Table of Contents
Introduction: What this book will do for you 1
Part 1 Assessing Anxiety 13
1 What is anxiety? 14
2 Figuring out why you are here 26
Exercise: Psychological Formulation 43
3 The less sh*t side of anxiety 46
Exercise: What has anxiety given you? 52
4 Understanding the negativity bias 53
Exercise: Finding the Balance 59
Exercise: Cognitive Restructuring 60
5 Owning your vulnerability 63
Exercise: Owning your vulnerability 68
Exercise: What's the worst that could happen? 69
Tool Kit: Quick Things You Can Jump To 71
6 How to deal with a panic attack in real time 72
Exercise: 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding exercise 81
7 Common mind traps associated with anxiety 82
Exercise: Thought record for mind traps 90
8 Anxiety survival kit 91
9 BS-free inspirational quotes and affirmations 99
Part 2 Addressing Anxiety 107
10 Acceptance is key 108
11 Know the difference between personality and anxiety 118
Exercise: Nourishing vs. depleting activities 124
12 Why social comparison is bad for you 127
13 Relationships can help and hinder your well-being 136
14 Shut up and breathe 146
Exercise: How to master the Ujjayi breathing 157
15 How to sleep like a baby 160
16 Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is everything 173
Exercise: Fact or opinion approach 180
Exercise: Behavioral experiment 184
Exercise: Determining your core values 185
17 What you eat matters 188
18 What you should know about exercise 201
19 Let's talk about meds 209
20 Ass-kicking alternative therapies and treatments 218
Exercise: S.T.O.P. mindfulness 232
Conclusion: What now? 245
Acknowledgments 252
Endnotes 256
Resources 257
Text permissions 259
About the author 262