The Bachelor’s Clayton Echard has shared the exciting news that he has officially released his new book, 180 Degrees.
Clayton, who first appeared on Michelle Young’s season of The Bachelorette, gave the franchise another go as last year’s leading man.
While he may have had a messy end to his season, further leading to an attempted relationship and breakup with Susie Evans, Clayton has been using his time post-show to reflect on how his past experiences have shaped him.
The 29-year-old shared the book reveal on his Instagram page, telling followers that the project has been in the works for eight months.
The book, titled 180 Degrees: On Mental Health, Mindfulness, and Unlocking Self-Belief, dives into Clayton’s relationship and struggles with his mental journey since childhood.
The book is currently available for purchase on Amazon for $13.99.
Clayton Echard explains the process behind writing his new book,180 Degrees
In the announcement, Clayton explained that he wrote 180 Degrees primarily for himself, as it was “therapeutic” for him to write about his mental health journey.
“It was long overdue for me to address all the jumbled-up thoughts in my head and begin to untangle them little by little,” the former Bachelor explained.
“I also created it in hopes of helping others find their own self-love, self-belief, confidence to open up and begin having necessary conversations centered around mental health, and most importantly…a sense of peace that they are not alone,” he continued.
Clayton noted the importance of helping others with their struggles, hoping his book would inspire others to share their own stories and understand that there is a “brighter path ahead and it’s waiting for you to traverse it.”
Regarding book sales, Clayton also said he will donate half of the proceeds to a mental health organization.
While Clayton may be most known for his time in the Bachelor franchise, furthermore his past relationship with Susie, Clayton now focuses his online content to center around his workout routines and opening up the conversation around mental health.
Clayton Echard has been a strong mental health advocate since The Bachelor
Although Clayton may have seemed confident as the leading man of The Bachelor Season 26, there is always more than meets the eye.
One look at Clayton’s Instagram page shows multiple videos of him speaking out about the growth of his mental state, most recently depicting the connection between mindfulness and happiness.
Clayton has also admitted to seeking external validation, claiming he had always hoped to turn that form of acceptance into self-love.
While he explained how that perception forced him to constantly compare himself to others as a child, he learned that giving himself internal validation was the only thing that gave him the result he had sought for so long.
And, despite the many shirtless shower shots viewers got to see during his season, Clayton has admitted to struggling with body dysmorphia over the years.
The fitness guru recently shared a photo of him in middle school, saying he was ashamed of how his body looked and thought he “looked fat.” However, while Clayton said that he has learned to better manage his body dysmorphia over the years, he’s still “not sure it’s something you ever truly overcome.”
Clayton’s ex-girlfriend Susie Evans supports his new book
Although Susie and Clayton didn’t exactly end the season together, they announced that they had rekindled their relationship during the season’s After The Final Rose.
Though the two seemed to be going strong after the show, they officially announced their breakup in September of last year, claiming the decision was painful to make.
However, the two still continue to support each other, with Susie even sharing a screenshot to show that she had purchased Clayton’s book immediately after he released it.
“Super proud of @claytonechard,” she wrote in the IG Story, even adding a link for followers to purchase a copy themselves.
Susie continued to explain that Clayton had started writing the book while they were still together.
“I can genuinely say it gives you so much insight into who he is and the goodness he has in his heart,” she continued. “Everytime we catch up it reminds me what a good person he is and how grateful I am to have spent time with him in this life.”
While it’s not uncommon to see couples from the Bachelor franchise part ways, it’s always nice to see them supporting each other from the sidelines.
Fans of the former Bachelor can click here to purchase his new book.
The Bachelor airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.