The last year has been a stressful time. Needless to say, quite a few people will likely still be dealing with some anxiety when everything finally dies down. I’ve collected a few books to help you learn ways to handle that anxiety. You’ll find our catalog’s description of the book under each title.

Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind by Judson Brewer

“We are living through one of the most anxious periods any of us can remember. Whether facing issues as public as a pandemic or as personal as having kids at home and fighting the urge to reach for the wine bottle every night, we are feeling overwhelmed and out of control. But in this timely book, Judson Brewer explains how to uproot anxiety at its source using brain-based techniques and small hacks accessible to anyone. We think of anxiety as everything from mild unease to full-blown panic. But it’s also what drives the addictive behaviors and bad habits we use to cope (e.g. stress eating, procrastination, doom scrolling and social media). Plus, anxiety lives in a part of the brain that resists rational thought. So we get stuck in anxiety habit loops that we can’t think our way out of or use willpower to overcome. Dr. Brewer teaches us map our brains to discover our triggers, defuse them with the simple but powerful practice of curiosity, and to train our brains using mindfulness and other practices that his lab has proven can work. Distilling more than 20 years of research and hands-on work with thousands of patients, including Olympic athletes and coaches, and leaders in government and business, Dr. Brewer has created a clear, solution-oriented program that anyone can use to feel better – no matter how anxious they feel.”

Essential Art Therapy Exercises: Effective Techniques to Manage Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD by Leah Guzman

“Process difficult thoughts and feelings with art therapy. Essential Art Therapy Exercises shows you how creating art can help ease depression, anxiety, PTSD, and life’s other challenges. Art therapy activities like drawing, painting, and sculpting will help you better understand your state of mind in order to gain control over your emotions and improve your self-esteem. From drawing a representation of your favourite song, to writing affirmations and taking photos to match, these therapeutic exercises will help you overcome the mindsets that are holding you back and lead you toward inner peace. Some take only five minutes, others up to an hour, but all of them explore a range of artistic mediums, so you can choose exactly what works for you. Essential Art Therapy Exercises offers:The art of getting better – These sophisticated exercises are a springboard for insight, self-expression, mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion. Insights and questions – Every activity describes its benefits and offers thoughtful prompts to help you get the most out of each experience. No experience required – You don’t need to be an artist to use art therapy. It’s about the experience of creating, without worry or judgement. Let art therapy help you paint, draw, and write your way to a happier frame of mind.”

Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety by David D. Burns

“Do you sometimes feel … Down, depressed, or unhappy? Anxious, panicky, or insecure? Guilty or ashamed? Inferior, inadequate, or worthless? Lonely, unwanted, or alone? For decades, we’ve been told that negative feelings like depression and anxiety are the result of what’s wrong with us, like a personality defect, a “mental disorder,” or a chemical imbalance in your brain. These messages create feelings of shame and make it sound like we’re broken and need to be “fixed.” Now, Dr. David Burns, author of the best-selling and highly acclaimed Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, reveals that our negative moods do not result from what’s wrong with us, but rather — what’s right with us. And when you listen and suddenly “hear” what your negative thoughts and feelings are trying to tell you, suddenly you won’t need them anymore, and recovery will be just a stone’s throw away. In his innovative book, Feeling Great, Dr. Burns, describes a new and revolutionary high-speed treatment for depression and anxiety based on 40 years of research and more than 40,000 hours treating individuals with severe mood problems. The goal is not just a rapid and complete elimination of negative feelings, but the development of feelings of joy and enlightenment. Dr. Burns will provide you with inspiring and mind-blowing case studies along with more than 50 amazing tools to crush the negative thoughts that rob you of happiness and self-esteem. You can change the way you feel! You owe it to yourself to FEEL GREAT!”

The Anxiety First Aid Kit: Quick Tools for Extreme, Uncertain Times by Rick Hanson

“A quick-relief guide for calming anxiety and stress right now–during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re feeling unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety right now, please know that you aren’t alone. In these extreme and uncertain times, it’s natural to be in a constant state of mental and physical strain. Whether you’re dealing with job loss, a sick loved one, or just feeling the weight of the world during your 2 a.m. doomscroll–you need quick tools you can use right now, whenever and wherever you are, to lower stress and soothe anxiety. This emergency kit has you covered. Written by a dream team of mental health experts and grounded in evidence-based therapy, The Anxiety First Aid Kit offers powerful tools for triaging stress and anxiety in the moments when you need it most. You’ll find easy and doable ways to help you press pause on panic, and find your calm spot right away. You’ll discover in-the-moment interventions to help you relax before your anxiety and stress go into overdrive. And finally, you’ll learn how to make healthy and workable lifestyle changes to improve your mental health and increase resilience, so you can effectively deal with stressful situations in the future–no matter what life throws at you. Between pandemic-related economic fears, the frustrations of social distancing, indoor confinement, work and household double duties (now including homeschooling!), and the looming threat of serious illness, is it any wonder you’re feeling completely stressed out and anxious? If you need immediate relief, The Anxiety First Aid Kit has everything you need to manage stress and anxiety–right now.”