Our Optimal Relationships Daily show has strategy advice on a wide range of relationships you might find yourself in: dating, marriage, online dating, and breakup recovery. We also feature parenting advice towards the end of the week. This list of free relationship eBooks and PDFs will help you create better social connections in your personal life.
We’ve also put together a list of free personal development, personal finance, small business, parenting, and health eBooks.
Some of the eBooks on this list require you to sign up for a newsletter. You can unsubscribe if you don’t find the content valuable or useful. Some of the PDFs are short guides and fewer than ten pages, but still helpful in terms of having a quick checklist or rundown of important points.
The short summary provides a bit more info on the eBook's or PDF's contents.
Browse to see which relationship topics appeal to you the most!
Free Relationship eBooks and PDFs
1. “10 Secrets to Love Successfully” by Samantha Burns
Link: Website | Download PDF (sign up for PDF)
Marriage counselor Samantha Burns shares some of her tips for you to cultivate a happy and empowered love life. Years of research and therapeutic techniques have been distilled into this free eBook. You’ll benefit from Samantha’s coaching experience with helping clients achieve better insight and knowledge of their relationships.
2. “Characteristics of a Healthy, Functional Romantic Relationship” by Campbell University
Link: Website | Download PDF
This 2-page handout summarizes the strong foundation you need for a healthy and functional relationship. A healthy relationship is based on mutual respect instead of power or control.
The traits listed in these columns vary starkly from the characteristics of a dysfunctional and unhealthy relationship. Keep these tips in mind if you find yourself getting into toxic relationships more often than not.
3. “Winning the Dating Game” by Maitre D’ate and Happy Ever After
Link: Website | Download PDF
Maitre D’ate is a matchmaking and dating concierge agency in Hong Kong, and Happy Ever After is a dating consultancy that offers relationship coaching services for individuals seeking long-lasting love. This eBook is packed with advice on how to have more fun in your journey of finding a lasting love. Its goal is to simplify dating and help you focus on the types of people who you could explore a potential relationship with.
4. “What Makes a Relationship Healthy?” by Dr. Judy Kuriansky
Link: Website | Download PDF
Dr. Judy Kuriansky, or “Dr. Judy,” is a clinical psychologist. She's also the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to a Healthy Relationship. This PDF contains the first chapter of the book, with 12 signs of an unhealthy relationship and the five T's, A's, L's, and E's that make for a great relationship.
5. “What is a Healthy Marriage?” by NCAAMP
Link: Website | Download PDF
This 2-page handout was the first in a series of informational brochures provided by the National Center on African American Marriages and Parenting (NCAAMP) at Hampton University.
The pamphlet shares ten key elements of a healthy marriage, with a nice introduction on how a healthy marriage is a continual process requiring effort, a positive attitude, and realistic expectations.
6. “Couple Relationships: Communication and Conflict Resolution” by MSU Extension
Link: Website | Download PDF
A relationship can't be expected to be perfectly smooth-sailing all the time. How you communicate with your partner and accept or acknowledge each other's differences is a big part of conflict resolution. These are skills that help prevent an argument from escalating into something irreparable.
The short handout details how competing with your partner during an argument does not help when solve the problem, and how a negative attitude is also non-conducive to keeping the peace.
7. “Healthy Dating Leads to Healthy Marriage” via The Dibble Institute
Link: Website | Download PDF
As the PDF guide states: “The foundation of healthy marriages is largely shaped by choices and experiences in adolescence and early adulthood.” What are predictors of a healthy marriage, and how do you build positive bonds throughout a long-term commitment? This short guide shows how.
8. “Treat Yo'Self” by Claire Michelson
Link: Website | Download PDF
This is a beautifully formatted self-help workbook with Inspirational poems and art. You can also work through fun and thoughtful self-care activities to come to a better relationship with your own self. You'll also be gently led on a reflective journey to create a kinder self-perception.
9. “The Self-Care Handbook” Dr. Ken Druck
Link: Website | Download PDF
Dr. Druck is a leading mental health expert who focuses on civility and relationships. In this handbook, he explains why self-care is a big deal, before giving an overview of common saboteurs like being in a controlling relationship or allowing negative emotions like shame and guilt to hold yourself down. He also goes through seven keys for mastering a self-care plan that is right for you.
10. “Surviving A Relationship Break-Up” by Dr. Kim Maertz
Link: Website | Download PDF
In this 7-page handout, psychologist Dr. Kim Maertz goes through twenty practical strategies on getting through a difficult breakup. Learn how to help yourself be emotionally strong and what to avoid doing so that you optimize your healing process.
11. “How to Move On After a Breakup” by Katia Loisel
Link: Website | Download PDF (signup required)
If you feel like you can't go on anymore after a broken heart, this guide will share suggestions on what you can do to help clear your mind and avoid repeating the same mistakes in future. Author Katia Loisel is an internationally recognized Dating, Relationship and Body Language Expert, with a “How To” series on dating and kissing that's received over 12 million views on YouTube.
Bonus #1: Breakup Recovery Course by LovesAGame.com
Link: Website | Enroll in Course
Eddie Corbano is a leading breakup recovery expert. This breakup recovery mini-course will be sent to you via email, where you'll learn how to transform after a bitter breakup. Stop obsessing about your ex and take steps to stop running into the same type of partner in future.
P.S. You can check out episodes of Eddie Corbano's blogs that we've narrated here on ORD!
Bonus #2: Optimal StartUp Daily (Podcast)
Listen: Optimal Relationships Daily
If you're new to Optimal Relationships Daily, that's where we narrate some of the web's best relationship content. It's free, you can listen at a time that's most convenient for you, and you can improve your business knowledge in as little as ten minutes per day.
Let us know if you come across any other free eBooks that you'd like to share, or if there are any other relationship bloggers that we should look into!
