Owning It is a breath of fresh air when it comes to books about anxiety. Author Caroline Foran’s style of writing is more like chatting to a friend than reading a book, avoiding heavy jargon. Her use of language makes you laugh and her openness about her own personal experiences with anxiety offers the reader a connection, making the book even more relatable.
But what really makes this book so special is that it’s actually packed with useful information and explains some heavy stuff about how our brains function in a simple way, making it a pleasure to read and avoiding overwhelming an already anxious reader. The author also brings in experts in various different fields to offer their expertise and further educate the reader with other perspectives.
The book is split into two main parts, very clearly divided up into small chapters dealing with different topics. The first part is all about assessing your anxiety and developing an understanding as to why you feel the way you do. You are prompted to take some notes and really get to grips with your thoughts and feelings. One particular chapter in section one outlines the ‘less sh*t side of having anxiety’ and gives the reader valid points as to why being extra sensitive can actually be a blessing in some aspects of your life. This changes the reader’s outlook on anxiety in such a simple yet effective way, changing their mindset instantly.
Part two of the book is all about addressing the anxiety. Now that you have the tools to understand the feelings, the author shows you how to help yourself by looking after your health and addressing issues such as relationships, sleep problems and social comparison.
In the middle of the book between part one and two, there is a smaller section called your ‘toolkit’ and this extra little section has some invaluable resources such as your ‘anxiety survival kit’, inspirational quotes and even a guide on how to cope with a panic attack in real-time. This can be dipped into whenever you need a little extra help.
In the introduction, the author suggests you keep this book in your bag and consider it your ultimate go-to whether you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or completely panicked. This book is small enough to carry everywhere and as the author says herself, it is beneficial to everybody. Even if you don’t suffer from anxiety, this book will offer you an insight into how your mind works and if you ever do feel stressed, you’ll know exactly what to do to fix it. However, if you do suffer from anxiety or panic attacks then this book will be your new best friend. Caroline is blunt and honest which gives this book a little more edge than most other self-help books out there.
Owning it is available now in bookstores for €14.