The Anxiety First Aid Kit: Quick Tools for Extreme, Uncertain Times

by Rick Hanson, Matthew McKay, Martha Davis

“Ideal for these unsettling times; highly recommended for general readers."
—Library Journal (starred review)

A quick-relief guide for calming anxiety and stress right now—during the COVID-19 pandemic

If you’re feeling unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety right now, please know that you aren’t alone. In these extreme and uncertain times, it’s natural to be in a constant state of mental and physical strain. Whether you’re dealing with job loss, a sick loved one, or just feeling the weight of the world during your 2 a.m. doomscroll—you need quick tools you can use right now, whenever and wherever you are, to lower stress and soothe anxiety. This emergency kit has you covered.

Written by a dream team of mental health experts and grounded in evidence-based therapy, The Anxiety First Aid Kit offers powerful tools for triaging stress and anxiety in the moments when you need it most. You’ll find easy and doable ways to help you press pause on panic, and find your calm spot right away. You’ll discover in-the-moment interventions to help you relax before your anxiety and stress go into overdrive. And finally, you’ll learn how to make healthy and workable lifestyle changes to improve your mental health and increase resilience, so you can effectively deal with stressful situations in the future—no matter what life throws at you.

Between pandemic-related economic fears, the frustrations of social distancing, indoor confinement, work and household double duties (now including homeschooling!), and the looming threat of serious illness, is it any wonder you’re feeling completely stressed out and anxious? If you need immediate relief, The Anxiety First Aid Kit has everything you need to manage stress and anxiety—right now.

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

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His seven books have been published in 33 languages and include Making Great Relationships, Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture – with over a million copies in English alone. He's the founder of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, as well as the co-host of the Being Well podcast – which has been downloaded 23 million times. His free newsletters have 260,000 subscribers, and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial needs. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on CBS, NPR, the BBC, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and has taught in meditation centers worldwide. He and his wife live in northern California and have two adult children. He loves the wilderness and taking a break from emails.

Reviews

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the fact that this book really is like a first aid kit. It doesn’t go into extensive psychological theory but has many short, readable chapters addressing first; breathing and relaxation techniques to get you down off a ledge and second; more quick and easy strategies for taking incremental steps towards understanding, owning, and reducing feelings of anxiety.
We are all living in stressful times and I have two stressed out university students living in my home so this first aid kit is helpful to me when anxiety is ramping up but it also has given me a few ideas for helping my kids to learn to deal with feelings of anxiety and worry.

New Harbinger press is worth checking into. They have a lot of health related publications and they are an employee owned firm.

[Tereza Vítková · Rating 4 out of 5]

přesně jak název napovídá, knížka je manuálem pro zvládání krizových situací v životě. k některým cvičení mám výhrady (třeba nácvik hypnozy, to si moc nedokážu představit jak můj brácha přijde ze školy domů a zhypnotizuje se), největší přínos vidím v jednoduchým ale podnětným vysvětlení evolučního naprogramování úzkosti v lidech

víc dojmů tady:
http://casopisagora.cz/2022/11/okamzi...

[Diana Puckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This easy to read guide is great for any one suffering from worry and anxiety. It if filled with tips and exercises to help manage your fear and develop coping skills to combat the disabling effects of the anxious mind. Highly recommend.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a review copy of this book.

I’m willing to bet most of us could use this book right now, and I’m mad at myself for not reading it earlier. It’s full of tried and true methods for helping lessen and control anxiety when it strikes, as well as exercises you can do as preemptive measures.

This book doesn’t go into deep detail on any one subject and is by no means a replacement for counseling or therapy, but it does give you some quick tools to have in your pocket for when you need them. While there is nothing new or groundbreaking included, there are practical and useful exercises like Diaphragmatic Breathing, Meditation, Visualization Exercises, and the Five-Finger Exercise (a type of self-hypnosis).

I’d definitely recommend this one for anyone who’d like to have additional exercises in their toolkit for dealing with anxiety.

[Nathan Brant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have an anxious and thoughtful human in your life? This book provides an amazing set of tools to lessen anxiety! If the first exercise doesn't work for you, try the second or third. It truly is a First Aid Kit. Plus, it's a pretty quick read.

[Kelley S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! A wide variety of coping techniques in one location. I originally checked this book out at the library and just purchased a copy for my home. This book is going to be worn through and loved in my house. So grateful to have found this book.

[Cozy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and the authors for the gifted copy, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own

This is is in a easy to read format with great tips, advice and information. If anxiety is a struggle for you I highly recommend it.

It comes out Aug 1, 2020

4 ****

[Kealey · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s probably nothing wrong with this book; I’ve just read enough of them now that nothing is new. I suppose I have to stop reading and start doing.

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, I could not. The first thing that turned me off was the talk of evolution. As someone who is spiritual, the talk of evolution rubbed me the wrong way. I don't see any need for religion/politics in an anxiety book. As I continued to read, I felt that the authors simply pulled their tips from a google search of "anxiety relievers." If you are looking to reduce your anxiety, there are a lot of other books out there that will help you.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for my honest review.

[Jonna Feliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

"As you move through the book, try to bring whatever amount of playfulness you can to these exercises and techniques. It is important to keep an open mind. That said, if something doesn't feel like it is working for you drop it and move on to something else. In this book, you are the priority." - The Anxiety First Aid Kit by Hanson et al.

If you're someone who values self-care, this is a perfect book for you!

Divided into four (4) parts, the authors provide us with various ways on how to help manage our stress and anxiety. It's easy to read and understand. I love how they were able to provide practical tips on what to do should you experience stress or anxiety. Most of the tips that they provided can be done anywhere and by anyone. You don't necessarily need any additional materials to help you out. In other words, it's not only for the privileged, which is something I've learned to look for whenever I'm introduced to new mental health techniques or activities.

Knowing how much hypnosis and hypnotherapy is still stigmatized in the mental health profession, I love how the authors included hypnotherapy techniques in this book; they showed that it's not harmful like most people think. Other techniques they included are forms of mindfulness, meditation, exercises, active imagination, and so forth. With a glimpse of the practices included here, you might say that the only thing stopping you from actually doing the techniques that they provided is yourself and the limitations of your imagination.

However, one thing that I didn't like about this book is that I found myself reading the same things over and over and over and over again, only this time, it's called something different. Or, it's a seemingly deeper way of practice. I would've appreciated this more if they proofread it so that it won't be too repetitive. Nonetheless, it's still a useful first aid kit for anxiety.

Thanks to  Rick Hanson, Matthew McKay, Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, Martin N. Seif, Sally M. Winston, David A. Carbonell, Catherine M. Pittman, Elizabeth M. Karle, and New Harbinger Publications for providing me an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

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[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and New Harbinger for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this little book and while it can't replace things like professional therapy or prescribed medication, it's a great supplement with a variety of techniques that you can try in the moment and on your own time. I would say it's more like a toolbox than a first aid kit, since out of the 40 suggestions, only 10 are meant for immediately dealing with anxiety in the moment and trying to find calm. The next section is about working on worry and anxiety from a step away, and ways to distance yourself from anxious thoughts. The third section is on deep relaxation achieved through things like hypnosis, and the fourth section is on structural life changes that will help, like better sleep and moving your body with exercise.

I appreciate the very straightforward nature of this book. It's laid out very simply, with each suggestion numbered 1-40, and each section divided into "What to Know" - a little bit of background, ranging from the biology of the fight or flight response to the history of hypnosis - and "What to Do" - action steps to carry out the technique.

Some of these techniques are familiar, especially in the first two section - deep breathing, mindfulness, setting a "worry appointment" where you tell yourself to address at a later time - while others were new and interesting. The word "hypnosis" makes me nervous (I blame Office Space), but I appreciated how they framed it as something like daydreaming. And while there are some elements like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and trying to approach the problem logically, there are suggestions that go the opposite way and talk about repeating your most intense, outlandish thought dozens of times until it loses its meaning. This wide variety of approaches means that I'm confident that I'll be able to experiment and find some approaches that work best for me.

The real test is whether I'll pick this book up in the moment and find something, vs this current cover-to-cover read with the intention to review. We shall see! On that note, I appreciate that the authors suggest taking the paperback and putting it somewhere like a coffee table, where it's easy to pick it up when needed. Again, this cannot replace professional help but I hope it can assist people in its intended use in providing some ideas to explore on your own.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anxiety First Aid Kit: Quick Tools for Extreme, Uncertain Times is a quick read with various strategies to help an individual deal with anxiety and uncertainty. The book is written by several authors and has practical tips on meditation, relaxation techniques, and how to recognize anxious behavior and reset your mind.

The book states that it is a "mental health toolkit" and will give the reader a "welcome respite from panic and worry," so a person can focus on the here and now.

I liked the discussion about taking your worries for a walk. It discusses how our worrisome thoughts demand attention and how trying to get rid of those thoughts directly tends to make them more persistent. The solution provided is to go out doing our everyday things and engage in the world, which tends to direct our energy and attention outside rather than inward in our heads.

The other technique I found useful was the Tic Tac challenge. It suggests whenever you have a "what if" thought such as what if something bad happens, the challenge is to remove on Tic Tac and this allows you to keep track of the number of times you experience a "what if" thought that pulls you out of the present moment and has you spinning about catastrophic possibilities that may not happen. It's a great visual to see how many times a person may have thoughts that stop them from living in the here and now.

Overall, a useful book to have on your shelf, and it's a quick and easy read that provides practical tips and tricks to help with anxiety.

#TheAnxietyFirstAidKit #NetGalley

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A pretty good self-help book that is rooted in pandemic anxiety, but can be used for any anxious crisis.

Every chapter begins with a description of what one may feel and what the exercise proposed will achieve. The exercise follows, with examples. It's repeated throughout that not every exercise and technique will fit every single person. The authors' vision is that you should try and skip to something else if an exercise doesn't fit you.

As someone with chronic anxiety, I appreciated the way they don't try to force any specific way of dealing on you. While most chapters could be beneficial, I can only see a way to incorporate a few in my weekly routine, and that's okay.

I see this book as being beneficial on the long run. Unfortunately, I got it from the library, so I won't be able to keep and refer back to it whenever I need to. Still, I'm positive the few changes I've begun to apply in my life will help.

Don't expect an immediate drastic change. Any self-help book that promises such things is a scam. It takes effort and repetition for it to work, but in times like there every little gesture counts. The last section of the book, on lasting change tackles this subject in tiny, very real ways.

It's one of the best self-help books I've read and one I think will efinitely help manage my anxiety in the long run.

[Carolyn G. Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just read the book ‘Anxiety First Aid Kit: Quick Tools for Extreme, Uncertain Times’ by by Rick Hanson; Matthew McKay; Martha Davis; Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman; Martin N. Seif; Sally M. Winston; David A Carbonell; Catherine M Pittman; Elizabeth M. Karle.

Long list of contributors to the book, huh? Rick Hanson is one of the authors & I’ve got one of his earlier books on happiness. It’s a great book with quick & relatable tips to help mitigate anxiety that you might be feeling. This is the type of book that’s so good, you know you’ll reference it multiple times. So reading through it once isn’t enough, it’s the type of help that you can dip into & use again & again. This book looks so good, it got my attention because it addresses anxiety & I know that many survivors & secondary survivors struggle with it. Many other people do too. I’m buying my own copy of it now that I’m done with the review copy. Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has suffered from anxiety since fourth grade, I'm always on the lookout for workbooks like this to help me manage moments of panic and, more recently, my constant, underlying sense of foreboding in this mad, mad world.

The subtitle of this book is "Quick Tools for Extreme, Uncertain Times," and this is where its strength lies. The book has a total of 40 different anxiety-combating techniques, most that are intended for immediate use to calm yourself in any particularly troubling moment. (The final section is techniques meant to be used long-term for extended relief.) Each technique comes with a brief overview and a short list of action items, thorough enough to be helpful but not exhaustive to the point of inefficacy.

Overall, this book is intended to be read only as needed, but the variety of techniques presented ensures that all readers are likely to find ones that work well for them. Highly recommended.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a free eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I think this book could be great for anyone who finds it very difficult to stop worrying about everything, or who can’t seem to find a way to stop overthinking every little thing. It’s a very light read, with tips for the reader to keep in mind when they’re having a worrisome thought.

Some of these sound very useful and I already thought of giving them a try. There’s one that suggests you take a mint every time you have one of your worrisome thoughts, to keep track of them. I think I might be surprised by how many I take in a day! We’ll see.

There’s also others I wouldn’t want to try though, but that’s the thing, you get all these useful tips and are taught how to use them, and then you decide which might work for you.

If you have anxiety or tend to worry a lot, this book might be very useful :)

[Sarah Metts · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5: Sturdy suggestions, slim read, possibly a prohibitive price.

I so like that it is fast, simple explanations for practical interventions for anxiety and depression. As someone who has dealt with both, I think that these are best ingested and understood when not in the thick of it. One on one help with a professional is preferred, but sometimes it isn't accessible. It does talk about applying most to general situations with some acknowledgment of pandemic worries. Though it is a privileged stance for pandemic anxiety at times - some people dealing with anxiety won't have the ability to access and use this book, let alone the time. The cost might be prohibitive for some, so library collections might be best having a copy or even a book club set with a partnership with a professional counselor/mental health professional.

[Samantha Riccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this from Netgalley, so thank you to them for this very relaxing book.

If you've been to therapy, and have a good therapist they've likely told you almost everything that is in this book. It's the little things, like learning how to breath to calm yourself down, notice when you're feeling anxious, and to make a place for yourself mentally are all things I've heard before and are great tips to help someone.

This was written in particular, because we're in a stressful world as it is on top of having to live in a pandemic. This is in no way a substitute for getting help from a professional, but it is a good way to make yourself feel better; you can take a break from all of these stressful times to read a book to help yourself mentally.

[Camie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got led to this book because of following Rick Hanson (who's one of the authors). Also, I'm particularly interested in coping mechanisms for anxiety because my son (age 12) is dealing with it. It seems this book was written specically in resopnse for covid times. I skimmed this book, but it is one I hope to go back and read in more depth. It truly leaves up to its title page advertisement "Mental Health Strategies for RIGHT NOW." It seems to give a variety of techniques of how to deal with worrisome thoughts and gives detailed instructions. There are MANY methods, step-by-step instructions, and categorized into how easy or long the methods take to go into effect. Very clever. I checking out this book from the library again.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this novel with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. in exchange for a honest and voluntary review.

I am at odds on just how to review this book.
It was my very first Self help book i have ever read. i am conflicted. do i read more or do i leave it at this one?
i think i might read others. but that is an issue for another time. let's get back to this book.

i found it useful in the management of my anxiety.
It gives you things to think of during times of panic.
It is in a easy to read format with great tips, advice and information.
is anxiety is a struggle for you? or do you know someone who struggles with anxiety?
i think this book is definitely for you.

[Oxana Tomova · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Anxiety First Aid Kit is a nice collection of strategies to cope with anxiety, whether it's about mundane everyday things or something deeper.
I liked the structure of the book - sections with types is coping strategies, brief explanation of the method and a how-to. I unfortunately didn't come by anything new to me but I do appreciate the well done explanations and instructions and the overall nice tone.

*Thanks to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications, Inc. for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Anxiety First Aid Kit is filled to the brim with practical and realistic exercises that one can do to help lessen anxious thoughts, stressful situations and unnecessary fear. Dozens of situations are addressed, each with ideas and strategies for facing them head-on, but with an arsenal of coping mechanisms. The authors have merged their skills and knowledge, leaving the reader with a self-help reference book full of great ideas. In times such as these, this is a fabulous book to have on your shelf for years to come.

[Savannah Wadler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing New

Pros: it's simple to understand and a quick read. Cons: It really isn't anything new. If you’ve struggled with anxiety before, you would probably be familiar with most of the suggestions in the book (breathe, sleep, exercise, etc) You might gain a few new ideas, but it's not worth a purchase. You could skim it at your library and get the gist just fine. It wasn't helpful for me, but maybe someone just starting to explore anxiety treatment or wanting to support a loved one with anxiety would find it more helpful.

[Mhughessc · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Anxiety First Aid Kit" has come out at the perfect time for our country! I'm sure many, like me, are feeling much more anxious than usual, and this book will help. Compiled by a variety of mental health experts, this book contains practical coping strategies. There is guaranteed to be something helpful in this book for everyone! I would highly recommend this book to those who are struggling with anxiety.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Sharon Naylor Toris · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there's not a lot that's new in this book, nothing groundbreaking, it's still a great collection of smart tips and good common sense reminders that will come in handy for when you're feeling low or in the grip of your anxiety. In times of struggle, it's just these kinds of entries that can be absorbed at just the right time. When you're hurting, sometimes the kind messages from others don't seep in, and this book can provide the perfect balm at the perfect time. Worth it.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that everyone who suffers from anxiety should read this book. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and read alot of books on mental health. I don't pick out books to just to review them, i pick them out, either because it's in my favorite categories or because i have experiences. This book gives a lot of exercises on how to manage your anxiety. I haven't done all of them yet but I will :) I am grateful that Netgalley gave me the chance to read this book for a review.

[norska · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent short book, about 120 pages, with theory, examples, and practical tools for addressing anxiety. It's a self help book that actually helps, without drowning you in extensive details, or the authors patting themselves on the back as they proselytize. The tools may not all be your cup of tea, but with 40 of them, you're bound to find more that a few good fits, to get you started in putting your anxieties in proportion, and on the road to calmer times.

[Saira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 2 sections of the book were stuff I already knew. The last 2 sections of the book were more creative and I liked them for thinking outside the box. The hypnosis ideas were interesting. I also like how the book concluded with faith. Not religious faith of course. But not many people talk about how faith can really help anxiety. Faith in the universe, in yourself, that everything will turn out ok.

[Helena#bookdreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting First Aid kit for those that suffer from chronic anxiety. The guide provides exercises and ideas on how to cope with excessive worrying and fear laced thoughts. It provides lots of breathing exercises and ways to get around anxious feelings. I found it very helpful and will try many on a daily basis.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Anxiety First Aid Kit a number of mental health experts have come together to compile a number of techniques to help manage anxiety symptoms quickly. Perfect for these uncertain times, the book offers a number of techniques to help readers put into action so they can start feeling better.

Many thanks to New Harbinger Publications and NetGalley for the advance copy.