The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

by John P. Forsyth, Georg H. Eifert

Attempts to manage your thoughts or get rid of worry, fear, and panic can leave you feeling frustrated and powerless. But you can take back your life from anxiety without controlling anxious thoughts and feelings. You can stop avoiding anxiety and start showing up to your life. The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety will get you started, using a revolutionary new approach called acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT. The book has one to help you live better, more fully, more richly. Your life is calling on you to make that choice, and the skills in this workbook can help you make it happen. Find out how your mind can trap you, keeping you stuck and struggling in anxiety and fear. Learn to nurture your capacity for acceptance, mindfulness, kindness, and compassion. Use these qualities to shift your focus away from anxiety and onto what you really want your life to be about. As you do, your life will get bigger as your anxious suffering gets smaller. No matter what kind of anxiety problem you're struggling with, this workbook can guide you toward a more vibrant and purposeful life. Includes a CD with bonus worksheets, self-assessments, and guided mindfulness meditations. This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Genres: Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Health, Counselling, Social Work

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

John P. Forsyth, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, and trainer in the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness practices to cultivate mind, body, and spiritual wellness. For over 20 years, his work has focused on developing ACT and mindfulness practices to alleviate human suffering, awaken the human spirit, and to nurture psychological health and vitality. His personal journey and experience, balanced with practical insights grounded in scientific evidence, offers hope to those wishing to find a path out of suffering and into wholeness.

He has written several popular ACT books, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety Disorders (for mental health professionals), and three self-help books for the public: The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety, 2nd ed., ACT on Life, Not on Anger, and Your Life on Purpose. His latest Anxiety Happens, offers 52 bite sized chapters for anyone who gets tripped up now and then by anxiety and fear.

John holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and is a Professor of Psychology and Director the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at the University at Albany, SUNY in Upstate New York. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York, with expertise in the use and application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for several forms of psychological and emotional suffering. He is also widely sought after ACT trainer, speaker, and consultant, and serves as a senior editor of the ACT book series with New Harbinger Publications.

In May 2018, he gave an TEDx talk about ACT and the challenges on the human condition. You can find it here: https://youtu.be/zo-CaG0A1Xs

John regularly gives talks and workshops to the public and professionals in the United States and abroad, and along with his wife offers week-long ACT training retreats at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY and The Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA, where he and his wife serve as a members of the teaching faculty.

He is known to infuse his teaching and trainings with energy, humility and compassion, and his down-to earth workshops are consistently praised for their clarity, depth and utility.

Collectively, his work has helped foster growing interest in acceptance and mindfulness in psychology, mental health, medicine, and society.

Reviews

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a workbook that my daughter used in combination with other things in order to help with her anxiety. A doctor asked her to take it home and have a look at it and see if it interested her at all. I noticed right away that my daughter was reading it quite often.

I decided to buy her one of her own. This way she could write in it (instead of using other paper), highlight what she wanted and so on. There was no pressure, she worked on it whenever she felt like it. She shared with me if she wanted, sometimes asked me to do some of the pages and she felt it really helped her.

She had mentioned that I should write a review for it. I asked her if it was okay if I talked about how it helped her and she said yes.

My daughter is sixteen and has struggled with anxiety since a very young age. She hated being away from home and had a lot of anxiety about school. She started having frequent stomachaches which led to absences from school and trying to figure out what was wrong. She seemed to be worried about everything. There were other factors (divorce, death in the family, some family issues with addiction etc.) that would make anyone anxious. But I could see that we needed to keep working on it, that it wasn't just going to go away.

I feel the combination of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), other counseling, and working on things like this book really helped. I'm not saying that this book was responsible for the improvements but it really did help. Her anxiety is not gone completely (and may never be) but a lot has improved.

An example would that when we moved into our new apartment last year there was a lot of anxiety over the elevators. She would not use them. She would walk the six flights up and down every day. I felt so awful for her, I could see how it terrified her. But I didn't push, it wouldn't have worked and would have just ended up making things worse. I did talk to her about safety and showed her how it is maintained often, that if on the off chance it did stop that she would be fine. But I didn't go on and on. My mother was also super supportive during this time (of both of us). Eventually as she worked on the book (and other things), she would get on going up but not down. Then she was getting on it about half as much as I was. Then after a few weeks she was using it every day but she had to be holding her cell phone. And after about 2 months she was much less anxious about it and using it every day. Now she will even get on it by herself. She accepted that she might always be a little anxious about it but she didn't want to let it control her.

I honestly feel like the book helped her. She completed it but keeps it handy and continues to write in a diary of sorts she calls "Things I got through today".

Mindfulness:

"a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique."

When I asked her to explain it to me she said "I'm learning how to feel my anxiety without letting it get out of control. I may not ever be rid of it entirely, but that is okay. I can feel worried, or anxious but if I don't over react after a while it will get less intense".

She said she really liked the worksheets in this book and that reading it helped her understand a lot more about anxiety in general.

I did see that there were a few low ratings for this book. I think different things work for different people. Maybe two years ago it wouldn't have helped so much. The fact that she does like to research things and loves to read helped.

I think it's a combination of things that helped her, but this book was definitely a great tool.

[Labyrinth Rossiter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was attracted to the word Mindfulness in the title, and some of the principles are there. However, the book's ACT methodology is actually hurtful, unlike any fully dedicated mindfulness or Buddhist text I've ever read about dealing with depression & anxiety. The first half of the book is determined to convincing you that your old way is wrong, ACT is the only way, and worse, there's a whole chapter that forces you to face the "costs of anxiety," guaranteed to provoke a panic attack. I myself, and anyone I have met who suffers from an anxiety disorder, am already keenly aware of the irrational nature of many of the "rules" we have to follow in order to manage our anxiety, or WAFs, as the book calls them. There was no need to make me list the "costs" objectively & make me curl into a ball, sick, for 2 days. The book also has the irritating habit of mentioning what other people think about you several times. It makes it very clear that your behavior is WRONG. Then all the stuff about compassion is shoved in a few chapters at the back, which I skimmed, but self-compassion should have been emphasized from the start. Bottom line, ACT might be inspired by mindfulness, but it's not mindful practice. It's Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. Go get thee a book like Pema Chodron's No Time to Lose or something of the sort... Pass on this.

[Dasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author's poor writing can ruin Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for anyone. Instead of reading this, I would recommend The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT — a much more comprehensive ACT workbook, which covers all the exercises mentioned here. Combined with Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself and Headspace, it can really help you manage your anxiety.

[Darrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a psychologist fo 36 years. I am also the founder of The Secular Therapy Project - www.seculartherapy.org. I read this book last year (2016) and immediately began recommending it for my clients and others. It is a true workbook. If you follow the simple exercises over a few months, I am sure you will find the practices both helpful and life changing. The research behind this is solid - no New Age or religious BS, just good basic mindfulness.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never, ever been so excited to give something a one-star review.

I read this book from start to finish because my therapist recommended it. Here's what the book says: if you just accept your anxieties instead of trying to fight them all the time, you'll feel much better!! You just need to totally zen out!!!

I am not saying there's not wisdom there. BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE A WHOLE BOOK TO COMMUNICATE THAT SENTENCE! Basically, the first third of the book is just selling the book to you -- why this is so great and helpful and revolutionary. The second two thirds are just repeating that sentence... over and over and over and over ad nauseam in a million ways, some of which were seriously insulting to the reader's intelligence. For example, picture your worries, anxieties and fears (WAFs) as monsters! And watch those monsters ride away on a school bus! Can't picture it?? Don't worry, there are cartoon illustrations. (I'm not even kidding.)

I love my therapist, but really. She owes me a few free sessions for making me read this.

[Mary Overton]

Buddhism-lite pop-psychology for straight people. A useful introduction for people whose only reality is rigid dualism … where dark feelings/passions/thoughts/actions/events are projected onto the Devil and then mercilessly smote.

My interest in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) led me to this workbook which seems to be Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) updated with the latest buzzword, mindfulness. I appreciate this read for getting me inside the mind-set of Creationists and Trump supporters. No joke. It helps me understand and even have compassion for them.

[Bridgett · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book and did not find it useful at all.

[Desiree Wills Velazco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall decent book, but pretty repetitive. I liked a lot of the thoughts behind it for the most part though. Great concept.

[Shannon Breen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because I'm a compulsive worrier and have some chronic low-level anxiety. Much of the first half or so of this book is information and exercises to show how all the things you've done to manage your anxiety in the past haven't worked and have made things worse. Problem for me is I haven't really done any of the types of things they describe. They profile folks who won't drive or won't go to certain places or won't get on airplanes. None of my problems are this extreme. I'm constantly worried, but I go ahead and do what I need to do anyway. As a result, this book was only mildly helpful to me. Some of the exercises in the second half could be useful when the nasty images start invading my mind, but overall the book was written for people with much more crippling issues. My second problem with this book is the main premise seems to be to just accept what is. Sounds good, but I can see someone with really serious anxiety issues, PTSD, and the like having trouble just accepting the stuff that is flying through their heads.

[Nick Stengel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fascinating re-orientation of psychology toward a Buddhist philosophy. The main idea of the book is that struggling against irrational fears causes one to justify them. By gaining some mental space between your fears and any actions you take, it is possible to live with them in peace. Very counter-intuitive to some mainstream writings, but very cool ideas.

[olenius]

дуже практична книга, яка на 60% складається зі схем, таблиць і «паперової роботи» на домашнє завдання. як це дуже люблять КПТ спеціалісти (ці КПТ спеціалісти взяли за інструмент майндфулнесс)

видно, що автори дійсно багато працювали з конкретними кейсами і людьми, бо добре розбираються в СПРАВДІ соціально тривожних ситуаціях, як, наприклад, вітатися з сусідами, зайти в ліфт з незнайомими людьми, чи постелити коврик для йоги не в куті залу, а посередині перед тренером 👀

у мене таке відчуття наче я в школі зустріла дорослого, який справді викупає секретні, справжні проблеми, не з клішованих підручників з універсальною порадою позбавлення соціальної тривоги: «заспівай на вулиці і збери гроші в капелюх»

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book that helps you deal with anxiety and panic. Many exercises and techniques to help ease and understand your anxiety and it just might help you in many other areas of your life. Also included, are printable exercise sheets that come in quite handy, downloadable from the publishers website. Very nice touch. I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like using ACT with clients and I think some of the worksheets and meditations provided in this workbook will be useful. That said, I find the use of acronyms overwhelming, and aside from one take away, I feel they are widely abused and corny (WAC).

[Ally Schaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The meditation exercises and various other exercises are pretty great.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

- When facing anxiety, the innate urge is to control it. However, the author points out that it's fruitless to do so. When facing anxiety, the correct way is just brace through it

- When one wants to "control" anxiety, the only outcome would be anxiety will get increasingly louder

- Anxiety, in fact, serves an important function for communication within oneself. It's important to hear body's messaging and brace through the message

- It's far more beneficial if one simply attempt to adapt to the situation. The urge to fight would only drain oneself yet accomplish nothing

- It's very important to let go of control: the idea that one must be able to control everything to live a good life is the reason why one suffers

- You can't argue you way out of anxiety because anxiety lies within the oldest part of the brain. That part of the brain simply doesn't have "arguing power"

- A better way is to see your anxiety as a friend. One might not like the message the friend is sending, but it's important to embrace the relationship

- Acceptance doesn't mean just taking the hit and do nothing. Rather, it means the middle ground of embracing the message anxiety tries to send without getting drowned in it

- Acceptance also means allowing anxiety to be a part of body system - imagine it being a collision alert system: we might not like the sound it makes, but it fundamentally is important as a part of our body

- Mindfulness is about knowing what's real and what's not real in life. A lot of times we live in our heads, and assign meaning that are not real into our lives. Mindfulness is about avoiding over thinking, avoiding letting brain to assign meanings into experiences due to emotions

- It's important to know how to seperate emotions away from life. Too often, it's too easy to use emotion to stereotype a certain thing. This prevents us to see thing more clearly

- When anxiety occurs, do the opposite of what anxiety wants you to do: when you have the temptation to leave, lean in; when you have the temptation to engage in it, simply stay away while being attentive and not engage

[hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents mindfulness strategies that can be employed in the treatment of anxiety. There were many aspects of the book I thought were useful in decreasing anxiety. Some of my favorites were meditations such as simple centering, centering into your heart, the I AM meditation, and Leaves on a Stream. I liked these, and do practice them in my daily life.

I had some difficulty with the authors emphasis on tolerating discomfort or pain as a means of treating anxiety. I have found in my own life that there’s a big difference between simply tolerating discomfort or pain and knowing how to actively comfort myself, knowing how to meet myself exactly where I am with respect and kindness that leads to feelings of love and being loved even if only by my adult self that can now reach to young hurt parts with compassion or care. I would add that if you are a trauma survivor, I would suggest practicing self care and deciding if you are ready for particular exercises in the book. In particular Welcoming Discomfort, may not necessary be right for you at this time and could be triggering. If you do attempt it, I strongly suggest not using a particularly traumatic event to work on.

Overall, I did think that the book had useful tools that were worth learning, and the centering exercises in particular were ones that I know I will take with me and practice again. A highlight of the book is that it does come with audio versions of the meditations and exercises that walk you through each. I appreciated the audio and having all the exercises on one page that acted like a reference page and made each exercise easier to find.

[Traikon Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety offers a clear, compassionate framework for understanding and responding to anxiety. Its core ideas—observing thoughts without judgment, accepting discomfort, and acting according to values—are practical and sound.

That said, there’s a disconnect between the book’s approach and the full reality of human experience. It assumes mindfulness and acceptance alone bring peace, but from a Christian perspective, true peace comes from God. Concepts like “being present” or “letting go” are helpful, but without grounding in a larger story of meaning, they can feel incomplete.

Many principles, however, can be reinterpreted in a faith-integrated way: mindfulness as awareness of God’s presence, acceptance as trusting His sovereignty, and values-based living as aligning with biblical obedience and love. Viewed this way, the workbook’s tools can complement a Christian life rather than conflict with it.

Overall, it’s a thoughtful, well-researched resource, especially for those dealing with everyday anxiety or overthinking. The tools are useful, but true rest and freedom come from something deeper than the self.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have consuming anxiety, like I do, this workbook is definitely worth looking into. You only need to fill it out once a week and it’s really helped me. When I feel like my anxiety is taking over my life again, I look back at this book and review it. Everyone’s mental health is different and what works for some, might not work for others. This workbook helped me, but if you find it doesn’t help you, that’s okay. What matters is that you’re taking care of yourself. A big thank you to my cousin for recommending this one to me!

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a work project. While I do believe ACT can be usefully applied in the treatment of anxiety disorders, I don't think Forsyth took quite the right angle here, and I can see how the book would be off-putting for many people seeking help. Also, the writing wasn't great, and the organization of the book was sloppy. There are better books on ACT, and I wouldn't recommend this one to others.

[FartVader · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there are some useful ideas, it's hard not to get put off by the tone of the book. It drones on and on about simple concepts for pages, presenting them as if talking to a lobotomized child. If the author trimmed down some fat, avoided it's-the-first-day-of-your-life cliches, and tried communicating as if speaking with a regular person, this would be a much better book.

Edit: Decided to stop reading and switched to the Happiness Trap. I am only at 3rd chapter, but I can already see this is a much better alternative.

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some good points, ideas, exercises, however it just wasn't for me. As someone who has had anxiety and anorexia, I feel that workbooks that actually let you do the work (write, experiment, etc.) are better suited for the initial recovery process, as well as maintenance. I don't know, maybe I am just not into a.c.t. as much as c.b.t.

[Stephen O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

ACT for Anxiety

This is an easy to understand book, which will help anyone who suffers from or cares for someone who suffers from anxiety. The additional materials on the website are also helpful. As the book says the proof will be in your experience.

[Bethany Bickel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource with practical advice and experiences throughout. I liked the many ideas and worksheets but definitely found it repetitive. I think it’s safe to use what works and skip what doesn’t.

[Mohammad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't follow through with the exercises. I need to get out of my depression right now, I'm not able to concentrate with the mindfulness exercises.

[Liadewi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing, not helpful at all.
They said antidepressants are no more effective than placebo. Pill shaming.

[Joy Kaplan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great practical methods

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt the book was too long and dragged on could’ve been really condensed more some interesting stories and analogies and also quotes.

[Thaleia Gkika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am not an avid reader of the so called "self-help" books, I have tried a couple of them, addressing the very issues I had been struggling with back then. With that being said I can tell with certainty that this was the least helpful book I've ever come across. It was totally indiferrent to me. Every single excercise failed to touch me at a sentimental level, needless to talk about the effectiveness of those "life-changing" concepts and tasks. The author discusses what is common sense ( I guess) to most people, he manages to set healthy goals but totally fails to guide the reader on how to achieve them. To me it was a rather annoying book. It felt as if the author was teasing my already smashed brain as what he is mostly suggesting through this book is the moto "Just do it". Yeap, if I could just do it, I would have done it!!! BReathing excercises are good but nothing innovating. Just meditation techniques, old but gold, yet nothing new.
It might be helpful for people with minor amxiety issues, but I can't imagine how it can really make a difference to the life of those struggling with anxiety disorders at a clinical level. Just threw my money away.

[Karen Terry]

So far, so good. I am only just starting this book, and already it is helping me. I have been fighting and trying to change anxious behavior since I was a child and nothing has helped much. This makes more sense to me. Make peace with it and carry on. It rather reminds me of the children's book, 'Theres a Monster in My Closet'. But this comes with useful tools to help you integrate a new way of thinking about your worries, anxieties and fears into your daily life. I will do a full review when I am finished.

[Lisa Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh! What can I say? A whole workbook that is basically about mindfulness, which I have never been able to "get". In a nutshell, the book tells you to accept your anxiety, depression, whatever, and continue to live a good life according to your values. That's it. No...really. If this type of thing works for you, then great. It really didn't help me.