Tired of Anxiety: A Kid's Guide to Befriending Difficult Thoughts & Feelings and LivingYour Life Anyway

Tired of Anxiety is a step-by step guide for children on how to do the things that matter to them despite anxiety. Based on principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the book uses evidence-based clinical techniques and describes them in accessible, child-friendly ways to ensure that families have a toolkit for working positively with anxiety over the long term.

By acknowledging that difficult thoughts and feelings are a normal part of being human, rather than something we must try to stamp down or wish away, the authors normalise the everyday struggles of anxious young people so that children can learn to ‘make friends’ with their own anxiety and get on with the more important work of actually living and enjoying their lives. The text is presented in a visually appealing style, with frequent opportunities to engage with the material and a suite of supporting audio meditations.

Table of Contents

Introduction for parents or other trusted adults

1. Getting to know your anxiety
2. Our brains as threat detectors
3. More on mindfulness
4. Control and avoidance
5. Values and what you care about
6. Building a better compass
7. Letting go of the fight with anxiety
8. Other things you can do when Frank comes to town – defusion
9. More practice at stepping back from your anxiety
10. You are the place that your thoughts come
11. Really going after your anxiety
12. Nobody’s perfect!
13. Commitment – saying yes and meaning it

"Cassidy and Coyne are well seasoned practitioners that have been working with children and young people for decades. This is clearly evident in this masterpiece. ‘Tired of Anxiety’ is warm, funny, easy to follow and most importantly extremely effective. Always fun and playful yet dignified and validating. This is a book that all children would greatly benefit from. The illustrations and interactive exercises are creative and engaging to complete. I’ll be purchasing this for young people in my family as well as ones that I work with. I cannot recommend this kids self-help book enough to any young person (or their parents) who could use some support managing anxiety."
- Louise McHugh, PhD, School of Psychology University College Dublin

"Tired of Anxiety contains a great deal of insight and understanding of anxiety in children, and provides a treasure trove of tools to help kids navigate their scary thoughts and ‘live life anyway’. Based on years of experience and research, Dr. Sarah Cassidy and Dr. Lisa Coyne discuss anxiety in a conversational and playful tone, easing the young reader into a choose-your-own-adventure-esque journey of mindful curiosity and self-discovery. The book is packed with memorable explanations – what if your amygdala is like a super sensitive smoke alarm in your house? – exercises, and mindfulness practices, leaving the reader at ease with their thoughts and free to continue their life’s adventure."
- Dr. Elle Kirsten

"I would like to highly recommend Tired of Anxiety by Drs Sarah Cassidy and Lisa Coyne. I have found it very useful in my clinical work with children and their parents. The authors’ experience and expertise in treating anxious children really shines through, and the book is written in a very playful, engaging way. I especially enjoyed the fun artwork, and the personable manner in which the authors approach this difficult topic. In addition, the audio tracks included are highly useful. I have recommended the book to my colleagues, and I’m sure that they will find it very useful also."
- Dr Meria Dolan, Senior Clinical Psychologist