La buena ansiedad: Cómo aprovechar el poder de la emoción más incomprendida

by Wendy Suzuki, Billie Fitzpatrick, Antonio Francisco Rodriguez Esteban (translator)

Wendy Suzuki, neurocientífica de renombre mundial y autora bestseller, ha desarrollado en La buena ansiedad un innovador programa para gestionar la ansiedad y convertirla en un poderoso recurso.

Estamos viviendo en la era de la ansiedad y, a menudo, nos sentimos atrapados en un constante ciclo de estrés, insomnio y preocupación. Pero, ¿qué pasaría si tuviésemos una forma de convertir la ansiedad en un recurso que nos ayude a resolver problemas, ser más productivos y fortalecer nuestro bienestar? Es decir, ¿qué sucedería si en lugar de ver la ansiedad como una maldición, reconociésemos el regalo que representa?

La galardonada neurocientífica Wendy Suzuki ha descubierto una verdad que cambiará el paradigma sobre la sí, es desagradable, pero es esencial para nuestra supervivencia. De hecho, la ansiedad es un componente clave para poder vivir de la mejor manera. Cada una de nuestras emociones tiene un objetivo evolutivo y la ansiedad está diseñada para visibilizarnos las emociones negativas. Si solo asumimos que debemos evitar, disminuir o eliminar nuestra ansiedad, perderemos la oportunidad de aprender a gestionar sus síntomas y la manera en la que puede mejorar nuestras vidas.

La buena ansiedad nos enseña a trabajar nuestras preocupaciones desde la curiosidad, en lugar del miedo, para que nos guíen hacia la felicidad.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Mental Health, Health, Audiobook, Science

296 pages, Paperback

Published January 17, 2024

About the author

Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. Her major research interest is brain plasticity with the focus on the brain's ability to form and retain new long-term memories.

Reviews

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. It's practical and accessible without being "dumbed down."

Very highly recommended for anyone dealing with anxiety. There is a lot of practical advice here for understanding anxiety and turning it into something positive.

There are also a lot of good scientific explanations about the origins of anxiety and the scientific basis for managing it.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the past couple of years, my anxiety has gotten a wee bit out of control. I randomly saw this book at the library and it seemed to be calling my name. I am really glad that I read it.

The first 190 pages of the book was very science heavy. I do legitimately enjoy brain anatomy and physiology. However, I did begin to skim these parts after about 150 pages because while it was interesting, it was getting too textbookish and I was ready for the strategies.

I liked the strategies. Long story short, they mostly revolve around sleep, diet, journaling, exercise, and meditation. What I appreciated was that she gave specific ideas and techniques. There are a few that I really want to try going forward - building stress tolerance, recasting my "what-if list", and to focus on focus.

With that being said, I also want to bring up that most of the anxiety inducing scenarios in the book are geared much more for the single, highly motivated, career minded individuals. So, not super relatable for a middle aged suburban mom that works part time. I tried not to get too hung up on her examples, but instead, tried to think about how I could modify them to work for me.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this copy from the, GOODREADS GIVEAWAY.

When I started reading this book I was not in a good frame of mind. My anxiety levels were at the highest they've ever been. So, I found myself having trouble focusing. But over the weeks I persevered. Boy am I glad I did. This wonderful book helped me better understand my emotions and how my brain worked at sorting or not sorting out my issues. And it has given me the tools to look at anxiety from different perspectives; from negativity and hopelessness to positivity and progress.
Dr. Suzuki's caring and compassion is felt all through the read. It is very comforting. In Part Three of the book there are tools to teach us how to worry well. ( That made me smile.) These tools are FABULOUS! There are surveys to help you discover your levels of anxiety, depth of anxiety, and triggers. These are followed by, YOUR GOOD ANXIETY TOOLBOX, which is filled with lots of great information on how to minister self help and open the door to your emotional Superpowers.
I highly recommend this book. It helped lift me and gave me tools to use for when I am struggling again.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sitting at 3.5 for me. Some useful information and I appreciate the scientific, physiological insight into how the brain functions. I did feel like some of the examples missed the mark a little bit though they were well intentioned. They were written from a perspective that assumes a certain level of financial and career stability. For example it’s not super easy or possible for everyone to take time to travel or attend yoga classes (or to tell yourself that money isn’t a scarce resource). I get that these are examples and you have to find ways to apply the methodology to your own life but in my grumpier days I was like “Well isn’t that nice…” Overall I thought there were some good insights and things to think about so it was worth the 8 hour listen.

[Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

You don't have to suffer from anxiety to read this book. Maybe you live with someone who suffers from anxiety or work with someone who has anxiety. Someone in your family has it. This is a great tool to help you, help those around you. But if its you that suffers from anxiety then it will be very helpful to you.
It has ways to help you cope and strategies to help you get to know your anxiety.
I think this is very helpful guidebook.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh.

That it took me two months to read this book kind of speaks for itself. I tried to put the book down for a bit because the whole opening of "are you anxious? you should try to eat well and get some exercise!!!" was just... no kidding Dr. Suzuki. There's so many things in this book that are so tone deaf. Like "are you worried about making ends meet financially? Give your money to a charity!"

If you do want to read about anxiety, I recommend Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While debating the merits of what I call “positive anxiety” with a friend one day, she pointed me towards this book. My thoughts generally relate to how I can feel anxious before some life events, both in my work and in my private life; events that I greatly welcome, yet feel a sense of nervous energy about. I believe this anxious energy to be intrinsically mixed with my passion, excitement, and drive towards the event and see it as a sign that I care for what I am about to do. My nervous energy is a motivator and without it I imagine I would be flatlining my way through life. I label this ‘good anxiety’. Suzuki says “Anxiety does work like a form of energy. Think of it as a chemical reaction to an event or situation.”

My essential question is, does this ‘good anxiety’ have the same physiological impact on your body, as ‘bad (fear based) anxiety’? And if so, do good experiences slowly kill us as much as bad experiences? Unfortunately, this book does not directly answer my specific questions! The book focuses more on how to redirect or recalibrate fear-based anxiety into something positive. It explains how anxiety stems from our primal ‘fight or flight’ antenna that is constantly on the lookout for danger. When we perceive real (or imagined) danger, an anxiety-based chain of events is set off in our bodies (cortisol & adrenalin are released etc) Our brains are wired to defend, so they are vigilantly scanning our environment for problems, which often leaves us defaulting to negative reactions; known as ‘negativity bias’. Thankfully (!), just as we are wired for survival, we are also wired for resilience and stress inoculation.

Suzuki essentially presents how we intercept this reactive anxiety and leverage brain plasticity to learn new responses, forging other (less anxious) outcomes. For example, we can use ‘anger' to dig deeper to understand what is important to us, we can assess our ‘worry’ to break it down into bite sizes to overcome and so on. The argumentation ties somewhat into Edith Eger’s choice theory as it is based on the concept that have a choice in how we ‘react’ and manage our emotions.

The book unexpectantly touches into another topic I often ponder concerning ‘creativity’. Growing up, I understood creative people to be artists, writers, designers, actors; people who create something unique based on their own imagination and style. As I was not one of these, I concluded I was not a creative person. In later years, I revised this view when I found myself unconsciously taking creative approaches to my work in the corporate world (the antithesis of creative!) and in how I generally approach planning and problem solving in life. Suzuki explains that using innovative thinking for solving issues is the essence of an activist mindset or a growth mindset. Such mindsets represent someone prepared to take risks, and to try a new approach to grow and develop, which she debates forms the essence of creativity. It is this skill which enables us to forge new responses to our anxiety driven thoughts.

I also learned some forms of anxiety show up as phobias. I had not made the connection that these were so closely linked. Suzuki explains how early childhood studies prove that early exposure to uncontrollable stressful situations (eg. war, abuse, sick parent) can lead to ‘learned helplessness’. This I find useful as I have a phobia and this helped me gain perspective on the ‘why’. Overcoming remains the greater challenge!

Of the 5 five types of anxiety management strategies presented in Gross’s Model of Emotional Regulation: 1. Situation Selection 2. Situation Modification 3. Attention Deployment 4. Cognitive Change and 5. Response Modulation; it is only the fifth technique which is employed AFTER anxiety occurs. “Response Modulation” is the strategy that Suzuki zooms in on and presents her six ‘super-powers’ to retrain your brain to recalibrate your response to your anxiety. Her line of argument is well constructed, practical and plausible. A useful series of both 'assessment' and 'training' exercises are offered up, with a good variety to cater for different brain types. The book has a great balance between the scientific explanation of anxiety and strategies for managing and even transforming it. It uses a lot of case study style stories to illustrate examples, which brings the science to life.

Although Suzuki did not directly answer my specific questions, the answer is implicit; if your body is generating cortisol and adrenalin, instead of serotonin and dopamine, then you are experiencing a negative response, even if your mind tricks you in to thinking it is ‘fuel’. There will always be things to worry about, so its probably worth sharpening our worry management skills.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so interesting to see how publishing houses and ghost writers encourage scientists to pitch their work to make it palatable to and helpful for a wider audience. Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist, and you can practically hear the editor (or her agent) saying: "Okay, so you've explained the amygdala, but how can we put this in terms our readers can understand? Maybe that's 'bad anxiety.'" The bad/good dichotomy I think weakens the force of an otherwise helpful book. What she describes as "good anxiety"--a sense of flow, a heightened focus, the ability to speculate about possible outcomes and plan accordingly--I would not actually call anxiety at all, lest the category become meaningless and simply a catchall for any kind of adrenal arousal. By describing "bad anxiety"--stage fright, fretful insomnia, vigilance and exhaustion--as "bad anxiety," Suzuki perhaps compounds the self-recrimination that goes into that spiral in the first place.

This quibble aside, I was very moved by her stories from her personal life about unexpectedly losing her father and brother and the importance of finding sources of meaning and moments of calm in the wake of that. I also find her fundamental points helpful in spite of my skepticism about the good/bad nomenclature: 1) That your mind is trying to tell you something about your current situation by responding with anxiety, and you should listen to it. 2) That sleep and exercise are wildly important for a sense of well-being and should be prioritized. 3) That the spiraling thoughts of anxiety can be trained through practice into different routes. This suggestion is a combination of mindfulness (she recommends meditation practices to quell the [over]thinking at least temporarily) and neuroplasticity (positive self-talk, reframing the situation at hand and its possible outcomes, etc.). The exercises at the back of the book, largely based in journaling, were very useful and concrete and asks readers to consider the emotional roots of their self-doubt as well as imaginative exercises to prompt new mental stories.

[Dawnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suffering with anxiety? I definitely do. This is written by a neuroscientist and she shows you a different way to look at and deal with anxiety. You don't have to live in fear and there are ways to manage and deal with the emotions we hold inside. This looks at ways to change your perspective and become powerful instead of powerless. These practical  strategies will easily guide you. Anxiety can be crippling until you learn how to manage it. A great book that is very helpful. I'm learning how to manage and deal with it.


Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about anxiety is a great read for anyone with a science background to read! I suffer from anxiety and feel like just reading this book helped me out more than I expected it to. I also have been exploring grounding techniques for myself and this book helped me confirm some that I have found for myself. However, while reading this I found that if you aren't aware of a lot of scientific terms this book isn't for you.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the aspects of this book were good ~ example, the science, a 4. The application was a 2, so I averaged a 3.
The problem with the application was that it was a superficial. The problems were related to work, lack of work, public speaking, money, breaking up with a boy/girlfriend, but did not include issues that many face ~ parenting issues for one. It fell short for me.
It was an interesting read, the concept was good, and the science was explained with diagrams. This book was easy to read.

[Emily Varga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend for anyone who deals with anxiety, depression, or even just low level stress. I listened to the audiobook but would probably recommend the physical book since it includes a few diagrams and surveys.

[WhiteMagician · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, the book is quite useful and informative, and it's worth reading if you struggle with anxiety. Subjectively, however, I found that this read too much like an autobiography. For some, having the information heavily tied to someone's personal life journey can help absorb the information, but I occasionally found myself getting bored when there was a lower research/science to author's personal stuff ratio, which is why I can't give it a higher rating.

[Rie · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know that feeling when you're confiding in someone about your struggles, and they ask:

"Why don't you just _____?"

"But have you tried ______?"

I read the book and came away with just that feeling. The ideas offered seem to boil down to "meditate! exercise! don't eat/drink your feelings!", along with a somewhat out-of-touch dose of "travel!" and "have a good pre-existing family & financial situation!".

And yes, the author does talk about the science, but I don't think folks with anxiety need to be told that they're experiencing an imbalance in their brain chemistry because... we already know. :)

YMMV of course. I'd instead recommend Brené Brown's books, which help get to the bottom of /why/ we might be experiencing anxiety so we can solve those problems at their root (case in point: I got into Brené's books because my therapist recommended her, while Good Anxiety just happened to have a catchy title at the library.)

Also, The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, which goes beyond just naming the negative thought processes that come up in anxiety and actually goes and breaks them down step-by-step.

[George H Hartman · Rating 2 out of 5]

All Emotionally Based not Reality Based

Disappointed. I have lived a life of stress, almost all related to achieving and working in positions that are critical, time sensitive, and involve leadership and the care and love of people. This stress is not emotionally based, you cannot by positive thoughts make it go away. I hoped this book could help, for me it did not.

[Leah Lambart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good research on the topic although if you've already learned about anxiety most of this is not new to you. Exercise, meditation, eating well, and exercising are the main take aways.

[Sarah Jane]

exercise, eat healthy snacks, don’t drink alcohol, sleep 8 hours a night.

there now you don’t have to read it.

[Diva Prestia · Rating 4 out of 5]

continuing my journey in my smart girl nonfiction era part 10 ✨

i like how this incorporated a heavy amount of scientific information and research findings while also explaining it all occasionally using layman’s terms for someone who may not be as well versed with the more academic side of it. i also appreciate the case studies that helped highlight just how to turn maladaptive anxiety into something more advantageous in a number of different contexts and ways

i also appreciated wendy sharing her story of many times in her life that caused her anxiety and helped her build resilience. it was captivating and emotional and made me trust her more on the subject she was discussing since it was not only directly related to her line of work, but also something she knew about firsthand in her personal life

although it did feel a bit bloated as well as repetitive with its overall message, it was a very inspiring one. even me, a self-help book hater, found myself considering how to use the tactics in this book in my own life. she got me, gal. a little bit

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tough to read. I have battled anxiety that appeared out of nowhere. Never in my life had it until 2023. Now daily panic and anxiety attacks that leave me dizzy, unbalanced, terrified, housebound, unable to finish grad school, or work. No real answers but lots of tests. One day I will get answers and clarification. This level of extreme, debilitating anxiety is almost unlivable. One day you will be OK and driving and going to stores and the next day you wake up in your heart rate is so high you can barely stand up. It’s devastating. I had dreams, I had a life planned now all in the garbage. This level of anxiety I am battling is beyond acceptable. One day when I quiet it, I will write a book for people like me who are warriors. The ones that can barely talk, chew food, or sleep but they smile and try their best everyday especially when little ones need you. Most of us do not benefit from yoga, meditation, or being creative, we need ears to listen and people to help by being there.

[Vicky P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled a little with what number of stars to give this. I settled on 3 because ultimately this is a book for neurotypical people. That's okay, but it was very aggravating at times. It also lost points for constant gentle "I wanted to lose 25 pounds so I cleaned up my diet" types of sentiments. And finally, despite the fact that I think the author genuinely intends the emotional wellbeing that her advice very well would bring, the focus of SO much of the book was better performance, better productivity, concrete results. I find this an incredibly shallow approach to discussing anxiety - deprioritizing productivity and our utility to capitalistic ideals is as critical to the discussion of modern anxiety as anything else discussed in this book. That being said, I did like a lot of how she talked about using anxiety as data to determine what our bodies and minds need, and I actually thought that the exercises for at home section at the back of the boom was excellent.

[Jason Broussard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a small find at a local book store that spoke to me. It made me realize how much we can use anxiety and flip it depending on the situation. It will take practice - but it was a good book to get some insight on a subject that seems so broad and individualized.

[Pj · Rating 1 out of 5]

First half of the book I picked up some hints on what anxiety looks like, but this was for basic anxiety (what I call, 'stressed' feelings) or for those feelings that are 'off' and you're realizing you might need to change your ways. The ability to change your mindset is the goal of this book. If you have a serious type of anxiety, I will say give this book a HARD PASS and really talk to a licensed THERAPIST!

Something happened after Chapter 6. Once the gobbledygook of neuroanatomy entered the scene something changed in the book. It was like a whole bunch of college essays put together. You know when someone is talking indirectly about things, but not directly with you? I lost interest.
It started to go down that road of not giving helpful concrete 'how-to' ways to use the difference of thinking to overcome anxiety, but rather how great the author was in knowledge. Let's be real, who cares where it is in the brain? I know the author meant well, but when the author included herself (which was frequently):

“...I learned this firsthand. As a career scientist I have a list of creative insights from throughout the years that I'm very proud of. Some are practical, some esoteric (e.g., only if you have been studying the electrophysiology of the hippocampus for many years would you understand why a particular insight was, in fact, quite creative). But perhaps the insight I'm most proud of was born out of an intense, hit-the-wall problem I needed to solve.”

Yeah, you!!! Could you maybe SHARE WITH THE CLASS...us meager readers? Is this a book of you and how much you know or is it for others? Meanwhile, if a person with serious personal anxiety issues is reading this book, well...they will be more anxious because of your pretentious writing!!

Yes, clean up your diet, exercise, lose weight, positive self-talk, and meditate...oh, and take fun vacations to international destinations!
Congratulations on obtaining your PhD, teaching, and writing a book. Her 'acknowledgments' went to the coauthor, book agent, and editor...if that tells you something. Not to family or anyone outside -self-.
(I am sorry for author losing her brother)

[Jennifer Daniells · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here are my reasons for the 3/5

Pros of this book:
- there are some really interesting facts about anxiety and how it works to allow for people to build more compassion for this emotion / response
- there is some neuroscience in here that is super interesting!
- lots of tools to self reflect with

Cons:
- some of her personal examples were not relatable at all… I’m wondering if she could have refrained from using them and used more generic examples to allow for more connection (it was a bit too much about her Masters / PhD and more of a … richer lifestyle that I cannot relate to)
- sometimes the neuroscience with examples didn’t mix well. I love neuroscience but I think the examples linked to the science didn’t click for me - I got bored

Neutral:
- I know a lot of the tools and strategies she posted - specifically around yoga and meditation / but she allowed the science to back it up which was neat but not surprising for me personally

Overall: this is a good book for beginners on their self love journey. This book has some interesting additional information for the person who is a bit more experience with managing their anxiety / stress…. But it’s not anything new. I would recommend this more for people who are just starting their self love journey. I was hoping for something more.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may seem like a lot to take in, but I found it easy to follow, especially the suggestions at the very end including tea meditation, imagining a positive outcome, loving kindness meditation, as well as the examples of a person staying extra busy to avoid thinking about problems or worries and becoming ill, and then needing to rest to realize how essential rest really is. Lots of relatable info on boredom, over-stimulation, and some empathy about loneliness.

I also enjoyed notes, such as changing one’s environment can take away negative associations with a place.

The book wisely and with care suggests it was written with “everyday anxiety” in mind, rather than more severe, clinical anxiety. While the book is not exactly anti-medicine, if those with clinical anxiety feel guilty for taking medicine, I would say, don’t worry—every case is different; talk with your doctor. It is a long book, yet I feel like even simply browsing it can be helpful for everyday life.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dare I say, after the events of the last few years, this book might be required reading. I think most of us, at one point in our lives, have experienced anxiety, and some of us struggle with it daily.

Dr. Suzuki is a professor of neural science and psychology; she uses her knowledge and experience to help shift our thinking about anxiety. It’s hard to imagine, but we can learn that, like all emotions, there is a purpose for our anxiety; we just need to focus that energy in a positive, healthy direction.

Some of the concepts presented are not new but are helpful reminders. But the idea of not seeing anxiety as the enemy is a fresh, exciting approach. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 is an excellent resource for our well-being.


Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @wendy.suzuki for a spot on tour and a gifted book.

[Ashley Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading the parts of this book about recent research on anxiety and the brain. It was quite interesting and insightful!
This book was a good balance between science and scientific language and real life application. I enjoyed how the writer made all these parts make sense in a non-judgmental, be-kind-to-yourself kind of way. She shared her personal stories, thus building rapport with the reader. You really feel like you get to know her as a human being and not just some scientist throwing information at you, which was definitely refreshing to read in this book.
There were also some assessments and real life application suggestions I also appreciated and enjoyed reading about.
I would definitely recommend this for anyone who lives with anxiety!

[Izzy Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good!
I liked the concept that anxiety is not something you can completely get rid of, but rather something you can manage in different ways. This book provides so much in depth information on the brain system and why we tend to feel the anxiety we do in the different situations we find ourselves in.
I also enjoyed how this author sees the different varieties of anxiety. She did not center this book around those who experience low levels of anxiety, but rather centered the book around any type of person feeling any sort od anxiety.

[Ονι · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew I had anxiety until quite recently, and it was so hard dealing with it. I genuinely didn't know how to.

But Dr. Wendy Suzuki book was very insightful. And it taught me a lot. I don't have to be ashamed of having anxiety or try to avoid it. By confronting what makes us anxious, it helps us not only to learn about ourselves but also helps us discover ways to harness it and improve our lives.

It was nice to know that instead of making it a hindrance, anxiety can be used as a tool for improvement.

[Jason Frasca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall a powerful read. I greatly enjoyed this, with its focus on anxiety, its roots, and ways to reframe and use it as a tool to transform our thought processes and ultimately actions. Rather than avoiding anxiety, embrace it! An example includes the “sailboat” analogy, describing how as a sailboat needs wind, the brain-body needs outside encouragement. The author successful demonstrates throughout the read the difference between rational fear and anxiety, and ways to utilize these feelings. I highly recommend to all who experience anxiety (which one could argue we all do at some point), and/or for those trying to better understand the emotion and feeling in friends and family. Those vying for anxiety-provoking careers and training also would benefit from this read as it helps discern tangible steps to understand anxiety and use it for good.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy. The comments above are my own without influence.

[Gia⁷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got interested in this book after watching the author’s interview on The Diary of a CEO. I have already tried some of the tips, and they feel really relatable. I also love watching anything about neuroscientists! A lot of people say this book is “too scientific" but honestly, that makes it perfect for me! I’m exactly the target audience for it.