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Own It: Make Your Anxiety Work for You
Caroline Foran is not here to “cure” your anxiety. When crippling panic attacks upended her job, her health, and her life, she tried everything—from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to acupuncture, and yoga to medication. She found that there’s no such thing as a stress-free life . . . but, armed with the right tool kit, she could live with anxiety, and not spend her days running away from it.
In Own It., Caroline shares her hard-earned knowledge and kick-*ss strategies, including:
A panic attack rescue guide
The Assess & Address technique (how to get to the root of the problem)
The brain chemistry behind anxiety (and how to outsmart it)
How to break down the negativity bias.
Drawing on her lived experience, plus insights from mental-health professionals, Caroline will help you ditch your fear and anxiety—and own it!
In Own It., Caroline shares her hard-earned knowledge and kick-*ss strategies, including:
A panic attack rescue guide
The Assess & Address technique (how to get to the root of the problem)
The brain chemistry behind anxiety (and how to outsmart it)
How to break down the negativity bias.
Drawing on her lived experience, plus insights from mental-health professionals, Caroline will help you ditch your fear and anxiety—and own it!
272 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2019
82 people are currently reading
2483 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 3, 2020
I was... going to give this two stars and then went one up.
Plus sides: This is from lived experience, with someone who suffers from a pretty severe anxiety disorder. There is a lot of good advice here even for people who don't have a clinical anxiety disorder.
Down sides: Some weird stigmatization of asylums and mental health facilities. A really strange attitude toward medication in general. And I don't know why there was a big treatise about Traditional Chinese Medicine at the end.
Also, why were all of the curse words c*nsored?
Anyways, I think I was hoping this would be about reverse engineering anxiety rather than "these things help fix it, but I am not a doctor." She says she isn't aiming to cure it but it feels that way anyways?
But there were some good things in it that I will definitely be trying to consider (like the "mind traps" in chapter 7), which are more what I was expecting the whole thing to be. Would probably be more helpful to someone else though.
Plus sides: This is from lived experience, with someone who suffers from a pretty severe anxiety disorder. There is a lot of good advice here even for people who don't have a clinical anxiety disorder.
Down sides: Some weird stigmatization of asylums and mental health facilities. A really strange attitude toward medication in general. And I don't know why there was a big treatise about Traditional Chinese Medicine at the end.
Also, why were all of the curse words c*nsored?
Anyways, I think I was hoping this would be about reverse engineering anxiety rather than "these things help fix it, but I am not a doctor." She says she isn't aiming to cure it but it feels that way anyways?
But there were some good things in it that I will definitely be trying to consider (like the "mind traps" in chapter 7), which are more what I was expecting the whole thing to be. Would probably be more helpful to someone else though.
January 27, 2019
In Own It: Make Your Anxiety Work For You, Caroline Foran aims to help you change your relationship with anxiety so that rather than trying to avoid it you can own it.
The book isn't preachy at all, and feels like a chat with a good friend. The author takes a no-bullshit tone, and assures readers that if she tells you things will get better it's "because it's true, and not because it sounds like something contrived that you'll find on Pinterest with a swirly font."
The book begins with the Assess section, "or as I like to call it, the What-the-f*ck-is-going-on? part of the book". It then moves on to Address, "or, the What-the-f*ck-am-I-going-to-do-about-it? part of the book". Interspersed throughout are nuggets of information from clinical psychologist Dr. Malie Coyne and other subject matter experts. At the end of each chapter there are concise chapter summaries as well as practical exercises to complete.
I enjoyed the definition of anxiety as a "a sh*t, scary feeling where - how do I put this? - you feel as though you're quite literally coming out of your own skin." I also liked the chapter on "bullsh*t-free breathing", a refreshingly realistic take on the topic.
The simple, straightforward theme continues throughout the book. There are some useful metaphors to describe technical concepts, such as likening a hyperactive amygdala (the brain's fear centre) to an ill-fitted burglar alarm that gets tripped too easily. There are also clear instructions on things like how to assemble an anxiety survival kit, and how to handle a panic attack.
The author explains that when her anxiety began, from the outside her life looked pretty darn good. She felt guilty in a sense that she would be anxious when things should be good. I think this is a really important point, as too often people mistakenly assume that anxiety has to be "about" something.
Foran identifies positives that have come from her anxiety, like pushing herself to achieve more, having a strong work ethic, recognizing her patterns, being more in tune with her body, and having the chance to make a difference for others by speaking up about her own experience.
She writes about the importance of acceptance, which allows for a reframing of symptoms that can end up actually changing how you experience your symptoms. She points readers in the direction of Kelly McGonigal's TED Talk "How to make stress your friend". She also mentions Brene Brown's work on embracing vulnerability.
There is a chapter titled "why cognitive behavioural therapy is everything". Foran goes through common mind traps (cognitive distortions) and ways to get out of them, and describes our natural tendency to be biased towards the negative.
Other chapters touch on various other strategies, including acupuncture and medication. For her, medication played a helpful role, and she explains that often it will take a combination of approaches to be most effective.
She also writes that we should prioritize spending more time doing what makes us happy and less time doing what makes us unhappy, like negatively comparing ourselves to others on social media.
Overall, I think the word that best describes this book for me is refreshing. I liked the focus on accepting and managing anxiety rather than fighting it, and the chatty, no-BS tone made it a fun read.
The book isn't preachy at all, and feels like a chat with a good friend. The author takes a no-bullshit tone, and assures readers that if she tells you things will get better it's "because it's true, and not because it sounds like something contrived that you'll find on Pinterest with a swirly font."
The book begins with the Assess section, "or as I like to call it, the What-the-f*ck-is-going-on? part of the book". It then moves on to Address, "or, the What-the-f*ck-am-I-going-to-do-about-it? part of the book". Interspersed throughout are nuggets of information from clinical psychologist Dr. Malie Coyne and other subject matter experts. At the end of each chapter there are concise chapter summaries as well as practical exercises to complete.
I enjoyed the definition of anxiety as a "a sh*t, scary feeling where - how do I put this? - you feel as though you're quite literally coming out of your own skin." I also liked the chapter on "bullsh*t-free breathing", a refreshingly realistic take on the topic.
The simple, straightforward theme continues throughout the book. There are some useful metaphors to describe technical concepts, such as likening a hyperactive amygdala (the brain's fear centre) to an ill-fitted burglar alarm that gets tripped too easily. There are also clear instructions on things like how to assemble an anxiety survival kit, and how to handle a panic attack.
The author explains that when her anxiety began, from the outside her life looked pretty darn good. She felt guilty in a sense that she would be anxious when things should be good. I think this is a really important point, as too often people mistakenly assume that anxiety has to be "about" something.
Foran identifies positives that have come from her anxiety, like pushing herself to achieve more, having a strong work ethic, recognizing her patterns, being more in tune with her body, and having the chance to make a difference for others by speaking up about her own experience.
She writes about the importance of acceptance, which allows for a reframing of symptoms that can end up actually changing how you experience your symptoms. She points readers in the direction of Kelly McGonigal's TED Talk "How to make stress your friend". She also mentions Brene Brown's work on embracing vulnerability.
There is a chapter titled "why cognitive behavioural therapy is everything". Foran goes through common mind traps (cognitive distortions) and ways to get out of them, and describes our natural tendency to be biased towards the negative.
Other chapters touch on various other strategies, including acupuncture and medication. For her, medication played a helpful role, and she explains that often it will take a combination of approaches to be most effective.
She also writes that we should prioritize spending more time doing what makes us happy and less time doing what makes us unhappy, like negatively comparing ourselves to others on social media.
Overall, I think the word that best describes this book for me is refreshing. I liked the focus on accepting and managing anxiety rather than fighting it, and the chatty, no-BS tone made it a fun read.
October 19, 2022
I stumbled upon Caroline Foran's podcast, and I thought she discussed some interesting topics related to anxiety. (I'm not really a podcast person, so I only listened to a couple episodes). I decided to read her book even though she is not credentialed in any way. I thought maybe her being an anxiety sufferer herself, she might have some insight to share. In the book, she does draws from research. I found several parts of her book very helpful/new information to me:
Chapter 2 - Figuring out why you are here-- I liked the exercise about the 4 Ps model (Predisposing factors, precipitating factors, perpetuating factors, protective factors). I diagrammed it for myself, and might even share it with my therapist?
Chapter 4 - Negativity Bias- I didn't realize that humans are just inherently negative. I thought it was just me :)
Ch 11- Know the difference between personality and anxiety - I've definitely thought about this before but I like the question "If you could switch off your anxiety, would you still want to do it?" Sometimes it's a hard question to answer, but it's a good question to keep in mind.
Ch 18 - Exercise - I did not know that exercise in a moment of panic can make it worse. I've tried exercising when panicking and yeah, didn't work at all.
Things I didn't like:
-She writes a lot about her own experiences. Some might find this helpful or relatable, but it's not a memoir and I didn't really care.
-Like I said above, she is not an expert, and I think she misunderstands a few things.
-She was wary about medication been then writes a very very long section solely on the merits of acupuncture (??)
So, I ended up finding some helpful bits, but this is definitely not an anxiety bible. Part of me feels like she is actually trying to help people, and the other part of me thinks it's a money-grab.
Chapter 2 - Figuring out why you are here-- I liked the exercise about the 4 Ps model (Predisposing factors, precipitating factors, perpetuating factors, protective factors). I diagrammed it for myself, and might even share it with my therapist?
Chapter 4 - Negativity Bias- I didn't realize that humans are just inherently negative. I thought it was just me :)
Ch 11- Know the difference between personality and anxiety - I've definitely thought about this before but I like the question "If you could switch off your anxiety, would you still want to do it?" Sometimes it's a hard question to answer, but it's a good question to keep in mind.
Ch 18 - Exercise - I did not know that exercise in a moment of panic can make it worse. I've tried exercising when panicking and yeah, didn't work at all.
Things I didn't like:
-She writes a lot about her own experiences. Some might find this helpful or relatable, but it's not a memoir and I didn't really care.
-Like I said above, she is not an expert, and I think she misunderstands a few things.
-She was wary about medication been then writes a very very long section solely on the merits of acupuncture (??)
So, I ended up finding some helpful bits, but this is definitely not an anxiety bible. Part of me feels like she is actually trying to help people, and the other part of me thinks it's a money-grab.
March 11, 2022
I loved this little book! Not only did the author include tons of helpful tips + techniques, but I liked how she explained the biological/scientific aspects of anxiety too. It makes a lot more sense to know how anxiety works and what your brain is doing when it hits. The casual, laid-back, and funny writing style of this book is a plus!
September 15, 2024
Interesting perspective some useful anxiety exercises in here def a slow read like a chapter and day type of book
April 17, 2019
OWN IT is a GREAT book that EVERYONE should read. It doesn’t matter if you have anxiety or not, this book will help you to understand what others that do have it are going through. This book is very thorough. It covers all kinds of ways to get relief from anxiety. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to EVERYONE!!! The author, Carolyn, has a GREAT writing style. I love how she makes you feel as though she is talking specifically with you. She gives you examples of things that she’s went through and the ways that her anxiety caused physical sickness. GREAT, GREAT BOOK!!!! YOU MUST READ!!!!
March 23, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley, The Experiment, and Caroline Foran for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.
Like:
- Discusses the benefits of therapy - talk and CBT
- Discusses the importance of medication for mental health in some people
- Information about cortisol and stress
- Examples of different techniques you can do at home to help manage your stress and anxiety
Love:
- Discusses how chronic stress can make your “melt down point/level” much lower, so little triggers will send you into a full blown meltdown status
- Gives the science behind why the way you feel the way you do - validates people’s experiences
Dislike: —
Wish that:
- More new techniques to help deal with stress and anxiety - some were new and helpful to mew, but others I had heard and tried before
Overall, a helpful comprehensive book about dealing with anxiety - at home and in therapy. Easy to read, well organized and compassionate.
Like:
- Discusses the benefits of therapy - talk and CBT
- Discusses the importance of medication for mental health in some people
- Information about cortisol and stress
- Examples of different techniques you can do at home to help manage your stress and anxiety
Love:
- Discusses how chronic stress can make your “melt down point/level” much lower, so little triggers will send you into a full blown meltdown status
- Gives the science behind why the way you feel the way you do - validates people’s experiences
Dislike: —
Wish that:
- More new techniques to help deal with stress and anxiety - some were new and helpful to mew, but others I had heard and tried before
Overall, a helpful comprehensive book about dealing with anxiety - at home and in therapy. Easy to read, well organized and compassionate.
April 2, 2019
** I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. **
Helpful and insightful book into dealing with and owning your anxiety. There are lots of helpful tidbits throughout the book and I found myself highlighting many parts that seemed to speak directly to me. This book doesn't feel preachy at all and it really feels like chatting with a friend who deals with anxiety and what methods might help to best "own it" and not let it consume you.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who struggles with or suffers from any symptoms of anxiety.
Helpful and insightful book into dealing with and owning your anxiety. There are lots of helpful tidbits throughout the book and I found myself highlighting many parts that seemed to speak directly to me. This book doesn't feel preachy at all and it really feels like chatting with a friend who deals with anxiety and what methods might help to best "own it" and not let it consume you.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who struggles with or suffers from any symptoms of anxiety.
April 2, 2019
Really helpful book for anxiety!
March 11, 2019
Own It, is a fabulous book for people with anxiety. It has great information and exercises. It is a easy to read book with no nonsense advice.
June 3, 2021
I have had varying amounts of anxiety throughout my life. It's not as bad as it used to be for me, but I still wanted to read this book so if my anxiety ever started to come back in it's full form, I'd have more tools in my tool box to address it.
Overall, this is a great book that covers some basics on the science of why we have anxiety and how to treat it. It really covers a lot of ground and it gave me a lot of new words that I can use to describe my anxiety like "catastrophising" which is essentially jumping to the worst possible scenario. In this case, the book recommends a few things to do to help deal with it:
1. to first recognize that you're doing it!
2. record when you're doing it and why, then go back to it after it has passed and see if you were right, most likely you weren't.
3. change self talk to try and be more hopeful
4. Also realize that even if the worst thing actually did happen, it might not be as bad as you think. Humans are resilient.
There are many more tips in this book. The writing style was also good, very conversational, as if the author was kindly explaining it to you, as opposed to a writing style that is more like a reference book. Additionally, the chapters are quite short, so it's an easy book to read when you only have a little bit of time, or you can read chapters if you have the time. In summary, if you have issues with anxiety, I would highly recommend reading this book.
Overall, this is a great book that covers some basics on the science of why we have anxiety and how to treat it. It really covers a lot of ground and it gave me a lot of new words that I can use to describe my anxiety like "catastrophising" which is essentially jumping to the worst possible scenario. In this case, the book recommends a few things to do to help deal with it:
1. to first recognize that you're doing it!
2. record when you're doing it and why, then go back to it after it has passed and see if you were right, most likely you weren't.
3. change self talk to try and be more hopeful
4. Also realize that even if the worst thing actually did happen, it might not be as bad as you think. Humans are resilient.
There are many more tips in this book. The writing style was also good, very conversational, as if the author was kindly explaining it to you, as opposed to a writing style that is more like a reference book. Additionally, the chapters are quite short, so it's an easy book to read when you only have a little bit of time, or you can read chapters if you have the time. In summary, if you have issues with anxiety, I would highly recommend reading this book.
March 20, 2020
Summary: Was considering this for my week of meditation/mindfulness/positive thinking week of books. It didn't make the cut. Positive elements but fell short of what I needed for the week.
Plz do consider having a look at my vlog at: IG: WhereIsMayLing Youtube: Diary of a Speed reader
p.2 - "The main aim of the book is... OWNING your anxiety so that it no longer negatively impacts your life."
p. 82 - I like the common mind traps laid out: Catastrophizing, Polorized thinking, Filtering, Personalization, Overgeneralizations, Attribution Errors... It's true. I think that might be less anxiety and more negative thinking in general. We all fight it.
p. 140 Find an ally ... this is venting to one of your work colleagues. I think that can be good. But it depends on how much and why and what you're doing. This could really backfire in a lot of work settings as most people don't have that great judgment to think about who they can say and what and to what degree they can express negativity.
p. 159 - Breathing. Totally recommended. Nice list for people who like that.
p. 185 - I like this exercise 3 on core values.
I think I'm just in a different place.
Plz do consider having a look at my vlog at: IG: WhereIsMayLing Youtube: Diary of a Speed reader
p.2 - "The main aim of the book is... OWNING your anxiety so that it no longer negatively impacts your life."
p. 82 - I like the common mind traps laid out: Catastrophizing, Polorized thinking, Filtering, Personalization, Overgeneralizations, Attribution Errors... It's true. I think that might be less anxiety and more negative thinking in general. We all fight it.
p. 140 Find an ally ... this is venting to one of your work colleagues. I think that can be good. But it depends on how much and why and what you're doing. This could really backfire in a lot of work settings as most people don't have that great judgment to think about who they can say and what and to what degree they can express negativity.
p. 159 - Breathing. Totally recommended. Nice list for people who like that.
p. 185 - I like this exercise 3 on core values.
I think I'm just in a different place.
November 16, 2023
I absolutely adored this book and it came into my life right when I needed it. I started suffering from acute anxiety about a year and a half ago and started listening to Caroline’s podcast Owning It (if you haven’t heard of it, go check it out, just trust me it’s so amazing). Ok back to the book: it really helped me navigate through the excruciating fog of fear. She speaks like a caring friend who knows exactly how hard it is to deal with anxiety and gave me the reassurance even in my darkest moments to know that I too could own it. I’m surprised at other reviewer’s saying they didn’t enjoy the bits about her personal journey—I think those parts are so valuable to the book because they give readers a lot of insight into her authentic struggles with mental health and provide comfort in doing so. Caroline has such a soothing, genuine, and straightforward manner of writing about a sensitive and important topic. As someone struggling with anxiety who Caroline has massively helped, I cannot recommend this book enough.
January 26, 2022
A lot of self help / books on anxiety I've read sound like you're reading from a doctor or researcher (not usually a bad thing) but this one feels like you're talking to a friend. The author details what has worked for her in dealing with anxiety, both researched methods (like CBT), and alternative therapy methods (like acupuncture), and how you can apply these to your own life. I appreciate her compassionate tone and how she stresses that there is no cure-all, overnight fix, but that you absolutely can learn how to accept and reduce anxiety and other "negative" feelings. I also like that she reminds the reader that different methods work more/less for different people, so it's okay if you don't connect with every method / idea out there. You have to try and find what works for you! (Clearly, reading self help books regularly works for me 🙃)
September 1, 2020
I read this book in bits and pieces over a long period of time, primarily right before bed to help me relax.
It's hard for me to get into self-help books, I've always kind of poo-pooed them, but this one really did help on a number of levels. It's written in a way that's self aware, so the author doesn't get sucked into a lot of mumbo jumbo, and it gives you some real actual tools and a jumping off point to start.
I loved the exercises peppered throughout the book, I anticipate I'll come back to them when I'm in need.
It's hard for me to get into self-help books, I've always kind of poo-pooed them, but this one really did help on a number of levels. It's written in a way that's self aware, so the author doesn't get sucked into a lot of mumbo jumbo, and it gives you some real actual tools and a jumping off point to start.
I loved the exercises peppered throughout the book, I anticipate I'll come back to them when I'm in need.
June 6, 2022
3.5 | Very practical way of self-managing anxiety. Recommended reading for those who struggle with daily maintenance and in need of tools you could easily tap into. Of course, seeking professional help is preferable but this is a helpful guide into knowing how anxiety works and, by extension, addressing the root cause of you what you're going through (physical, mental or emotional). Owning it is the very first step into addressing it. This book just reinforces that we need to stop apologizing for our anxieties.
April 23, 2025
As someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I believe this book is a great introduction to anyone interested in learning more about anxiety. The author offers practical advice and the language used in the book is very colloquial. This book also gets a huge plus from me as Ms. Foran is committed to only sharing scientifically valid techniques for managing anxiety.
My 4 star review is mostly due to being displeased with the author's choice to place the chapter discussing medication very late in the book. This decision made me feel a bit misled.
My 4 star review is mostly due to being displeased with the author's choice to place the chapter discussing medication very late in the book. This decision made me feel a bit misled.
April 28, 2021
i found some chapters of this book helpful - i also don’t really have much anxiety anymore so who am i to judge - but, i found the last three chapters my favorite and the beginning hard to find intriguing enough to read. i felt the author put to much of her own experience in there, past the point where it was just for relating. i don’t need to relate i need to learn how i can “own” my own anxiety.
July 25, 2023
Practical interventions
I really enjoyed this book. The author was open regarding her experiences with anxiety and tied in the science behind the interventions she is suggesting. Well done and a great tool for addressing anxiety from a more positive perspective with scientifically based solutions. Would recommend.
I really enjoyed this book. The author was open regarding her experiences with anxiety and tied in the science behind the interventions she is suggesting. Well done and a great tool for addressing anxiety from a more positive perspective with scientifically based solutions. Would recommend.
November 21, 2024
I actually ended up not finishing this book but I got 90% of the way done. I think it has some great tips and tricks that I found myself using in my personal life. The downside is that it just felt very “text book” to me which is odd because it’s written based on the author’s personal experiences. I think sections of the book are worth reading but not the entire book!
November 24, 2021
It's nearly impossible to "cure" anxiety just in one shot. It's a process which will come and go, and come again. Hence we need something to remind ourselves and keep practicing. Yes, keep practicing all the tips we had learned is the key to get peace with the anxiety.
May 21, 2019
Excellent book!!!
June 5, 2019
There wasn't much for me to learn from this, tbh. Great for anxiety newbies, though.
July 26, 2019
I’ve read several books on anxiety and panic. By far the one that made the most sense and provided the most comfort that you can get better - and deal with anxiety daily.
September 23, 2019
Didn’t learn anything new from it.
January 3, 2020
Super helpful and made me feel like I understood a lot more about the physical effects of anxiety and how/why it occurs.
Read
January 16, 2020This isn’t really a book to pick up and read cover to cover. She even says that herself at one point. I don’t usually like self-help books, but this was pretty decent.
April 23, 2020
This is by far the best self-help book I’ve ever read. Caroline is so relatable and the information she provides is a great addition to regular therapy.
January 25, 2021
Had a few solid insights, but overall I didn’t find it very novel or helpful. Hopefully someone else will?
January 27, 2021
Great for understanding your own anxiety with tangible steps to control it. Got a bit spiritual/voodoo at the end but overall had a lot of good tips
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews