This guide is excellent for anyone seeking to better understand and manage anxiety symptoms. I found many of the tools provided to be quite helpful. However, it does have a clinical tone that makes it feel more like a therapist's manual than a general self-help book. Despite this, I believe that everyone can benefit from the insights shared in this novel.

I've never believed there is one end-all "solution" to anxiety, much less something that consistently works for everyone. This book, however, is a great toolbox of techniques for anyone looking to tackle their anxiety — it's practical and helpful!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Your Name is Not Anxious: A Very Personal Guide to Putting Anxiety in Its Place by Stephanie Dowrick is an insightful and compassionate exploration of managing anxiety. Drawing on her deep experience as a writer and psychotherapist, Dowrick combines practical advice with empathetic storytelling to create a guide that feels both intimate and empowering. The book navigates complex emotional landscapes, offering readers relatable anecdotes, psychological insights, and actionable steps to reclaim a sense of calm and self-assurance. Dowrick’s gentle yet authoritative voice provides comfort, making readers feel understood and equipped to face their anxieties. This guide stands out for its genuine warmth and its ability to resonate deeply with anyone seeking to reduce the power anxiety holds over their lives.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about how I want to review this book. I had many different thoughts while reading but I also wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just making complaints, if I was going to give criticism I would hope it would be constructive. I appreciated that the title of the book said, “A very personal guide” because that is indeed what it was. On a positive note it felt like you were having a chat with your good friend and your friend is giving you advice. The repetition throughout mimics like when you talk about the same problem over and over with your buddy. However, my personal opinion for when I am picking up a book like this, I am looking for something with a little more authority and formality. This book only made me feel like I was listening to the authors journey with anxiety, it was hard to insert myself into the picture in an accurate way. I feel like I left the reading knowing a lot more about the author but not so much how the information related to me. Again this is personal preference, I think some would really appeal to the casual like conversation that this book carried, it’s just not my cup of tea.

It seemed like a scrapbook of someone’s journey. Pulling quotes and things that the author appreciated but left little room for my own self discovery. I also didn’t care for the repetition of “Your name is not anxious.” In the whole book. I think the title was sufficient. It made it feel more like they were trying too hard to make it a thing.

This is a formatting issue not so much an actual issue. But I actually like it when you have these really profound statements hidden among other text. You can tell which statements stand out to the author because everything was in bold. But my personal preference is that I highlight it myself. Makes me feel like an explorer, I have to dig deeper. Makes me pay attention more.

Now for the positive… I loved the short chapters, I think that was a really great mood. I also liked the quotes at each chapter that kind of set the mood. I think all of that was a really good choice!

One of my favorite quotes was this one, “In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” That was a chapter that did take me to another place and was enjoyable. I also liked, “Anxiety is a robber when it takes hold of your feelings. It robs you of your natural optimism and much of your vitality. Along with stress, it exhausts you. It is also a liar, telling you what is seldom if ever “true” about the richly complex person each of us is.”

The best chapter in my opinion was 45 on venting. It provided great visuals, great advice, and easy things to remember. That is my takeaway chapter for the whole book.

In conclusion, although I appreciated the realness of the author and her courage to share. I would have thought based on the title that it would be more informational and not the extent of personal that it was. But I know this will be right up someone else’s alley!

Very well written and on such an important matter. I feel this book will help many anxious people learn how to cope.

This book was granted to me at a time when I was experiencing more stress and anxiety than ever before. Dowrick's book helped me to understand my anxiety and the things that can cause it. I now have a better understanding of my symptoms and am getting better at recognizing the things that may trigger it. I believe this book would be beneficial to anyone with anxiety, as well as anyone looking for a better understanding.

As someone who struggles with anxiety daily I found this to be quite helpful. In this book I’ve learnt a few techniques that I believe will be helpful to help deal with my anxiety.

This book has great chapters discussing the many facets of anxiety and it includes exercises and suggestions on how to overcome anxiety when it appears in its different forms. The chapters are super short and it is quite a quick book to get through. I don't know if it really gave any new information or insights into anxiety, however, it is a nice resource to have.

This book provides good insight on anxiety have how to manage it. It was easy to understand. It has describes the physical effects of anxiety on the body as well. I’ve read many books on anxiety and found that this one was the most helpful.

I suffer from a disorder called PMDD that greatly affects my mental health. For a week every month I go through it. I have frequent panic attacks, dissociating, and intrusive thoughts. I feel like I have read everything there is to read about anxiety - but this book is truly guiding me in a better direction.

This is a toolbox filled with everything you need to help you live a better, less anxious life. This author has helped me tremendously. THANK YOU.

This is a great tool to have around because it focuses on the subject rather than just speaking of what anxiety is. It has practical examples, and the chapters are short and well-structured. They end with a try this section, suggestions that help initiate the process of finding our own way to self-help ourselves. I relate to it a lot, and it made me feel I was being listened to. I will definitely get an audio version so I can listen to specific chapters on a loop when anxiety flares.

This book was extremely helpful in visualizing some of what anxiety is and the ways to cope. I cannot wait to use these skills in life and hopefully see a change.

Thank you to the publisher/author for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This book was different than the other ones I read on Anxiety. This one seemed to cater to different types of people with ideas to help and not to necessarily solve the issue.

I think if you are new on your journey to understanding anxiety this book might be for you, however if you are a little farther into it, I don’t think this book would suit you. I found the tips and tricks just ok. A lot of this information just felt like a repeat from any anxiety self help book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this eARC.