Three Books That Are An Antidote to Anxiety
People with anxiety have busy brains. Brains that think so much, the thinking becomes the problem. One of the most central skills in managing anxiety is learning to defuse from oneself. This is a fancy way of saying, learning how to step-back from your anxious thinking and take a bigger picture perspective of the situation. For kids and teenagers, we name it the helicopter view.
Here are three books that I think really help with this process. I’d recommend these if you’re an anxious squid, struggling to let go of the “what ifs.”
Number One: Any Ordinary Day, Leigh Sales.
On Amazon the description for this book reads, “…Leigh Sales investigates how ordinary people endue the unthinkable,” which probably makes you think this does not sound like a book you should recommend to people who tend to over inflate the probability of bad things happening BUT you’re exactly wrong. Because this book is a beautiful example of the other side of bad. It’s an illustration of human resilience, of how, even when the absolute worst-case scenarios eventuate, people find a way to get through. Reading this forces you to take perspective and appreciate the incredible capacity of people.
Number Two: Untamed, Glennon Doyle.
So it’s very self-help-y, BUT it does have a good message. It isn’t my favourite, but I know a lot of anxious people who LOVED this book. Perfect for the self-sacrificing females out there, who over commit themselves for fear of letting people down and then wonder why they’re so burnt out. Whether you like the writing or not, Glennon’s story is incredible, and you can’t deny the lady has some strength. Although not specifically referred to as a story about anxiety, this book is about learning to take risks and lean into the what ifs.
Number Three: How To Fail, Elizabeth Day.
This one is perfect for the over-thinker in all of us. It reads like a collection of critical essays on different life topics, from failing at tests, dating, work, babies, family etc., I like how this book promotes reflective thinking; it demonstrates that thinking critically about hard things is a great path for growth and that shying away when we feel awkward/uncomfortable is never going to lead to different outcomes. I’m yet to listen to her podcast, but I might give it a go soon. This book is also one of the first times I’ve seen miscarriage spoken about so candidly – bonus points.
Happy reading!
Until next time,
Courtney
