The Worry (Less) Book: Feel Strong, Find Calm, and Tame Your Anxiety!

by Rachel Brian

This fun, friendly, and informative guide from the award-winning author of  Consent (for Kids!)  will help readers of all ages understand—and tame—their anxiety.
 

We all have a mixture of fun and not-so fun feelings. And everyone feels worried sometimes. But too much anxiety can get in the way. So this book is here to help you identify your anxiety, understand why it's just part of that thing we call life, and equip you with all the tools you need to find calm again.


Playfully presented, packed with fun and helpful illustrations, and expertly vetted, author-artist Rachel Brian (co-creator of the viral " Tea Consent" video) delivers a must-have book for anyone who wonders why they worry or how to better live with their anxiety. From recognizing when you're feeling anxious and worried, to taking charge by training your brain and using awesome techniques to help you feel good again, this book will have you worrying less and living more.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Mental Health, Self Help, Childrens, Middle Grade, Psychology

64 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jesse Keljo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, this book is written for kids, and I recommend parents of children with anxiety give it a read and, if you think it would help, reading it with your child and practicing the author’s tips.

However, I also think it is a great resource for anxious adults who might be anxious about reading a giant book about dealing with anxiety! It’s playful and friendly and offers solid starting points for anyone wrestling with this insidious beast.

It’s no substitute for professional counseling and/or medical help, but it is a great first step!

[Joanie222 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book about anxiety for middle grades, sympathetic and comforting with great suggestions on how to deal with worries

[Elizabeth Majka · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful little book about managing anxiety.

[Ashlee Tominey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graphic novel breaks down anxiety, why we have it, what it looks like, and tools we can use to help us live with it. I find it super helpful as an adult and want to give everyone I know a copy and have them read it! This should be a good book to open up conversations about worry with our kids. And a good one for parents and kids to return to when needed.

[Abby Johnson]

So, so good. Just like her previous book Consent for Kids, this graphic novel is fun to read while also providing great information to kids. Aimed at elementary school kids, this book has crossover appeal for adults and I love how it boils down complicated concepts into simple phrases that are easy to understand and share. The book normalizes worry, helps readers determine if it gets in the way of their life, and provides tools for managing anxiety. A super read, especially for these times.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is here to help you: understand your anxiety, recognise it’s a normal part of life, find tools to feel calmer.

Simple in execution, genius in concept. Which is kind of the opposite of dealing with anxiety; simple concepts can help, executing them consistently can be tricky. But this is a valuable visual tool to help kids (and anyone!) feel less afraid and alone, more capable and confident.

The tools it covers are things I’ve been recommended in counselling, as an adult. The comics are sweet and funny (seriously anxiety has never looked so cute). The black, white, grey and yellow colour scheme is lovely. Brilliant on many levels. Loved this.

[Ella Missen]

i love this author, her books are so cute lol

[Julia Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. A must-have for every school library.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about worry and how to deal with it. Excellent illustrations, great use of humour, combined with clear information.

[Monica Jamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so amazing! As an adult with anxiety this book was helpful for me too. I bought it for my 9 year old who has really bad anxiety. He hasnt wanted to listen to things that will help them or ready any other books about it, but this book was something he wanted to read because its a comic book. It shows him tools that I learned with expensive therapy and it seems to be extra helpful because he learned it in a comic book.

This was beautifully illustrated and written and I hope the author puts out more books like it soon!

[Barbara Band · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Rachel's MG book on Respect & Consent, and this one, about anxiety, is in a similar graphic novel style that uses black and white illustrations with highlights of yellow. Simple explanations, easy-to-read, lots of advice. Great for any children who worry #schoollibraries #Wellbeing

[Mandy Gibbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids (7 and 10) love this book. The elder is always anxious and he loved to hear about the tools this book offers kids like him. The younger only worries sometimes, but loved to hear that it was normal and ok to be worried about things.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little graphic novel about anxiety is a great resource for kids of all ages. I even found a few good tips in there. Id recommend this book to anyone trying to explain anxiety to youngsters.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A friendly, appealing, thoughtful, and thorough book on understanding and managing anxiety written for kids. From the start, this cartoon-style book states that “[t]his book is for people who worry. So, yeah—everyone!”, removing any stigma a child might feel about their anxiety.

Brian covers the many different ways anxiety might manifest in one’s body or in one’s thoughts. She explains that it’s normal and why humans evolved to have a panic response, and that anxiety can become a problem when it gets in the way of us doing the things we love and need to do. I appreciated Brian making clear that, while some anxiety occurs when we’re worrying about an upcoming challenge (test!) or something based on past experience (a scary dog bit me!), it can also show up for no particular reason: one can feel anxious in one’s body and not know why.

The book’s core message is that “The more you can recognize anxiety (in all its disguises), the more you can deal with it directly when you’re ready to.” It describes in helpful detail a variety of practical tools one might use to calm one’s anxiety: breathing (square or slow), grounding one’s body, keeping a worry journal, muscle relaxation, visualization, and more.

Anxiety has ratcheted up in people of all ages during the pandemic, and this is the perfect book to help kids OR adults understand it. Brian has an equally wonderful book called Consent (For Kids!) that I also can’t recommend enough.

[Vivian Teo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a worrywart—or raising one? 😅 I was definitely that anxious kid growing up, constantly worrying about everything under the sun. I really wish I had this book back then: The Worry (Less) Book: Feel Strong, Find Calm and Tame Your Anxiety by Rachel Brian.

Now that I'm older, I've picked up some coping strategies, but anxiety still sneaks in from time to time. That’s why I think this book is such a gem for kids navigating big feelings, especially in today’s info-overloaded world. Teaching children how to manage anxiety early on is so important for their mental health and resilience.

This book breaks things down in a kid-friendly way with funny, relatable illustrations and easy-to-understand explanations of what is anxiety? What does it do to your body? Why do we feel it? And most importantly, what can we do about it? I also love the positive note the book ends with: “Being brave doesn’t mean you don’t have fear or anxiety. Bravery can mean doing what's important to you despite your anxiety."

This is recommended for ages 6 - 10, but I reckon older kids till their teen years, and even grown-ups can benefit from the practical tips inside.

[Victoria George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mt 7-year-old, who has been diagnosed with Autism and ADHD since he was 4, was not super jazzed when he opened up *two more* self-help books for Christmas. I myself was diagnosed with ADHD last year at age 31, and have been working as a special education advocate for the past two years. I try to be very open with my son, and try to teach him about his disabilities so that he doesn't internalize his struggles the way so many undiagnosed people do (I know I did).

When we began, I could tell he was into it. I also have Stamped for Kids, which is more like a traditional chapter book. The Worry (Less) Book looks more like a Captain Underpants book, with characters throughout. I loved seeing the inclusion of physically disabled characters too, as this can be a childrens' first or only exposure. I knew this book was a winner when he started reading ahead without me instead of begging me to stop reading. I'm excited to start reading All About Consent within the next few days.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had this book when I was in middle school and high school (and also college if I’m being honest). I had to figure out and teach myself so much of the information presented in this book, and it made my life very hard for a very long time. I’m so grateful that a book like this that contains all of the things that I struggled to understand for so long finally exists for today’s kids and teens. So many young people who struggle with anxiety are convinced that they’re alone in what they’re feeling, and this book does an excellent job of emphasizing that they are not alone. It does so in a fun and easy-to-read format that entertains the reader while also providing important information and comfort. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful guidebook for people with anxiety (like me!) of any age (even adult)!

I believe this would be useful to readers ages 7 and up who experience any level of anxiety in any form AND also useful to people who have friends or family with anxiety.

For an adult, it will only take 10 minutes to read, but you will want to either note the techniques described (you've heard them before) or put a post-it to mark them.

For a child, just reading it could be therapeutic and useful, but the specific techniques are worth trying - and following the guidelines; practicing a few times so you get the hang of them.

I can't say enough about how this clear, succinct, humorous, empathetic book could be useful and appreciated!

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of kids' books on anxiety since I have passed that unfortunate curse on to several of my spawn, one in an extreme way, and this is by far the best. It is helpful and practical and has information and explanations that are correct and simple, as well as hands-on advice for ways to cope and useful tools that can be applied. It is in a great, approachable format, and really, even if you are an adult with anxiety, it is worth a read.

I'm so happy that kids' mental health issues are being addressed in this way.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone like me, who struggles with anxiety from time to time, needs to read this book. It’s like a big hug in print! Not only is it delightfully entertaining and funny, but there are some helpful facts and tips to help you live your best life. I’m so glad they are finally writing books to help kids and teens struggling with mental health issues, and this one is done in such a positive way! Great job, Rachel Brian!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to discuss worry and anxiety with your child age 7 - 10 but don't know how to go about it? The Worry (Less) Book by Rachel Brian might be just the thing to help parents approach these awkward subjects with their child. Written in graphic novel (or comics) style, this unique book brings humor and helpful hints to help tame anxiety and worry. Read a few pages together and get a conversation started today.

[Ana Gabriela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It covers very well what anxiety is, how it feels and the tools to use to manage it. Cool animations and easy explanation, perfect for kids, teenagers and also adults with no knowledge on anxiety. Recommended!

Español:
Cubre bastante bien que es la ansiedad, cómo se siente y las herramientas disponibles para manejarla. Muy bien animado/dibujado y con una explicación sencilla pefecta para niños, adolescentes y también adultos sin conocimiento previo de la ansiedad. Recomendado!

[Pascale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you suffer from anxiety? Do you know someone who suffers from anxiety? Are you a human being? Do you know human beings? READ THIS ONE!!!

It explains very plainly what anxiety is, what it feels like, and how to cope with it when it rears its ugly head. And guess what? Even though I borrowed it from the library, I will go out and buy it!!!

[Tamera Norwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for preteens dealing with anxiety and worry. It's a graphic guidebook, which means it has more illustrations that text. It's only 62 pages long, and that's perfect for youth struggling with worry. Kids aren't going to embrace a long self-help book when they have too much on their minds. The information is easy to follow and often dryly witty. The illustrations are charming too.

[Richelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this about a 4.5 as it has some great solutions for middle grade readers and beyond. The graphic presentation will lure in even those struggling readers and those that call themselves nonreaders. I think classrooms, school libraries, and public libraries should have a copy of this available for kids!

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great little tool for kids struggling with anxiety. They are not only taught classic CBT traits such as naming feelings versus thoughts, challenging thoughts (metacognition) but they are also offered tools to cope with anxiety such as progressive muscle relaxation, grounding techniques, visualization, and more. Super cute, evidence-based, and accessible.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this graphic novelish book about anxiety and how to deal with it. It gives practical ways to deal with stress and explains it in kid-friendly and even humorous ways. I just purchased this for my elementary library and I am hoping it will be a well-checked-out book and be beneficial for many students.

[Allison Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book for kids about worry and anxiety. I read this to my 6 year old who worries a lot and struggles to sleep because of worrying. The illustrations were very cute and the information was easy and fun to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a child who struggles with anxiety.

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to help elementary grade kiddos learn what anxiety feels like and how to deal with it. The humor and graphic novel format help kids realize that anxiety, while serious, can be dealt with and is a normal part of life. Highly recommended for all elementary school libraries as well as families with kids aged 6+