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Making Friends with Anxiety
A warm and supportive little book to help ease worry and panic by bestselling author Sarah Rayner. Drawing on her own experience of anxiety disorder and recovery, Sarah Rayner shares her insights into this extremely common and often distressing condition with compassion and humour. She reveals the seven elements that commonly contribute to anxiety including adrenaline, negative thinking and fear of the future, and explains what causes worry and panic to become such a problem for many of us.
Packed with tips, exercises and anecdotes from the author’s life, this companion to mental good health reads like a chat with a friend. It shows that an understanding of the way our minds and bodies work together can provide anxiety relief and restore our sense of confidence and control. If you suffer from panic attacks, a debilitating disorder or just want to reduce the amount of time you spend worrying, Making Friends with Anxiety will allow you to manage your own condition and see anxiety as a friend not foe.
* From the author of the international bestseller, One Moment, One Morning and its follow-up, the recently published Another Night, Another Day
* Draws on the techniques of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
* Includes beautiful photographs by the author to lift the spirit
* Useful links throughout, plus details of helplines and recommended reads
* Ongoing online support group available
'This is a great book: readable, practical and, most importantly, compassionate. Sarah Rayner gives a clear explanation of the common symptoms of anxiety and panic that affect so many lives. She then goes on to give sound advice as to how to cope with these ongoing feelings. This entails a series of strategies that encourage understanding of the anxiety rather than its suppression, aiming to give control of these complex emotions back to the patient. It’s impressive that she admits to her own anxiety issues, and without embarrassment shows how they have affected her life, how she has sought help over the years, and how she continues to deal with them. The fact she has written this book shows how well she has embraced her demons, able to get on with her own creative life. I will be recommending this book to my patients.' Dr P Fitzgerald, GP
Packed with tips, exercises and anecdotes from the author’s life, this companion to mental good health reads like a chat with a friend. It shows that an understanding of the way our minds and bodies work together can provide anxiety relief and restore our sense of confidence and control. If you suffer from panic attacks, a debilitating disorder or just want to reduce the amount of time you spend worrying, Making Friends with Anxiety will allow you to manage your own condition and see anxiety as a friend not foe.
* From the author of the international bestseller, One Moment, One Morning and its follow-up, the recently published Another Night, Another Day
* Draws on the techniques of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
* Includes beautiful photographs by the author to lift the spirit
* Useful links throughout, plus details of helplines and recommended reads
* Ongoing online support group available
'This is a great book: readable, practical and, most importantly, compassionate. Sarah Rayner gives a clear explanation of the common symptoms of anxiety and panic that affect so many lives. She then goes on to give sound advice as to how to cope with these ongoing feelings. This entails a series of strategies that encourage understanding of the anxiety rather than its suppression, aiming to give control of these complex emotions back to the patient. It’s impressive that she admits to her own anxiety issues, and without embarrassment shows how they have affected her life, how she has sought help over the years, and how she continues to deal with them. The fact she has written this book shows how well she has embraced her demons, able to get on with her own creative life. I will be recommending this book to my patients.' Dr P Fitzgerald, GP
132 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2014
159 people are currently reading
1544 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Rayner
26 books278 followers"Reading a Sarah Rayner book is like having a no-holds-barred chat with a close friend..."
Sarah Rayner writes both fiction and non-fiction and has sold over 750,000 books worldwide. She is the author of six novels - including 'Searching for Mr. Yesterday', published in February 2023. Her novel, the international bestseller, 'One Moment, One Morning' has two follow-ups, 'The Two Week Wait' and 'Another Night, Another Day', which feature the same Brighton-based characters.
She is also the author/publisher of the 'Making Friends' series of non-fiction self-help books. 'Making Friends with Anxiety: a warm, supportive little book to help ease worry and panic', 'Making Friends with the Menopause' and 'Making Peace with Depression' were published in 2022 by Thread, the non-fiction imprint of Bookouture. They were fully revised and edited for republication.
In 2021, Sarah published 'No More Tigers', her mother's childhood memoir, through her independent imprint, Creative Pumpkin Publishing. Mary Rayner grew up in Burma and when she was eight years old, in 1942, Mary and her family fled from Burma to India on foot to escape the invading Japanese. Mary Rayner is now 89, and is the author/illustrator of the 'Pig Books'. Sarah has written both a Foreword and Afterword for the memoir which is available on Amazon.
To find out more about Sarah or get in touch, please visit her website, www.sarah-rayner.com - it always makes her day to hear to hear from her readers. She is also on Facebook, Instagram and TicToc (search for Creative Pumpkin) and regularly posts about her life in Brighton, England, where she lives with her husband, Tom.
Sarah Rayner writes both fiction and non-fiction and has sold over 750,000 books worldwide. She is the author of six novels - including 'Searching for Mr. Yesterday', published in February 2023. Her novel, the international bestseller, 'One Moment, One Morning' has two follow-ups, 'The Two Week Wait' and 'Another Night, Another Day', which feature the same Brighton-based characters.
She is also the author/publisher of the 'Making Friends' series of non-fiction self-help books. 'Making Friends with Anxiety: a warm, supportive little book to help ease worry and panic', 'Making Friends with the Menopause' and 'Making Peace with Depression' were published in 2022 by Thread, the non-fiction imprint of Bookouture. They were fully revised and edited for republication.
In 2021, Sarah published 'No More Tigers', her mother's childhood memoir, through her independent imprint, Creative Pumpkin Publishing. Mary Rayner grew up in Burma and when she was eight years old, in 1942, Mary and her family fled from Burma to India on foot to escape the invading Japanese. Mary Rayner is now 89, and is the author/illustrator of the 'Pig Books'. Sarah has written both a Foreword and Afterword for the memoir which is available on Amazon.
To find out more about Sarah or get in touch, please visit her website, www.sarah-rayner.com - it always makes her day to hear to hear from her readers. She is also on Facebook, Instagram and TicToc (search for Creative Pumpkin) and regularly posts about her life in Brighton, England, where she lives with her husband, Tom.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 27, 2018
Brief and basic. This covers some of the main causes of anxiety and offers tips for managing it. However it doesn't cover anything more than what you'd find in a couple of websites or leaflets from your GP and there's more filler/anecdote than actual solid information - it feels almost as if it's addressed to children. Self-published, it has many of the faults that an objective editor would have prevented. There is too much use of text-bolding, far too much use of filler pictures, constant plugs for the author's facebook group (which, I suspect, is where many of the positive GR reviews come from) and an astonishing pre-emptive guilt-trip over poor reviews (the author talks of the effect poor amazon ratings had on her mental health). I won't be recommending this to the people I know and love who suffer from anxiety, because there is so much out there that deals with the subject much better than this.
October 5, 2014
'This is a great book: readable, practical and, most importantly, compassionate. Sarah Rayner gives a clear explanation of the common symptoms of anxiety and panic that affect so many lives. She then goes on to give sound advice as to how to cope with these ongoing feelings. This entails a series of strategies that encourage understanding of the anxiety rather than its suppression, aiming to give control of these complex emotions back to the patient. It’s impressive that she admits to her own anxiety issues, and without embarrassment shows how they have affected her life, how she has sought help over the years, and how she continues to deal with them. The fact she has written this book shows how well she has embraced her demons, able to get on with her own creative life. I will be recommending this book to my patients.' Dr P Fitzgerald, GP
May 11, 2021
A great easy to read book about anxiety and how to deal with it. I'd recommend this to readers who've never read about anxiety before, as it is a good basic introduction to anxiety, learning to accept it is a normal part of life, rather than fighting it, as well as suggestions and exercises on how to try and deal with and reduce anxiety.
July 13, 2019
This book feels like a sit down with a good friend when you need to clear the bad thoughts from your head. It’s full of great help and advice for anyone going through anxiety in any form without feeling like it’s preaching at you.
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January 23, 2016Having to witness situations where your husband has to ask you exactly where we are going for coffee, how busy it might be and how long we are staying, is something most people would find rather unusual. I’m ashamed to say it used to embarrass me, especially when he would cancel on me and my friends last minute. The excuses I gave for him were wearing thin, but I never gave them the real reason; partly because they wouldn’t understand and also because - at the time - I didn’t really either. A few years ago, I was shrugging it off, putting it down to just having an unsociable husband, but if you could see the pallor of his skin, the sweating, and the shaking hand that would clench at his stomach to ease the nausea at the shear thought of catching a train; this is the sort of behaviour that you wouldn't turn a blind eye to.
Particular examples aside, research is the resounding word to use when opening up your mind to the definition of anxiety; which lead me to this magnificent book, Making Friends with Anxiety. As a wife who experiences the crushing affects anxiety can have on her husband, and seeing no improvement, I realised from the onset that reading up on the subject would give me the upper hand to reach a healthier life. Examples of how to deal with anxiety are very clearly laid out in Making Friends with Anxiety, making it clear in some cases that fighting anxiety is more likely to cause more harm than good.
The term ‘Mental illness’, however unsavoury is given to a person who suffers from anxiety or depression, and the book tells you a bit on the physiological aspects. But bear in mind, that doesn’t mean to say that Sarah Rayner is throwing this notion around light-heartedly, in fact, she intends for this book to help people come to terms with what you have and to learn some avoidance strategies.
It goes on to explain how closely anxiety is linked to depression which is surprising for someone to learn of, but at the same time makes perfect sense; the anxiety becomes too much to bear, you feel like you can’t do anything about it, which leaves you depressed. It can work the other way round too; depression leads to anxiety, or they can both be isolated.
I was initially dubious about the choice of title; it gives off an foolishly idealistic message and almost undermines the seriousness of the content. Considering what my husband and many others are going through, the notion of making friends with anxiety is not something anyone would willingly embrace in a hurry.
However, reading on, it tells of instances where you may not be able to alleviate all the symptoms, but rather control it. Rayner, a sufferer of anxiety herself takes into account how little people know of this illness and explains in a most un-condescending way, that ‘anxiety is [one of] the most common forms of mental ill-health in the world, so if you suffer from it, you’re not alone'. It’s one thing for a doctor to spew facts about this and that, but the fact that Rayner has exhibited snippets of her own hell, it feels a lot more personal.
Rayner is also mindful of peoples' specific needs and symptoms. Where anxiety sufferers tend not to be able to concentrate on the same tasks for long periods, she has therefore written in ‘bite-sized chunks’. Additionally, there are pages just dedicated to calming pictures, possibly to aim for calming the person even as they read. Undoubtedly reading this would dredge up some experiences and make sufferers feel some anxiety!
It is difficult to aim this book at a wider audience as the subject matter is so niche, however, people should give this book a chance if they are in any doubt about what they are suffering from, or do what I have done, and get swatting up on how to help
If there is any advice I could give to anyone – other than to read this this book – I would say be honest about how you feel and allow your family and friends to help. Don't do the tough-love act as it is not something an individual can merely snap out of; think of anxiety as having deep-set roots which still needs a lot of care and attention.
Anxiety doesn't make you any less of a human being, or a man in my husband's case. He copes better with many other things which I find particularly stressful. Anxiety sufferers are not a lost cause; you invest a little more of your time, but it's worth it.
RRP £4.99, (ebook £1.99), or go to Amazon
Particular examples aside, research is the resounding word to use when opening up your mind to the definition of anxiety; which lead me to this magnificent book, Making Friends with Anxiety. As a wife who experiences the crushing affects anxiety can have on her husband, and seeing no improvement, I realised from the onset that reading up on the subject would give me the upper hand to reach a healthier life. Examples of how to deal with anxiety are very clearly laid out in Making Friends with Anxiety, making it clear in some cases that fighting anxiety is more likely to cause more harm than good.
The term ‘Mental illness’, however unsavoury is given to a person who suffers from anxiety or depression, and the book tells you a bit on the physiological aspects. But bear in mind, that doesn’t mean to say that Sarah Rayner is throwing this notion around light-heartedly, in fact, she intends for this book to help people come to terms with what you have and to learn some avoidance strategies.
It goes on to explain how closely anxiety is linked to depression which is surprising for someone to learn of, but at the same time makes perfect sense; the anxiety becomes too much to bear, you feel like you can’t do anything about it, which leaves you depressed. It can work the other way round too; depression leads to anxiety, or they can both be isolated.
I was initially dubious about the choice of title; it gives off an foolishly idealistic message and almost undermines the seriousness of the content. Considering what my husband and many others are going through, the notion of making friends with anxiety is not something anyone would willingly embrace in a hurry.
However, reading on, it tells of instances where you may not be able to alleviate all the symptoms, but rather control it. Rayner, a sufferer of anxiety herself takes into account how little people know of this illness and explains in a most un-condescending way, that ‘anxiety is [one of] the most common forms of mental ill-health in the world, so if you suffer from it, you’re not alone'. It’s one thing for a doctor to spew facts about this and that, but the fact that Rayner has exhibited snippets of her own hell, it feels a lot more personal.
Rayner is also mindful of peoples' specific needs and symptoms. Where anxiety sufferers tend not to be able to concentrate on the same tasks for long periods, she has therefore written in ‘bite-sized chunks’. Additionally, there are pages just dedicated to calming pictures, possibly to aim for calming the person even as they read. Undoubtedly reading this would dredge up some experiences and make sufferers feel some anxiety!
It is difficult to aim this book at a wider audience as the subject matter is so niche, however, people should give this book a chance if they are in any doubt about what they are suffering from, or do what I have done, and get swatting up on how to help
If there is any advice I could give to anyone – other than to read this this book – I would say be honest about how you feel and allow your family and friends to help. Don't do the tough-love act as it is not something an individual can merely snap out of; think of anxiety as having deep-set roots which still needs a lot of care and attention.
Anxiety doesn't make you any less of a human being, or a man in my husband's case. He copes better with many other things which I find particularly stressful. Anxiety sufferers are not a lost cause; you invest a little more of your time, but it's worth it.
RRP £4.99, (ebook £1.99), or go to Amazon
August 18, 2015
Great advice mixed with personal experience make this book a must read for anxiety sufferers. I have panic disorder and have found that a lot of books written by so called experts are cold and condescending. This book is like a warm hug, a cuppa and a chat with a friend.
July 31, 2021
This self help book informs the reader all about anxiety. I found this book a real eye-opener and I learned an awful lot about anxiety and the physiological response our bodies make. The understanding this book has given me enables me to deal with any anxiety I encounter and know the problems other people may suffer from.
Making Friends with Anxiety is an easy book to follow, read and understand. Sarah Rayner is a British author and her book is very, very down to earth. You don’t need to know anything about anxiety before starting this book. I found the text engaging, focused and extremely informative. I simply loved the psychology involved with how our minds work and how we deal with life.
Sarah explains that anxiety is a problem for everyone and her book can lessen the effects on you. However, anxiety is different for everyone and Sarah lists many of the symptoms. Sarah encourages readers to live in the moment, talks about mindfulness plus how and why household pets are happy and anxiety free.
To give you the flavour of this wonderful book and the down to earth nature and quality of Sarah’s writing, below are some quotes to illustrate the focus and power of Making Friends with Anxiety...
“You can never be rid of anxiety completely as it’s a natural physiological response, but it’s impact can be reduced.”
“In other words, even relatively mild anxiety can make us alter our actions and restrict what we do.”
“We can influence our thoughts, and if we change the way we think, then our mood will lift and, eventually, anxiety will diminish too.”
“We can’t control much of what’s coming, and we certainly can’t change what’s been and gone. Put like this, it seems obvious that shifting our focus to the present will be good for our mental health.”
“let go of ruminating on the past and worrying about the future and focus on the here and now, anxiety lessens.”
...When I got to the end of this 132 page book, I understood fully why Sarah chose this title. Anxiety is a natural part of life and if you make friends with it, rather than fight anxiety, you will not struggle needlessly with a physiological response that we have all had since the stone age. I really enjoyed reading Making Friends with Anxiety, I found it very enlightening and I took a lot away from this book. I think it is a great book that explains what makes people tick and is an OUTSTANDING read that gets the top score of 5 stars from me. Sarah even mentions a value that I have held all my adult life...
“Alcohol should be a treat, not a treatment.”
This book was first written in 2014 but has been updated with a final chapter to cover the extra anxiety challenges that readers may face during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Making Friends with Anxiety is an easy book to follow, read and understand. Sarah Rayner is a British author and her book is very, very down to earth. You don’t need to know anything about anxiety before starting this book. I found the text engaging, focused and extremely informative. I simply loved the psychology involved with how our minds work and how we deal with life.
Sarah explains that anxiety is a problem for everyone and her book can lessen the effects on you. However, anxiety is different for everyone and Sarah lists many of the symptoms. Sarah encourages readers to live in the moment, talks about mindfulness plus how and why household pets are happy and anxiety free.
To give you the flavour of this wonderful book and the down to earth nature and quality of Sarah’s writing, below are some quotes to illustrate the focus and power of Making Friends with Anxiety...
“You can never be rid of anxiety completely as it’s a natural physiological response, but it’s impact can be reduced.”
“In other words, even relatively mild anxiety can make us alter our actions and restrict what we do.”
“We can influence our thoughts, and if we change the way we think, then our mood will lift and, eventually, anxiety will diminish too.”
“We can’t control much of what’s coming, and we certainly can’t change what’s been and gone. Put like this, it seems obvious that shifting our focus to the present will be good for our mental health.”
“let go of ruminating on the past and worrying about the future and focus on the here and now, anxiety lessens.”
...When I got to the end of this 132 page book, I understood fully why Sarah chose this title. Anxiety is a natural part of life and if you make friends with it, rather than fight anxiety, you will not struggle needlessly with a physiological response that we have all had since the stone age. I really enjoyed reading Making Friends with Anxiety, I found it very enlightening and I took a lot away from this book. I think it is a great book that explains what makes people tick and is an OUTSTANDING read that gets the top score of 5 stars from me. Sarah even mentions a value that I have held all my adult life...
“Alcohol should be a treat, not a treatment.”
This book was first written in 2014 but has been updated with a final chapter to cover the extra anxiety challenges that readers may face during the Coronavirus pandemic.
November 6, 2019
Another short and concise book by Sarah Rayner, this time dealing with anxiety. As an anxious person myself I found the tips very helpful, and I can see myself listening to this book several times in the future if anxiety takes hold and I need to feel calm. Sarah comes across as very friendly and has a very calming voice, and I liked the fact that she shared personal experiences. Thank you Sarah.
May 18, 2016
Adrenaline
Negative Thoughts
X-factor
Imagination
Escalation
Time
You
A short but concise book detailing the symptoms, causes and treatment of anxiety written by someone who although not a therapist has firsthand knowledge of what it is like to suffer from anxiety and provides examples of how anxiety has affected her own life. The book also ties into a Facebook group she runs and which you can join for support.
She gives good/practical advice which parallels other books I have read but it is in an easy and uncomplicated reading style. There are also a few exercises scattered through the book which are straightforward. The book only touches very briefly on mindfulness.
I read the Ebook, and the only one and minor criticism I have is there could have been a little more careful proof reading as there are some words missing. However, I did like the highlighting of the important parts of the text in bold so your eye easily jumps to those sections of the text which when you are rereading is useful.
Negative Thoughts
X-factor
Imagination
Escalation
Time
You
A short but concise book detailing the symptoms, causes and treatment of anxiety written by someone who although not a therapist has firsthand knowledge of what it is like to suffer from anxiety and provides examples of how anxiety has affected her own life. The book also ties into a Facebook group she runs and which you can join for support.
She gives good/practical advice which parallels other books I have read but it is in an easy and uncomplicated reading style. There are also a few exercises scattered through the book which are straightforward. The book only touches very briefly on mindfulness.
I read the Ebook, and the only one and minor criticism I have is there could have been a little more careful proof reading as there are some words missing. However, I did like the highlighting of the important parts of the text in bold so your eye easily jumps to those sections of the text which when you are rereading is useful.
October 8, 2014
I’ve wondered if I’m a bit of a fraud, joining Sarah’s Facebook support group for anxiety when my anxieties are so much less frequent and severe than those of many other members, but her little book has re-assured me that I’m not gate-crashing. It has shown me that I am indeed an incurably anxious person. I have lived long enough (don’t ask!) and survived enough ghastly times to have accepted that anxiety is an inseparable part of who I am, my Siamese twin if you like, and to have discovered for myself many of the helpful tips Sarah offers. So most (but not all) of the time I function pretty well (if eccentrically) and I’m reasonably happy, and when I don’t function well, or adrenaline ambushes me, or my mood heads for the pit, I have tried-and-tested strategies to turn that around. I’m going to keep Sarah’s book by my bed (alongside ‘Relaxation for dummies’ and ‘101 poems that could save your life’), to reach for on bad days, and to make me smile on good days :)
July 2, 2015
An excellent guide for anyone who has bouts of anxiety. Rammed with helpful tips, advice, and insightful real-life experiences this is an absolute gem. There's also a really helpful Facebook page to accompany the guide too.
July 15, 2015
Anxiety is something we all feel, but most of us will have times in our lives when it feels like it's getting on top of us. This is a friendly, helpful book that helps you understand that fighting it won't work, but embracing it just might.
March 15, 2019
The author came across as really likeable so I would love to score this higher but this it’s probably more suitable for people who haven’t read up much on anxiety but for me, having had anxiety for a number of years, it was more a repeat of lots of other websites/books/factsheets I’ve read before.
May 30, 2023
I read this book for my psychotherapy course. I initially picked it because it was the shortest book on the list and the one I felt I could relate to the most. I really enjoyed it, it’s not all that different than what a therapist would tell me, but it just felt more real as it was coming from a person who deals with immense anxiety themselves. I think the feeling of knowing I’m not alone really helped when reading this short self-help book and that their are other people out there that also deal with similar anxiety issues as I do
November 25, 2023
Als iemand die al best een tijdje in therapie zit en heel veel verschillende soorten therapie heeft uitgeprobeerd, verteld dit boek mij niks nieuws en heeft het niet mijn ogen geopend of zoiets. Wel is het altijd fijn om af en toe een bevestiging te hebben dat je niet gek bent hahah! Ik denk wel dat als je nieuw bent met therapie of met je helingsproces voor je anxiety dat dit boek je kan helpen en geruststellen.
July 20, 2019
Audiobook review
A good listen. Breathing practices and tips to help you think about why & how your anxiety is there.
Helpful music for gaps to breathe or rest. Then you can go back and listen. Easy to pop back a chapter too and relisten to follow on.
Author narrated and has a friendly voice, you know she’s been there too. A good listen
A good listen. Breathing practices and tips to help you think about why & how your anxiety is there.
Helpful music for gaps to breathe or rest. Then you can go back and listen. Easy to pop back a chapter too and relisten to follow on.
Author narrated and has a friendly voice, you know she’s been there too. A good listen
March 31, 2017
Helpful and understanding
This book is very helpful to understand how you are feeling. Made me realise what I have been feeling and how to calm.
This book is very helpful to understand how you are feeling. Made me realise what I have been feeling and how to calm.
January 2, 2024
Het is heel basic en als je al wat weet over angsten zal dit boek niet veel nieuwe dingen vertellen. Maar de basis is wel fijn uitgelegd. En doordat er weinig op 1 pagina staat, gaat het lezen (in pagina’s) ook vlot.
De lay-out is vreselijk (groot lettertype, verschillende blokken,…) daarom duurde het zo lang om uit te lezen. Voor sommige mensen zal het werken, voor mij was het echt storend.
“Indenken wat de toekomst gaat brengen en piekeren over alles wat er fout zou kunnen gaan. Maakt het leven niet voorspelbaarder. Het zorgt er alleen maar voor dat je niet kunt genieten van de leuke dingen die nú gebeurden.”
De lay-out is vreselijk (groot lettertype, verschillende blokken,…) daarom duurde het zo lang om uit te lezen. Voor sommige mensen zal het werken, voor mij was het echt storend.
“Indenken wat de toekomst gaat brengen en piekeren over alles wat er fout zou kunnen gaan. Maakt het leven niet voorspelbaarder. Het zorgt er alleen maar voor dat je niet kunt genieten van de leuke dingen die nú gebeurden.”
February 3, 2019
Interesting
December 12, 2021
Ok for a quick read for someone who has little to no knowledge of what anxiety is and how it may impact one’s life in great ways… felt really wanting to rush through some pages. The biggest takeaway to me personally: never feel ashamed of experiencing anxiety and believe that things will get better. The recommended book list and websites at the end may be useful for future use.
August 8, 2019
Please note before purchasing that this author does not have any mental health credentials. As such, advice given is juvenile and simplistic, lacking even the wisdom that can often be found in anecdotal accounts. Don't waste your money.
January 25, 2015
Helpful, no nonsense & brief, good exploration of what anxiety feels like with some suggestions for ways to control it.
March 8, 2020
Is that it?
Read the book and thought is that all? It did say little in the title but I didn't expect it too be that little
Read the book and thought is that all? It did say little in the title but I didn't expect it too be that little
May 16, 2020
I first found Sarah Rayner in the library, her novels, not Sarah herself, and then I discovered Sarah’s “Making Friends with……..” series. To be honest though I have quite a few books on anxiety on my kindle and haven’t read any of them so I was delighted to find that Sarah has an audible version of “Making Friends with Anxiety” and very happy when I found out that a)Sarah has narrated it herself in a great no nonsense style and b) that the book is only 2 hours and 30 minutes long! Although the book was written in 2014, the audible version has been updated and to bring the topic completely up to-date a pdf called “10 ways to reduce panic if you’re afraid or self-isolating due to Corona Virus accompanies this audible book.
I normally listen to books when driving to and from work. We are now on lockdown and because Sarah’s book has bite-sized chapters, each focusing on a specific component of anxiety, it was a perfect listen whilst sitting in the garden, taking a break, from work each day.
In Making Friends with Anxiety, Sarah speaks from experience and gets right to the point as she shares what has worked for her. She also shares some (anonymous) quotes from members of her facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/makin.... Useful insights and tips are preceded by a chiming sound and a bell is heard before suggested exercises. These are particularly useful especially when listening for a second time or fast forwarding to a specific point.
What particularly resonated with me was when Sarah explained that “befriending anxiety is your best tactic” and I think this is my biggest take-away. Another important point, however, and perhaps my favourite comment from Sarah, in Making Friends with Anxiety is “Alcohol should be a treat not a treatment”. At the end of the book Sarah shares some mantras to accompany each chapter and recommends further reading on her author website https://www.sarah-rayner.com/ as well as recommending other useful links.
Making Friends with Anxiety by Sarah Rayner was an eye-opener and has shown me several ways of living with my anxiety and I definitely recommend it.
I normally listen to books when driving to and from work. We are now on lockdown and because Sarah’s book has bite-sized chapters, each focusing on a specific component of anxiety, it was a perfect listen whilst sitting in the garden, taking a break, from work each day.
In Making Friends with Anxiety, Sarah speaks from experience and gets right to the point as she shares what has worked for her. She also shares some (anonymous) quotes from members of her facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/makin.... Useful insights and tips are preceded by a chiming sound and a bell is heard before suggested exercises. These are particularly useful especially when listening for a second time or fast forwarding to a specific point.
What particularly resonated with me was when Sarah explained that “befriending anxiety is your best tactic” and I think this is my biggest take-away. Another important point, however, and perhaps my favourite comment from Sarah, in Making Friends with Anxiety is “Alcohol should be a treat not a treatment”. At the end of the book Sarah shares some mantras to accompany each chapter and recommends further reading on her author website https://www.sarah-rayner.com/ as well as recommending other useful links.
Making Friends with Anxiety by Sarah Rayner was an eye-opener and has shown me several ways of living with my anxiety and I definitely recommend it.
Read
October 19, 2019Right Book at Right Time.
I don't normally go much for Self Help books there are so many that cover the same thing and not always helpful. However it was Mental Health week and I have been suffering more than usual so I decided to give this a go. I am so glad that I did.
Sarah is a sufferer herself but she has looked into the medical side and the fact that anxiety effects everyone differently. I listened to her Audio version and found her voice (she narrates herself) calming and understanding.
I loved that it was not only short but still broke down into manageable chunks because it can be hard to stay focused when I am struggling which she also brings up in the book. I large portion of it was very applicable to me and advice although similar to what I have heard before did bring it into a more practical applications and reinforce something that I often need reminded of.
I think this one could help a lot of anxiety sufferers and I know that I will be returning to listen to parts of this book whenever I need a reminder. I am considering some of her other works as well but will look more into this once I have had another listen,
I don't normally go much for Self Help books there are so many that cover the same thing and not always helpful. However it was Mental Health week and I have been suffering more than usual so I decided to give this a go. I am so glad that I did.
Sarah is a sufferer herself but she has looked into the medical side and the fact that anxiety effects everyone differently. I listened to her Audio version and found her voice (she narrates herself) calming and understanding.
I loved that it was not only short but still broke down into manageable chunks because it can be hard to stay focused when I am struggling which she also brings up in the book. I large portion of it was very applicable to me and advice although similar to what I have heard before did bring it into a more practical applications and reinforce something that I often need reminded of.
I think this one could help a lot of anxiety sufferers and I know that I will be returning to listen to parts of this book whenever I need a reminder. I am considering some of her other works as well but will look more into this once I have had another listen,
March 2, 2020
Short and compassionate read that's designed to hold your hand during moments of anxiety, where you want key points rather than long paragraphs to trawl though in such a heightened state.
As some others have mentioned, the info is pretty basic but that's the point and why it's a handy guide .
Did I feel like it changed my life? Probably not hugely, but I feel like I've understood the view of making peace with anxiety being present and riding through it as comfortable as I can, rather than pushing it away and getting more worked up.
The only thing I didn't like was the repetition of the Facebook group. It's ok, I get it. But going through overwhelming feelings now, I've taken myself off all social media for a detox anyway, so I don't find this hugely helpful.
Side note: the book feels nice to hold as well. Sounds strange but helps me feel 'grounded' and 'lovely'. Soft to touch and hold.
As some others have mentioned, the info is pretty basic but that's the point and why it's a handy guide .
Did I feel like it changed my life? Probably not hugely, but I feel like I've understood the view of making peace with anxiety being present and riding through it as comfortable as I can, rather than pushing it away and getting more worked up.
The only thing I didn't like was the repetition of the Facebook group. It's ok, I get it. But going through overwhelming feelings now, I've taken myself off all social media for a detox anyway, so I don't find this hugely helpful.
Side note: the book feels nice to hold as well. Sounds strange but helps me feel 'grounded' and 'lovely'. Soft to touch and hold.
July 17, 2019
At just 2 and a half hours long this is a helpful audio book, which manages to contain and divest a great deal of information. It was well set out, with the bell ringing just before a helpful tip and this will mean it will be easy to go back to and dip in and out of if a period of anxiety springs up. As the book is narrated by the author herself, it felt very meaningful. Ms Rayner obviously writes from the heart and from experience and the knowledge that a fellow sufferer has not only coped with her anxiety, but coped with it well enough to author and narrate a number of books, is a really good tonic for anxiety sufferers.
July 16, 2017
Found this book via Matt Haig's Reasons to Stay Alive. It's been a wealth of information and comfort to me. It's short, full of good suggestions on how to deal with anxiety and those pervasive, worrying thoughts. I wasn't taken with mindfulness (I know why I'm worried anyway!) but I tried it again, this time armed with the knowledge and understanding of how it helps with anxiety, and you know what? It does help!
It feels so much better knowing that there's something I can do to help myself instead of just hoping to feel better.
It feels so much better knowing that there's something I can do to help myself instead of just hoping to feel better.
September 11, 2024
Helpful little book for what it is, a guide to accepting your anxiety and living your best life. There wasn’t much I hadn’t read before but I did find the narration warm & friendly. Sadly I found quite a few annoying typos and it did feel like one huge plug for the author’s FB group. There was also a huge amount of advertising other books from the author at the end too (over 10%). But I did think the Covid chapter was helpful. I wish I’d read it whilst the pandemic was rife because my anxiety was through the roof then.
August 27, 2023
Brief, which really suits me in a self help book as I don't like them and haven't a lot of patience.
I bought this years back when I was on the FB group and having a difficult time but didn't actually read at the time. In keeping with the group it feels like a friendly chat, a collection of the sort of posts that might make up group guides. Lots made sense and although worst of anxiety seems to be under control, a lot of the advice seems to fit with the methods I use for controlling it.
I bought this years back when I was on the FB group and having a difficult time but didn't actually read at the time. In keeping with the group it feels like a friendly chat, a collection of the sort of posts that might make up group guides. Lots made sense and although worst of anxiety seems to be under control, a lot of the advice seems to fit with the methods I use for controlling it.
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