Books To Help You Cope With Anxiety
by Editorial Staff
Whether you’re officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or trying to handle the excess of nerves and uncertainties that have you down, we’d like to share a reading list with you. From practical guides on combating anxiety to spiritual narratives about finding calm to volumes that look at common contemporary stressors, the books below are chosen for their variety. Whatever your approach, philosophy, or ethos, we think you’ll find something here to help you cope.
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Add to BookshelfBeyond Anxiety
byMartha Beck
InBeyond Anxiety, Dr. Martha Beck explains why anxiety is skyrocketing around you, and likely within you. Using a combination of the latest neuroscience as well as her background in sociology and coaching, Beck explains how our brains tend to get stuck in an “anxiety spiral,” a feedback system that can increase anxiety indefinitely. To climb out, we must engage different parts of our nervous system — the parts involved in creativity. Beck provides instructions for engaging the “creativity spiral,” in a process that not only shuts down anxiety but leads to innovative problem solving, a sense of meaning and purpose, and joyful, intimate connection with others — and with the world.Add to BookshelfHardcover
$30.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Lighter
byYung Pueblo
Yung Pueblo’s path to deep healing began only after years of drug abuse had taken a toll on his mind and body. Searching for a way forward, he found that by honestly examining and addressing the anxieties and fears that he had been running away from, he no longer felt like a stranger inside of his heart and mind. InLighter, Yung Pueblo demonstrates how we can all move forward in our healing, from learning self-compassion to letting go to becoming emotionally mature. As the heaviness falls away, our minds will finally stop feeling overburdened with tension and we’ll be able to reconnect with the present. And the world around us will hopefully become more inviting in crisp and newly vibrant ways.Add to BookshelfHardcover
$26.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Stillness Is the Key
byRyan Holiday
Many people find themselves overwhelmed with the pace of present-day living. Not surprising, what with a news cycle that turns over so fast we miss half of what’s going on, social media feeds constantly updating, and capitalist expectations of fast, nonstop work. In this new book, Ryan Holiday looks at the power and necessity of slowing down. Drawing on examples from history, he charts a way for readers to find stillness, too.Add to BookshelfHardcover
$27.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Big Activity Book for Anxious People
byJordan Reid andErin Williams
When you’re awake late at night with spiraling worries, or when you can’t get going on work because you’re anxious, that’s when this book comes in handy. Full of centering activities, lists of soothing facts about common concerns, and mantras to memorize, this book is both useful and funny (laughter, after all, is a great stress reliever).Add to BookshelfPaperback
$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Panic Proof
byDr. Nicole Cain
Panic Proof offers a holistic approach to dealing with panic disorders, amounting to a personalized path to freedom for the millions of people who have had panic attacks. While other books have focused on the thoughts that contribute to panic,Panic Proofis the first book to teach thebody that it’s safe in order to prevent panic before it attacks, with remedies ranging from probiotics, herbal remedies, and adaptogens targeted for your anxiety type to healing practices for releasing trauma stored in the body.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$19.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Homecoming
byThema Bryant, Ph.D.
In the aftermath of stress, disappointment, and trauma, people often fall into survival mode, even while a part of them longs for more. Juggling multiple demands and responsibilities keeps them busy, but not healed. As a survivor of sexual assault, racism, and evacuation from a civil war in Liberia, Dr. Thema Bryant knows intimately the work involved in healing. Having made the journey herself, in addition to guiding others as a clinical psychologist and ordained minister, Dr. Thema shows you how to reconnect with your authentic self and reclaim your time, your voice, your life.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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How We Learn to Be Brave
byMariann Edgar Budde
The decisive moments in life are those pivot points when we’re called on to push past our fears and act with strength. WithHow We Learn to Be Brave, Bishop Mariann Budde teaches us to respond with clarity and grace even in the toughest times. Being brave is not a singular occurrence; it’s a journey that we can choose to undertake every day. With Bishop Budde’s wisdom, readers will learn to live and to respond according to their true beliefs and in ways that align with their best selves.How We Learn to Be Brave will provide much-needed fortitude and insight to anyone searching for answers in uncertain times.Add to BookshelfHardcover
$28.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Peace from Anxiety
byHala Khouri
Therapist and yoga teacher Hala Khouri takes us on a journey to investigate our personal habits, understand our lives, and transform what doesn’t serve us. Even though the roots of our anxiety, stress, and pain may feel complicated, healing doesn’t have to be. Filled with relatable stories and examples, each chapter offers a range of practices and tools to help us find more peace and work for good in our own lives and the lives of others.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$17.95Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Light We Give
bySimran Jeet Singh
As a boy growing up in South Texas, Simran Jeet Singh and his brothers confronted racism daily. Despite the prejudice and hate he faced, he refused to give in to negativity. Instead, Singh delved deep into the Sikh teachings that he grew up with and embraced the lessons to seek the good in every person and situation and to find positive ways to direct his energy. These Sikh tenets of love and service to others have empowered him to forge a life of connection and a commitment to justice. Part memoir, part spiritual journey,The Light We Give is a transformative book of hope that shows how each of us can turn away from fear and uncertainty and move toward renewal and positive change.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Backyard Bird Chronicles
byAmy Tan
In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Amy Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater — an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.Add to BookshelfHardcover
$36.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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How to Breathe
byAshley Neese
Breathwork is the term commonly used to describe conscious, controlled breathing patterns that can help shift your focus, alter your state of mind, and calm your body. Breathwork practitioner and teacher Ashley Neese collects 25 practices she’s created for different needs, each with a desired outcome, like Letting Go, Negative Thinking, Unwind, Sleep, and more. Keep this near you, practice in times of stress, and learn to breathe.Add to BookshelfHardcover
$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal
byRandy E. Kamen, EdD
Practiced regularly, gratitude rewires your brain to be more optimistic, flexible, and joyful, while simultaneously reducing stress and anxiety, building resilience to adversity, and strengthening your immune system, cardiac health, sleep hygiene, and more. These many positive changes to your health and well-being are “the gratitude effect,” and because these effects are cumulative, the more you practice gratitude, the greater its impact over time. With The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal, you’ll engage your brain’s neuroplasticity to reshape your worldview — and retrain your brain for greater joy, resiliency, and personal empowerment.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$13.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Second Mountain
byDavid Brooks
The U.S. is a country that has always praised individualism above the might of the collective, which is ironic, really, when considering its foundation required cooperation, compromise, and community. David Brooks, a conservative New York Times columnist, returns to the idea of community in this book, where he examines the joy that can be found once we let go of purely selfish concerns and work for and with others.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Silent Agreements
byLinda D. Anderson, PhD,Sonia R. Banks, PhD andMichele L. Owens, PhD
Whether it’s knowing to tip your server or to ignore your phone while a friend is telling you something serious, there are plenty of seemingly unspoken rules that govern how we behave. Such social contracts are deeply ingrained in us when we’re brought up, and they can lead us to avoid conflict, even the productive and necessary kind. These psychologists help point them out and show us how to have more productive, open conversations.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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52 Lists for Calm
byMoorea Seal
Develop well-being and peace of mind through the calming practice of list-making. This lovely journal features 52 inspiring list prompts— one for each week of the year—to help you focus on self-care, compassion, and acceptance to overcome stress and anxiety.Add to BookshelfStationery & Accessories
$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Notes on a Nervous Planet
byMatt Haig
Matt Haig has been there—as an adult, he developed anxiety, depression, and a panic disorder. One way he sought control in the face of these mental illnesses was by trying to understand them and what might have contributed to his development of them. In his newest book, he examines how the societies we live in, full of advanced technology and capitalist systems, might be making us all unhappier, and how we can subtly change things.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Vagus Nerve Deck
byMelissa Romano
A deck with 75 accessible exercises for toning the vagus nerve to manage symptoms related to stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and auto-immune discomfort. Informed by polyvagal theory, these exercises focus on creating a sense of calm, vitality, and connection — inspiring a deeper feeling of safety while activating the body’s natural ability to restore balance.Add to BookshelfCards
$22.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Art of the Wasted Day
byPatricia Hampl
Many of us don’t know how to let go of productivity and simply enjoy our mind’s internal musings, but Patricia Hampl, a lover of solitude, has gone to the other extreme. Seeking out the houses and places where famously solitary people spent their time in leisurely thought, she muses through her own life and theirs, finding richness in the surprising places her mind takes her, and she invites readers along to try it out, too.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Wisdom of Insecurity
byAlan Watts
Alan Watts draws on the wisdom of Eastern philosophy and religion in this timeless and classic guide to living a more fulfilling life. His central insight is more relevant now than ever: when we spend all of our time worrying about the future and lamenting the past, we are unable to enjoy the present moment—the only one we are actually able to inhabit. Watts offers the liberating message that true certitude and security come only from understanding that impermanence and insecurity are the essence of our existence.Add to BookshelfPaperback
$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Power of Unwavering Focus
byDandapani
Anxiety, stress, worry, and fear—these are the mental maladies that literally plague us, contributing not only to our growing unhappiness but also to physical ailments such as heart disease and obesity when left unmanaged. As Hindu priest and renowned speaker Dandapani shows in this eye-opening and enriching new book, it is only through mastering one skill—the skill of focus—that we can permanently lay these mental roadblocks to rest.Add to BookshelfHardcover
$28.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Goodbye, Anxiety
byTerri Bacow, PhD
As a teen or young adult, things like school work, social media, and navigating friendships can bring tons of stress, and you may often feel anxious and overwhelmed. That’s why Psychologist Terri Bacow, Ph.D., developed this book with fun and accessible writing exercises designed to diminish worries, insecurities, fears, conflicts, and stressors just for your unique issues.Add to BookshelfBuy from Other Retailers:
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Now Is the Way
byCory Allen
Look, we get it. Not everyone is into self-love or some spiritual understanding of stillness. Don’t fret, because Cory Allen is here to show you that you don’t need to use the jargon or the yoga mats or the incense in order to feel present, alive, and better. In this guide, he gives you no-BS tools to live in the now and relax (flowy clothes not required).Add to BookshelfPaperback
$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Don’t Worry
byShunmyo Masuno
Discover why 90% of your worries won’t come true in this highly practical, internationally bestselling guide by the renowned Zen Buddhist author of The Art of Simple Living.Think of a time when you were worried about something, but then you suddenly realized how insignificant it was. Isn’t it amazing how much lighter you felt? The key is to focus only on the here and now. By doing so, you free yourself from unnecessary anxiety, and your mind will be at peace.Add to BookshelfHardcover
$22.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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