Maybe This Will Help: How to Feel Better When Things Stay the Sa,: How to Feel Better When Things Stay the Same

by Michelle Rial

A visual pep talk of charts and essays on feeling better about not feeling better.

Maybe This Will Help is one part the funny and relatable graphs that fans of Am I Overthinking This? and of Michelle Rial know and love, and one part the honest stories behind what makes those graphs so poignant. Michelle Rial brings to light her struggles with chronic pain, grief, and creative uncertainty in a way that reflects the universality of dealing with the unthinkable. Equal parts funny and moving, this book delves into the more serious side of things, finding levity and collective experience in the invisible difficulties that so many of us face. Through humorous charts and intimate peeks into the author's life, it explores the big things that can feel unmanageable and the everyday humor that keeps us moving forward.

SELF-HELP WITH This book brings levity and laughter to serious topics without undermining the important message and relatability that makes it resonate.

BELOVED Michelle Rial's first book was beloved by her tens of thousands of fans as well as by the media, including Wired, Vulture, Book Riot —and the New Yorker even published her chart-based article on "Book Publishing by the Numbers."

JUST THE RIGHT This book perfectly captures trying to figure out the "magic pill" that will fix things, struggling to find peace in how things are, and the humor in even the hardest times. It makes an ideal gift for someone struggling with physical or mental pain when you want to help but aren't sure how to.

Perfect Fans of Michelle Rial's Instagram and first book, Am I Overthinking This? ; people in their 20s and 30s grappling with big life changes or chronic illness

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Mental Health, Art, Comics, Graphic Novels

160 pages, Hardcover

Published November 23, 2021

About the author

Michelle Rial was born in Santa Cruz, CA to Venezuelan immigrants who really loved The Beatles' song "Michelle." You may have seen her illustrations, writing, or charts on The New Yorker, BuzzFeed, Fast Company, WIRED, Refinery29, and elsewhere on the internet.

She has been publishing charts online for over a decade and was named by Vulture as one of "9 of the Funniest Cartoonists and Illustrators on Instagram" in 2019.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be wonderful and uplifting. . Anyone dealing with a chronic condition will find themselves within its pages. The charts and graphs/visualizations along with the vibrant colors and imagination drew me even further. Absolutely fantastic!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Chronicle Books, and Michelle Rial for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art and humor can not only be great coping strategies, but can help other more easily understand how much a condition r circumstance can affect someone's life. This slim volume packs a big emotional impact, as the graphs and illustrations of Rial's challenges with chronic pain and living her life are both funny and very affecting. Maybe a graph is a way to keep her own pain at a distance, but for me it was a way to better understand a situation and condition I don't have.

**Thanks to the artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read for folks who have chronic pain and illness or those who want to understand that world. I found myself skimming it because I didn't really enjoy it for my own reasons. Over the years I worked hard to overcome quite a number of chronic pain and illnesses. I have been diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (now known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), Epstein Barr, chronic daily migraines, chronic neck pain and a seizure condition, among other things. At its worst in my early 30's I was so weak I didn't have the strength to stand to brush my teeth and I lived with a great deal of daily pain. I was able to overcome my pain and fatigue through a lot of healthy living changes. I can't change my blood or my brain so I will always technically have some of these, but I now live mainly pain-free, have a lot of energy and am on no medications. The book makes frequent mention of all of the things people have suggested to her and I understand that people with chronic pain and illness get tired of hearing that they should try this or that, but if I hadn't listened and tried so many times I would not have been able to the point where now at 52 I feel healthier and more energetic than decades ago. A lot of that stuff did work for me, though it took time, and I'm glad people suggested them to me. Also, I just didn't like putting my head back in that place. As hokey as it seems, things like affirmations have helped me and I didn't like focusing on so much negative even in a positive way (if that makes sense). All that said, it is a positive and supportive book and the art is really colorful and lovely.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Bon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my jam. I missed the "visual pep talk" part of the summary, and that part translated badly to a kindle version. The font would change size and style, I guess to continue the visual quirkiness, and that did not work for me at all. It was jarring and unhelpful, I didn't take much in at all.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book that I felt just ok about.

The author opens up about living with chronic pain and losing her father to cancer through reflections and fun charts + infographics. It's a creative way of talking about difficult/complex topics in a more digestible manner for the everyday reader, even though I didn't always 'get' the illustration. Nevertheless, this was quite an illuminating read about chronic pain and grief.

[Emily McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am hesitant to read books about chronic illness/disability because…well ya know I’m living it!!! I prefer reading to be an escape from that reality.

BUT, this book was gentle and safe in so many ways! My life & best/worst experiences & anger & pain & anxiety & deepest fears & tiny shreds of hope were all over these pages.

I feel grateful to 1) be given this book by a friend who cares about understanding my experiences and 2) have this resource now to share with others when I simply don’t have the words or energy to describe how I’m feeling!!!

[KP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a dataviz engineer. It is a great collection of colourful infographics which convey the author's battles, criticism, anecdotes and coping mechanisms.

I love how the author offers suggestions on dealing with grief, anger, sadness and anxiety - suggestions that make it easy to take an action to ease the suffering. She doesn't try to convince one to let go of those feelings, rather she gives simple pointers to deal with them. Which is why I really liked the book. I mean, the milk is already spilt. At such a time, instead of receiving an advice on how to be careful next time, or understand why it is spilt, the best thing one can do is clean up the mess or contain it. Which is why I give this book 5 stars.

Plus the colours. The creativity. <3

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

You might like this book if you:
- have chronic pain
- are grieving
- enjoy unique and creative charts

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon finishing this book I find myself full of contentment. Like everything is just ok. And that's just fine.

As someone who has chronic pains and someone who went through losing a loved one, I found a lot of comfort in this book. I felt seen, understood and relieved that someone finally managed to put into words or charts what it really feels like, all while staying very close to reality and the nuances it brings with it.

This book is like a warm hug and the best part is, when you have it, you can reach for your warm hug anytime you want. Would recommend buying this physically since you will want to look at the graphics and charts over and over again!

For me, it had the same kind of vibe as 'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse' by Charlie Mackesy. It gives you a new perspective on things you already knew. It shows how to be kinder to yourself and is great in making you feel like you are actually not doing so bad in life.

Would recommend to anyone who feels lost sometimes but especially to people dealing with chronic pains and the loss of a loved one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chronicle Books and Michelle Rial for granting this opportunity to read and review this book. I absolutely loved it!

[Marica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated with insightful essays throughout, this book is fantastic. As a fan of the author, I preordered this book expecting funny charts and was not expecting such a raw glimpse of her grief, chronic pain, and turbulent well being. It was poignant and relatable.

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little book that caught my attention because it talked about dealing with chronic pain. It has some prose sections, but it's mostly graphs and drawings relating to life and pain. Some of the graphs are simply genius and the prose is very touching and relatable and with a few pieces of interesting advice. I liked it.

[Rosalyn]

DNF @ about 50%. She really lost me when she said no one likes slideshows... I don't need that kinda attitude in my life.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard so many people were disappointed with this book in comparison to the first and i couldnt disagree more.This book is beautiful and a welcome addition, partner, to the first. While Michelle’s first book was more general and touched on specific but more universal themes, this book touched specifically on Michelle’s experience and life, in particular dealing with grief, chronic pain, growing older and the harder things most of us do experience. I found both her narrative and then the lighthearted but very real exploration of her thoughts and feelings through her signature diagrams to be so cathartic. Paraphrasing the words of artist Mark Rothko, who said “The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them,” I could feel that making this work was a release of sorts for the author; while also as a consumer purging and exploring my own griefs and turmoils and feeling okay about it.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronic pain is the fucking pits. This book helped me feel less alone.

[Zainab Shalaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It’s a dream. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

The book is filled with colorful charts that revolve around chronic pain and grief. It’s enjoyable and light. The charts are punctuated with short personal commentary throughout the book.

For the first time in forever, I found a book that describes me. The chronic pain part of me relates to it. The artistic part of me does too. I adored the watercolor charts. They were all incredible, funny, relatable, and creative.

It felt like I was the one writing this book. The similarity of the experience was heartwarming. The book made me feel heard in a society that doesn’t recognize chronic pain. I felt believed. I also appreciated the reminders in the middle of the book so that I don’t tense up.

The thing that caught me off guard was the colored ice cubes. It was ingenious. INGENIOUS. It’s the perfect book for reminding everyone to take it easy and to stay hopeful.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Life is pain,” says the Man in Black in The Princess Bride. But some people are in more pain than others. Take, for example, Michelle Rial, who has been in chronic pain since she injured her neck and her foot as a teenager. She has an autoimmune disorder, and she’s grieving for the loss of her father to terminal lung cancer. But most of the time, she still gets out of bed and tries to do some work, and she has written Maybe This Will Help in an attempt to, you know, help.

Rial knows that there is no One Right Way to Heal or a magical drink that will cure everything that’s wrong with you. But she also knows that sometimes drinking more water can help, or finding a more comfortable position on the sofa, or going to the doctor 6 times (because for some reason it takes 6 visits for them to find the right diagnosis). She knows what it’s like to get non-helpful but well-meaning advice for everything from an alkaline diet to acupuncture to going back to school giving up sugar.

She tells her stories of pain and hope, of family and of self, of facing her challenges and spending too much time scrolling on her phone. And in between these stories are graphics she’s created that also tell her story. With lovely charts and clever uses of everyday objects, she shares her visual representations of things like Types of Brain Fog, or “I’m Not a Hypochondriac” Bingo, or It Might Help to Stop and Breathe (complete with a diagram that makes a stop sign in the center).

With her words and her illustrations, she asks important questions. How do you believe in yourself and your art when nothing is original? How do you keep creating when you know someone else will always be better than you? At what point does anxiety hold you back? Can you ever really be in control? How many candles can you light before it becomes a real fire hazard? What kind of drink do I need right now to feel better?

Rial is real about her struggles, her pain, and her sacrifices. She was in pain when she started writing Maybe This Will Help, and she is still in pain today. But she has learned to respect her pain, to speak up for her needs, to do work that helps her feel good when she can and to give herself breaks when she needs them. She is honest about who she is and who she isn’t. She may not know how to fix the pain in her neck, but she knows how to pick out a comfy couch. She knows that becoming a hat person can be easier than working so hard to straighten you hair. And she knows that the Beatles had a lot of good relationship advice.

But most of all, she knows how we need to talk about our pain. Those around us may not completely understand our pain, but they can help us anyway. They can carry some of the weight of it. The can offer us snacks. They can help with the laundry, break down the boxes, tell us when we’re overreacting, or take us to the dog park.

Maybe This Will Help is a lovely, painful, honest acknowledgement that life doesn’t always turn out the way we plan. And it’s an affirmation that that is okay. I loved the honesty and creativity of this book. I am not someone who feels chronic physical pain, but I have anxiety, which comes with its own chronic uncertainty. As I read this book, I felt seen and understood, and it made me want to buy a copy of this book for everyone I know who is in physical pain or emotional pain or is dealing with grief, and I couldn’t think of someone I didn’t need to give this book to. It is lovely and inspiring and heart-breaking and wonderful, and I recommend it to anyone who is alive because I think it will help you too.

Egalleys for Maybe This Will Help were provided by Chronicle Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks.

[Kastie Pavlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend gave/lent this to me after she read it and found many things resonating with her. The author talks straight and candidly, intermixing humor with her grief and pain. The book covers a large mix of painful life struggles from dealing with chronic pain to losing a parent to cancer (and the stress of caretaking for both), as well as living as the child of immigrant parents. I did see myself in many of her narratives and graphs, and laughed at one that ended with "unclench your jaw now," because, sure enough, my jaw was firmly clenched. 😅 It's very much a book that let's you feel seen and heard, and allows you to laugh at the little things the chronic pain/loss/etc community knows so intimately well that healthy people have the fortune of not knowing, but, if you have such a person in your life who wants to understand you better, this would be a way to ease them in. It's not going to answer every question or tell them every scenario, but it's a fun way to start a difficult conversation. For me, I connected with the grief and illness aspects, but not the immigrant parent stuff. In that regard, I wish the book was a bit more focused in, because I'd like to understand that more, but going into detail isn't this book's job. You, the reader, are supposed to be in on the joke, and if you're not, then you may not get it. So, in that way, it tackles a tad too much, but it's still relatable. I appreciate the author for sharing her struggles and writing a book that speaks to me in a language I'm all too familiar with.

[G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally bought this as a potential Christmas gift to a young impressionable relative, because I love giving interesting books as presents to the young and especially to the impressionable. However, my wife said it was probably age-inappropriate, just like I am. So we ended up giving it to me, since I am still impressionable and, at times, seriously inappropriate.
It's a very cleverly illustrated book about coping with problems and dealing with those times when life goes "completely sideways" which can sometimes seem like every other day.
I'm happy to have given it to myself, even though I ruined the surprise for the clueless me.
This book is filled with simple and positive advice about coping with things that have careened away from your uncertain control, as in "Life's daily arrows and slings. Every page has clever graphics that make a person think about getting ahead by "Drawing Skippy" and adding their own life events to the problems that need some attention. Nothing dire or life threatening, just skewed understandings and bent intention. These pages and charts can help to put things away in the right folders and Tupperware containers. You might want to check with a loved one before you peel off the price tag, wrap it up, and gently place it under the tree, anytime around Christmas. Before is best.

[Bethany Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Note: This is a review of an Advanced Reader Copy provided through NetGalley*

"A visual pep talk of charts and essays on feeling better about not feeling better.

Michelle Rial, author of Am I Overthinking This?, brings to light her struggles with chronic pain, grief, and creative uncertainty in a way that reflects the universality of dealing with the unthinkable.

Equal parts funny and moving, this book delves into the more serious side of things, finding levity and collective experience in the invisible difficulties that so many of us face.

Through humorous charts and intimate peeks into the author's life, it explores the big things that can feel unmanageable and the everyday humor that keeps us moving forward."

Maybe this Will Help is the tiny therapy session anyone with chronic pain, grief, depression, or self doubt should add to their bookshelf. A blend of essays and illustrations, Maybe This Will Help is the lighthearted look at ourselves we all need. Rial is vulnerable in a way that connects and the illustrations are relatable and yet humorous. As a therapist, I will be purchasing a copy for my office and encouraging coworkers and clients to get their own copies as well!

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author shares her thoughts and experiences through infographic and comical style of writing. It is rather more of a collection of Instagram-styled posts combined with prose of the author’s story, which makes this a very easy read. Each infographic focuses on a specific message about pain, symptoms of pain, letting go, coping mechanisms, feelings and so forth. I found the book very relatable and felt like someone out there understands pain as I do, This book has been inspiring and it reminded me of important life lessons that I have forgotten, so thank you!

It is important to note that the second half of this book focuses on grief; so if you have never lost a beloved someone, this my not be the right book for you. Nevertheless, grief comes in many forms and people who have gone through other forms of grief (that is not death) may find this book helpful too.

I happened to see this book while browsing #NetGalley and realised that it is by the same author of one of the books of my to-read list “Am I Overthinking This?”. Happily I decided to get a review copy of this book “Maybe This Will Help”. Looking forward to reading her first book!

#MaybeThisWillHelp

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Michelle Rial’s first book, Am I Overthinking This?: Over-answering life's questions in 101 charts, will be sure to enjoy her newest book, Maybe This Will Help: How to Feel Better When Things Stay the Same. She has done a really nice job with creating a new installment of her hugely popular infographics which evoke humor and comfort in the heart of the reader.

The structure of the book is similar to her first. It cycles between really funny & creative charts, graphs, diagrams and written words that go into detail about how the author and people she cares about have struggled with the chronic pain and how this is relatable to the reader. You get the feeling you aren’t alone in your struggles and get a chuckle which is very therapeutic.

Here are some of my favorite hilarious parts:

Infographics
“Why is it always six visits?”
“Everyday is chronic pain awareness day (if you have it)”
“Referral Fatigue”
“Maybe one day I will break out of this”

Article
“Have you tried”

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Karma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very easy to read book.

I have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and it is very important for me to keep reading to keep my mind off things. Easy to read books help.

I love books which have charts and pictures and abstract art. This one had it in spades.

It is about living in chronic pain but also about life in general. There are many things that resonated with me and as someone who has been suffering from pain from three months (hopefully it will go away soon), I can already resonate with so many things that the author mentioned.

My favourite was, of course, about chaos and how small things can lead to such big outcomes. It is important to understand that life can be meaningful with everything going wrong as well.

I would recommend this to everyone.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. It doesn't impact my opinion at all.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dumb.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. From the author's bio: "She has been publishing charts online for over a decade and was named by Vulture as one of "9 of the Funniest Cartoonists and Illustrators on Instagram" in 2019. " I was hoping it would be funnier.

The book alternated between a series of charts and graphics and short chapters of prose. I didn't like either. Some of the graphics were visually interesting, but that is as deep as they went. Once you started poking at them they were almost universally silly in an unfunny way. Like a dad joke that isn't bad enough to be funny.

The prose was mostly autobiographical and frequently featured the author's struggle with chronic pain. I think chronic pain is real and hope she finds relief. I just don't find it an interesting subject and her writing didn't liven it up much.

[aqilahreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝗪𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏: 𝐇𝐎𝗪 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝗪𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐄 // rounding this up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. a small illustrated visual book with relatable proses, focusing on dealing with chronic pain and grief.⁣
⁣
tbh the cover on this really caught my eye and there are times where i would feel like reading a book that is not entirely all words so i felt that this was a right book to pick up. i really enjoyed the infographics + art in this one even though there were some parts that didnt resonate well with me. 😅 maybe bc i have read a few of similar topics and expected a lot more from this one. ⁣
⁣
still would recommend this to everyone especially if you would like something easy to read yet at the same time would like to be reminded of a few important life lessons 💫 some readers will definitely find this more helpful. 🙇‍♂️✨⁣

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mixture of sarcasm and then vulnerable honesty paints a picture of Ms. Rial’s ways of dealing with the experience of pain in a way that shows an honest look at what perseverance looks like. The graphs and visuals were very witty, and her memoir portions portray life in very real- human form.

I’m happy she was able to write this book and share at least a part of what her experience is like, because I’m sure it’s very isolating to have to deal with chronic pain but be expected to carry on with life as usual. Thanks to her for writing this book! And I hope anyone struggling with a chronic condition could feel some type of solidarity from this book- another reasons why I’m happy this book exists!

[Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book that also made me feel less alone in my battles with multiple chronic health conditions. The charts ranged from funny to heartwarming, and I appreciated the author opening up about what her and her family went through when her father was dying of cancer. My favorite of the charts was the one about being asked if you have tried something, with one of the answers being, "Yes, and I'm pretty sure it's a cult." Seriously people, if you ever want to find some secret cults, let the world at large know you have some rare and/or difficult to treat health condition.

This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the way this author wove her sad story with chronic pain into this beautiful book with charts and graphs and art. Even though the charts were humorous and light, the message of the book is anything but. The suffering is palpable and made me feel so much empathy for the author and I really admired her skill of being able to balance the light and heavy. I really loved the combination of the visuals and the text.

with gratitude to edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could put the "I'm in this photo and I don't like it" meme in this review, I totally would, except I love this book. Somehow, over on the other side of the ocean, Michelle has experienced so many of the things I have experienced and expressed her thoughts and feelings about them in the most eloquent way. If you can get this as a paper book, definitely do that because lol the layout of the ebook is a bit weird but maybe that just how things are. Charts are better when you can touch them, but still feel like a look inside my heart even when you cannot smell the paper.

[Josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love infographics and art. This was the perfect combination of stories the author tells about her own life and artsy infographics on topics such as chronic pain and feeling overloaded to name a couple. I love the use of wet on wet watercolor. It makes me want to pull out my watercolors right now. This was the perfect book for me, especially when dealing with chronic pain issues. I really resonated with so much of it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindie Usevich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully presented quick read that gave me some insight and some comfort as I read. The author shares her experiences living with chronic pain and the frustrations that she has gone through trying to find treatment and having to listen to everyone's advice. I can certainly relate to this and I enjoyed seeing someone else's perspective. I would recommend this to anyone suffering from depression, chronic pain, anxiety, trauma or grief. The graphics are beautiful, funny, introspective, and real.