30 Days 30 Ways to Overcome Anxiety by Bev Aisbett is one of the few books about anxiety that I’ve read that is not meant to be read in one sitting. The idea is you take the book one day at a time, just like you do your mental illness.
What I liked about the book was the idea that I could read one chapter a day and learn something without overwhelming myself with new tools and methods of dealing with an already overwhelming illness.
Each chapter or day is broken down into the information they want you to learn, followed by your tasks for the day, and ending with a mantra or two. You know with each day that is the pattern you are getting into, and it’s comforting.
My favorite day was the “Frankly, my dear…”—when it’s your day to not give a damn about anything. It’s similar to the “poor me” day that happens earlier, but this time you just don’t care. I have a hard time with this and it was an exercise in just letting go and saying screw it. Dishes aren’t done? Who cares. Do you want to wear a Christmas shirt in July paired with your favorite Halloween boots? Go for it. “Frankly, my dear…” is the day you don’t care what other people think.
The only negative thing I have to say is how the book is printed. Throughout the book, you will see words that they want to emphasize in ALL CAPS. This means that THROUGHOUT the book, words that THEY WANT you to pay attention TO are in CAPS (very similar to that last sentence). It drove my OCD crazy and caused me to take a few extra minutes to read the chapter.
Overall, the book had some great ideas and tools, and I like how it built on to itself by referring back to earlier days. It’s supposed to be a book you carry with you, but, personally, I think it works more like a daily devotional that you should read first thing in the morning to get your day started.
30 Days 30 Ways to Overcome Anxiety is available wherever books are sold.
