sentence hacks. It goes much more in depth as to how & why.
I really liked the statement that the hacks depend on the situation/circumstances. That there’s no one thing fits all. I think the quote “There is a time and place for negative emotions” is something I certainly needed to hear. So often we tell ourselves that negative emotions are not acceptable when they need to be felt and processed not just pushed down. I think the key to take from this book are the 1st 3 hacks that really explain why you are having the specific emotion: Diagram the Emotion, Identify Your Emotional Patterns and Log Your Moods. But don’t stop there! There are so many more valuable hacks!
A very thorough, useful book. I definitely recommend!
I really liked the statement that the hacks depend on the situation/circumstances. That there’s no one thing fits all. I think the quote “There is a time and place for negative emotions” is something I certainly needed to hear. So often we tell ourselves that negative emotions are not acceptable when they need to be felt and processed not just pushed down. I think the key to take from this book are the 1st 3 hacks that really explain why you are having the specific emotion: Diagram the Emotion, Identify Your Emotional Patterns and Log Your Moods. But don’t stop there! There are so many more valuable hacks!
A very thorough, useful book. I definitely recommend!
October 22, 2025
I liked the way this book was set out with different hacks grouped together as I feel that makes it more accessible in the moment when you need to use one. It is easy to dip in and out of depending on what the reader needs at the time. The background information and real life examples are interesting. I was pleased to see the author acknowledging that not every hack would be available to every reader and it is much more of a toolkit rather than a checklist to work through. It would be useful for people new to the subject who need a bit of knowledge and the hacks. I like the punchy title too, makes you feel complicit in using it somehow!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
***Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***
The "hacks" purported to be in this book consist of pretty basic knowledge, but it is packaged in a conversational, easygoing tone which may make it more approachable to some. I was hoping for at least a few new and illuminating nuggets, but they were not forthcoming. This book is best for those who are just starting out in realizing and addressing the fact that they are living, feeling animals.
The "hacks" purported to be in this book consist of pretty basic knowledge, but it is packaged in a conversational, easygoing tone which may make it more approachable to some. I was hoping for at least a few new and illuminating nuggets, but they were not forthcoming. This book is best for those who are just starting out in realizing and addressing the fact that they are living, feeling animals.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews