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Anxiety: Meditations on the anxious mind
We all experience anxiety, but too often we bottle up our anxiousness, ashamed of what others might say, and end up feeling isolated and afraid. But anxiety is normal and deeply human. This book explains why we feel it, how we experience it, and what we can do about it.
With their trademark combination of practicality, philosophy, and wit, The School of Life examines anxiety from a number of angles, providing a clear path forward to a calmer, kinder, compassionate, and more light-hearted future.
With their trademark combination of practicality, philosophy, and wit, The School of Life examines anxiety from a number of angles, providing a clear path forward to a calmer, kinder, compassionate, and more light-hearted future.
100 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2020
95 people are currently reading
937 people want to read
About the author
The School of Life
174 books3,165 followersThe School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.
We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.
Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.
That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.
We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.
Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.
That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
January 10, 2021
I don‘t really read self-help books, but bought this at a book store a couple months ago because it was pretty. When I started reading it I was positively surprised by how unemotional it was. The topics that it discusses are all presented in a very clear, concise and fairly neutral way, which turned out to be just what I want from this kind of book. In 100+ pages it gave me a better understanding of anxiety in general as well as my own anxieties.
January 11, 2024
This book is a big warm hug
August 22, 2020
"From a clear-eyed perspective, the risks and troubles that face us are truly multitudinous and petrifying. Yet still people will sometimes casually tell us to 'relax'—as though such an injunction might be the work of a moment rather than the achievement of a lifetime.
"Nevertheless, for all this, we should strive with deep seriousness to let go of one or two of our anxieties—by understanding them a little better, forming good habits to appease them and sharing them with a few kindly others—and thereby grow to enjoy the odd less worried day, when we can look up for a moment from our fretful thoughts and appreciate the wonder and blessing of being alive.
"This is a book about anxiety and how to overcome it."
I've been a reader of content from The School of Life for some time, and strongly recommend their catalogue of carefully curated and beautifully presented books. This is a fine example and particularly salient to our current moment—although, as an often anxious person, it was a title that had stood out to me regardless of circumstance. Occasionally it strikes a note that misfired from my perspective, but the vast majority of the topics covered in this volume are exemplary in terms of how its mix of philosophy and psychology parses centuries of knowledge and wisdom into concise, readable essays on a range of related topics, each of them politely offering guidance on how to live well.
"Nevertheless, for all this, we should strive with deep seriousness to let go of one or two of our anxieties—by understanding them a little better, forming good habits to appease them and sharing them with a few kindly others—and thereby grow to enjoy the odd less worried day, when we can look up for a moment from our fretful thoughts and appreciate the wonder and blessing of being alive.
"This is a book about anxiety and how to overcome it."
I've been a reader of content from The School of Life for some time, and strongly recommend their catalogue of carefully curated and beautifully presented books. This is a fine example and particularly salient to our current moment—although, as an often anxious person, it was a title that had stood out to me regardless of circumstance. Occasionally it strikes a note that misfired from my perspective, but the vast majority of the topics covered in this volume are exemplary in terms of how its mix of philosophy and psychology parses centuries of knowledge and wisdom into concise, readable essays on a range of related topics, each of them politely offering guidance on how to live well.
March 7, 2021
Oh my god what a gem of a book!
I was whole heartedly laughing, contemplating and truly educated in real sense.
It deconstructs anxiety and gives a starting point for its impact on all the important aspects of life like no other material out there.
One of the best books from the library of School of Life so far!
I was whole heartedly laughing, contemplating and truly educated in real sense.
It deconstructs anxiety and gives a starting point for its impact on all the important aspects of life like no other material out there.
One of the best books from the library of School of Life so far!
November 1, 2020
Thought provoking reflection on one’s anxiety.
Reading this made me anxious, but ultimately a useful and beautiful book.
July 15, 2021
I have to say I’m disappointed. I’m not even sure what the purpose of this book is. It’s not exactly a self-help novel, since there’s only ever a lot of historical anecdotes and the suggestion to live at a monastery if you’re serious about getting rid of your anxiety (pretty radical solution if you ask me). There’s also a rather unhelpful summary of basic things included, such as ‘fix your sleeping pattern’, as if everything about anxiety can be brought down to your physical health or the way your parents raised you (which can be huge contributing factors, I admit).
It’s not exactly science either, since a lot of philosophical and psychological talk goes down in this book without citing the proper sources. These pages are indeed full of meditations on the topic, badly structured ones at that, and the dramatic choice of words and overdone use of metaphors prevented me from relating to the experience described. Just because I’m an anxious person doesn’t mean that I think I’m ‘wretched’. Take it easy there, Shakespeare. 🥴 They should have just kept it at the interesting oneliners that could be used as calming mantras and ‘find others who relate to your experience in some way and talk your feelings and trauma through with them’, the one piece of practical advice in here I can get behind. It stranded at a ⭐️⭐️ rating for me since the nice visual aspect of the book couldn’t save it as a whole either.
It’s not exactly science either, since a lot of philosophical and psychological talk goes down in this book without citing the proper sources. These pages are indeed full of meditations on the topic, badly structured ones at that, and the dramatic choice of words and overdone use of metaphors prevented me from relating to the experience described. Just because I’m an anxious person doesn’t mean that I think I’m ‘wretched’. Take it easy there, Shakespeare. 🥴 They should have just kept it at the interesting oneliners that could be used as calming mantras and ‘find others who relate to your experience in some way and talk your feelings and trauma through with them’, the one piece of practical advice in here I can get behind. It stranded at a ⭐️⭐️ rating for me since the nice visual aspect of the book couldn’t save it as a whole either.
March 15, 2023
even death is endurable???
June 19, 2021
it does only 105 pages but i spent more time i need to read because everything here is short and on point. while because it's short, it still come with various perspectives on from where anxiety being. i love to understand that it might be not enough but still enough.
it's pointless to tell people not to anxiety but to understand how to act.
it's pointless to tell people not to anxiety but to understand how to act.
June 20, 2022
Short and interesting book about different kinds of anxiety and how to live a more calm and peaceful life
August 12, 2022
Kind of missed the point in a lot of areas - this could admittedly just be a me problem - but when it talks about how we should just accept and embrace death because it’s gonna happen to us all anyways. Like, babe, why do you think I got this book? Hate to break it to ya but that’s whATS CAUSING MY ANXIETY
Also it isn’t really as much a self help book, just a pretentious (i know school of life has a very unique way of writing tbf) collection of historical references that don’t bring much to help anxiety
I do appreciate the different sections for different types of anxiety, but that’s kinda the bare minimum. Part of me also doesn’t mind the pretentiousness
Also it isn’t really as much a self help book, just a pretentious (i know school of life has a very unique way of writing tbf) collection of historical references that don’t bring much to help anxiety
I do appreciate the different sections for different types of anxiety, but that’s kinda the bare minimum. Part of me also doesn’t mind the pretentiousness
June 15, 2021
The School of Life should start referring to their books as prescriptions, because I could do with a daily dose of one of the books, or at least some of its contents, alongside my regular medications. This book contains exactly what it states on the cover: meditations, or thoughts, on the anxious mind.
Anxiety opens with an introduction that states, "there is so much to which we are exposed, so many serious and unpredictable risks permanently waiting to threaten our peace of mind." The book then dives into what some of those things are, such as how we are repeatedly compelled to make enormous life choices without really having all the facts, how when at work our reputations could be destroyed, "in a moment by malice or error," or how, our imaginations permanently remind us of everything that is missing, might go wrong, or perhaps everything that we've already messed up.
It goes on to say that despite all of this, we should strive to let go of one or two of our anxieties, by understanding them better. This is a book about anxiety and how to overcome it, The School of Life states.
I took away quite a number of things from this book. Particularly from Basic Trust, Trauma & Anxiety, Self Hatred and Anxiety, Friendship & Anxiety, and Plan Bs & Anxiety. Although I took much away from each individual chapter, these were the ones that resonated most with me. It was interesting to read about the different types of anxiety, specifically Trauma & Anxiety.
The book also contains a Trauma Exercise and Self Esteem Questionnaire, which are both highly helpful. I only mentioned a couple of chapters here, but the book has a ton more information on diversionary anxiety, reputation, friendship, parties, and panic attacks, as well as so much more.
Avocado Diaries
Anxiety opens with an introduction that states, "there is so much to which we are exposed, so many serious and unpredictable risks permanently waiting to threaten our peace of mind." The book then dives into what some of those things are, such as how we are repeatedly compelled to make enormous life choices without really having all the facts, how when at work our reputations could be destroyed, "in a moment by malice or error," or how, our imaginations permanently remind us of everything that is missing, might go wrong, or perhaps everything that we've already messed up.
It goes on to say that despite all of this, we should strive to let go of one or two of our anxieties, by understanding them better. This is a book about anxiety and how to overcome it, The School of Life states.
I took away quite a number of things from this book. Particularly from Basic Trust, Trauma & Anxiety, Self Hatred and Anxiety, Friendship & Anxiety, and Plan Bs & Anxiety. Although I took much away from each individual chapter, these were the ones that resonated most with me. It was interesting to read about the different types of anxiety, specifically Trauma & Anxiety.
The book also contains a Trauma Exercise and Self Esteem Questionnaire, which are both highly helpful. I only mentioned a couple of chapters here, but the book has a ton more information on diversionary anxiety, reputation, friendship, parties, and panic attacks, as well as so much more.
Avocado Diaries
February 7, 2025
زرد زرد زرد زرد زرد زرد.
November 12, 2023
Reading about anxiety always seems to make me a little tense, and this book was no exception.
While many of its insights were interesting, I disagreed with the idea that a good friend should be one who has suffered the vast array of difficulties that the author put forward. On the contrary, in my experience, while many who have suffered deeply have a depth of compassion for others, many more are often deeply anxious themselves and do not have room to extend a depth of care towards others that they must, for survival reasons, expend on themselves. Indeed, some who have suffered even justify such suffering, having internalised the idea of it as a rite of passage that others too must go through, and thus are unsympathetic to the sufferings of the anxious.
Favourite takeaway from the book? Free people are those who have two-thirds of their day to themselves. Something to think deeply about.
While many of its insights were interesting, I disagreed with the idea that a good friend should be one who has suffered the vast array of difficulties that the author put forward. On the contrary, in my experience, while many who have suffered deeply have a depth of compassion for others, many more are often deeply anxious themselves and do not have room to extend a depth of care towards others that they must, for survival reasons, expend on themselves. Indeed, some who have suffered even justify such suffering, having internalised the idea of it as a rite of passage that others too must go through, and thus are unsympathetic to the sufferings of the anxious.
Favourite takeaway from the book? Free people are those who have two-thirds of their day to themselves. Something to think deeply about.
February 27, 2023
What a gem of a bookk!
Series kedua dari TSOL yang aku bacaa, dan ini yang terbaik sihhh. secara garis besar buku ini deconstruct anxiety dan membuka mata pembacanya akan efek yang dibawa oleh anxiety ini ke dalam kehidupan kita.
bagusnya, buku ini nih short and concise tapi sudah cukup banget bikin kita paham tentang dunia anxiety dan bertujuan agar kita dapat melepaskan anxiety itu sendiri.
walaupun singkat, namun aku butuh waktu agak lama untuk baca ini karena sangat on point dan reflektif banget, selama baca aku bolak balik menhkontemplasi isinya dengan keadaan diriku sendiri.. yeah, it's pointless to tell people not to anxiety but this book makes me understand "how to act" when my anxiety has comes.
Series kedua dari TSOL yang aku bacaa, dan ini yang terbaik sihhh. secara garis besar buku ini deconstruct anxiety dan membuka mata pembacanya akan efek yang dibawa oleh anxiety ini ke dalam kehidupan kita.
bagusnya, buku ini nih short and concise tapi sudah cukup banget bikin kita paham tentang dunia anxiety dan bertujuan agar kita dapat melepaskan anxiety itu sendiri.
walaupun singkat, namun aku butuh waktu agak lama untuk baca ini karena sangat on point dan reflektif banget, selama baca aku bolak balik menhkontemplasi isinya dengan keadaan diriku sendiri.. yeah, it's pointless to tell people not to anxiety but this book makes me understand "how to act" when my anxiety has comes.
December 30, 2023
One of the better (short) books I’ve found on a mental illness topic. It includes philosophical, psychological and historical references and anecdotes to explore the nature of anxiety disorder. It has a couple of exercises in it but it’s mostly a discussion on different aspects and elements associated with, causing or triggering anxiety.
I love the School of Life series on YouTube too as an accessible resource and reference on a variety of topics.
I didn’t necessarily agree with all aspects raised but overall it is an excellent overview and outline.
It’s the sort of book I’ll have to read again at least in specific parts as pertains to my experiences and obstacles.
I love the School of Life series on YouTube too as an accessible resource and reference on a variety of topics.
I didn’t necessarily agree with all aspects raised but overall it is an excellent overview and outline.
It’s the sort of book I’ll have to read again at least in specific parts as pertains to my experiences and obstacles.
June 29, 2025
If you are really looking to understand what happens to your brain during anxiety, & how to naviagte through it, this is your book for it - Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry
I found the present book extremely unstructured and not sensitive enough to actually give it's readers a better understanding of anxiety than the one they already know of.
I found the present book extremely unstructured and not sensitive enough to actually give it's readers a better understanding of anxiety than the one they already know of.
February 23, 2023
Concise, and especially helpful if you can't take medications for anxiety/panic/depression (which I've found I cannot, due to ototoxicity and the generation of deafening tinnitus by SSRIs in my system).
Lots of immediately helpful and actionable information and suggestions. Next stop: The Consolation of Philosophy, on this edition's recommendation. One thing lacking - the advances in study of beneficial bacterial in the digestive tract and their relation to anxiety management (some studies finding them as effective as medications with hazardous side effects).
Lots of immediately helpful and actionable information and suggestions. Next stop: The Consolation of Philosophy, on this edition's recommendation. One thing lacking - the advances in study of beneficial bacterial in the digestive tract and their relation to anxiety management (some studies finding them as effective as medications with hazardous side effects).
August 30, 2023
Khas buku The School of Life yang memuat tips praktikal menghadapi masalah kehidupan. Kecemasan merupakan musuh manusia karena bisa membuat hidup tidak tenang. Secara substansial aku kurang cocok dengan seri The School of Life kali ini.
Terdapat beberapa pernyataan yang bertentangan dan menurutku bukan begitu:’). Masalah setiap orang berbeda-beda dan tidak bisa digeneralisir seperti dalam Anxiety sehingga memunculkan kesan judgemental. Kemudian terdapat pembahasan yang melenceng dari pembahasan utama, yaitu anxiety.
- But, of course, most of us are not-quite-sane.
Terdapat beberapa pernyataan yang bertentangan dan menurutku bukan begitu:’). Masalah setiap orang berbeda-beda dan tidak bisa digeneralisir seperti dalam Anxiety sehingga memunculkan kesan judgemental. Kemudian terdapat pembahasan yang melenceng dari pembahasan utama, yaitu anxiety.
- But, of course, most of us are not-quite-sane.
December 27, 2020
I just finished this book and I highly recommend it. This one took me a bit longer even though the book is short because there are some questions and exercises that require some reflection and thinking... especially in the trauma section. The writing is to the point and the subjects are quite diverse: trauma, art, stoicism (Seneca), philosophy (Boethius) and many more. If you've ever experienced anxiety, you should read this book.
June 15, 2022
A good book. There are some valuable lessons here
"A free men are people who have two-thirds of his day for themselves"
"A good friend has been humbled, has given up pride, has messed up - and has drawn all the right conclusions from their troubles: that the only thing that counts is kindness"
"If your mind wasn't currently filled with these particular anxious thoughts, what might you have to think about right now?"
"A free men are people who have two-thirds of his day for themselves"
"A good friend has been humbled, has given up pride, has messed up - and has drawn all the right conclusions from their troubles: that the only thing that counts is kindness"
"If your mind wasn't currently filled with these particular anxious thoughts, what might you have to think about right now?"
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December 21, 2022I have been trying to fight anxiety for a long time and in a way this book helped me and gave me an idea. I came across these medications on the Internet and decided to try them in combination with the information from the book, and I was pleasantly surprised with the result, this complex of actions really showed positive dynamics.
July 27, 2022
As with other books by The School of Life and on philosophy in general I found some parts of this to be enormously helpful and insightful and encouraging, while others parts I totally didn’t agree with or didn’t seem particularly relevant to my life/concerns. In all though, it held some real gems of wisdom and encouraged me a lot in the type of life I would like to pursue and how to get there.
October 20, 2022
แท้ว่าจะเป็น message คล้ายๆ กัน ในเครือของ school of life แต่ก็ฟัง Audio book ได้เพลินๆ เราชอบเรื่อง สโตอิก คือมันมีส่วนร่วมกับศาสนาพุทธหลายอย่าง การยอมรับกัวสิ่งที่อะไรจะเกิดมันก็ต้องเกิด
กับเรื่อง cosmic insignificant คือเเี๋ยวเราก็ตายละคิดไรมาก เราเป็นเพียงเศษเสี้ยวของโลกนี้ ตายไป โลกก็หมุนต่อไป เหมือนไม่มีอะไรเกิดขึ้น
กับเรื่อง cosmic insignificant คือเเี๋ยวเราก็ตายละคิดไรมาก เราเป็นเพียงเศษเสี้ยวของโลกนี้ ตายไป โลกก็หมุนต่อไป เหมือนไม่มีอะไรเกิดขึ้น
January 5, 2024
A great, quick read composed of short essays, focusing on different aspects of anxiety and how it affects us. This is for anyone who suffers from more than just generalized anxiety disorder or someone who wants to understand anxiety better in general. I came to many realizations while reading this.
January 21, 2025
"For most of history, people suffered greatly, but they were spared one particular agony: the sense that a perfect life could somehow be possible."
I know i've said this with The School of Life before, but i'm not a fan of the writing style. It reads a lot like someone's journal—flowery, introspective, a bit meandering—, it tries too hard to seem profound with every sentence. Still, its heart is in the right place. I can't overstate how much i needed this book.ᐟ It reminded me that anxiety is not just anyone's struggle but a universal, deeply human experience. Reading it was nothing short of comforting.
I know i've said this with The School of Life before, but i'm not a fan of the writing style. It reads a lot like someone's journal—flowery, introspective, a bit meandering—, it tries too hard to seem profound with every sentence. Still, its heart is in the right place. I can't overstate how much i needed this book.ᐟ It reminded me that anxiety is not just anyone's struggle but a universal, deeply human experience. Reading it was nothing short of comforting.
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February 18, 2021dažreiz "rietumnieciskums" un "amerikānisms" ir parāk nomācošs. dažas grāmatā pieminētas leitas, lai cilvēks mazāk satrauktos, bija neizskaidrojamas - arī viņiem. vienkārši dari ir interesanta pieeja.
July 28, 2021
Wish I read this earlier in life. I finished it in an afternoon, it was very hard to put down and it's one of the very few books I write notes to go with it - for future reminder. Would recommend this book to everyone who think they are a little 'broken' and for those 'broken honest people'.
August 1, 2021
A bandaid for the mind.
If you’re anxious, and frankly we all are, this is your go-to resource for a quick diagnosis of your ailment. Somewhere in these pages is likely a description of your angst and its causation.
If you’re anxious, and frankly we all are, this is your go-to resource for a quick diagnosis of your ailment. Somewhere in these pages is likely a description of your angst and its causation.
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September 26, 2023What happens to us here and now in the city is framed as overwhelmingly important; it is all there is. And so everything that goes wrong, everything that frustrates or disappoints us, fills the horizon.
September 10, 2020
tl;dr: anxiety never ends; try to construct your life in a more calm manner; everything you fear will happen will most certainly happen
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews