Wisdom of Anxiety Paperback – Illustrated, May 28, 2019

Hands down an amazing and fundamental book for everyone to read. It helps us understand how to reshape our mindset about anxiety and use it as a tool to help yourself.

Sheryl's approach to anxiety is the most holistic that I've encountered. She offers information and tools for healing anxiety from the ground up, from all realms of self: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Healing from anxiety involves tending to all of these areas. It's not just about correcting faulty thinking patterns, but taking care of ourselves with proper nutrition, exercise, going in nature, journaling, creating, tending to our feelings, and relaxing into uncertainty by connecting to spirituality. And her definition of spirituality is very broad, but it essentially is letting go and accepting the inherent uncertainty of life by connecting to something bigger than ourselves--whatever that might look like for you.She doesn't just go into the what of anxiety, but the why. Anxiety is a physical symptom, but it's not just that. It's a messenger. It points to areas in your life that need healing, and all of the unhealthy and distorted messages that you've been told your entire life.As she has counseled people in anxiety for many years, she touches upon roadblocks to healing: the resistance that pops up when you're changing habits and ways of thinking that have helped you feel safe and in control, and not wanting to take responsibility for your own healing.As she says on p. 55: "Taking responsibility for our wellbeing is an essential key to transformation. We cannot heal if we're waiting for someone else to heal us and if we're committed to a mindset of blame and refusal. Along with resistance, one of the ways that people refuse responsibility is by subscribing to the belief that their suffering shouldn't be happening: that it something external were different, they wouldn't be struggling with anxiety. As discussed, we're so culturally addicted to the belief that our internal states are determined by external circumstances that it's like swimming upstream to develop a different mindset--one that invites taking 100 percent responsibility for our pain. The belief that anxiety shouldn't be happening stops people dead in their tracks from doing the work that needs to be done. This is fighting against reality, because the anxiety *is* happening, and every time you fall prey to the escape-hatch mindset you miss the opportunity you're being given to heal and grow."She also touches upon transitions and has an entire chapter on relationship anxiety, which makes up the bulk of her work. How many of us have struggled with seasonal depression, Sunday anxiety, morning anxiety, health anxiety, etc? I think most of us have, and these are the less talked about transitions that she covers.I highly recommend not only Sheryl's book, but her wonderful blog and courses that she offers at conscious-transitions.com. Once I pushed past my own resistance and avoidance of responsibility, her work was instrumental in my healing from many years of obsessive thoughts. Her book is packed with tools, information, and guidance, no matter what your anxiety looks like. She is full of warmth, love, and wisdom. This book is an excellent guide and an anchor of hope not only those suffering from anxiety, but for everyone.

This book has become a regular source of wisdom to turn to when I am feeling out of sorts. I have a strong relationship with anxiety and have had it since I was a little girl. The older I've grown the more I've realized that it's my internal world that needs addressing far more than any external. Sheryl's work has been a constant reminder that it is indeed true. This book reminds me that there is nothing wrong with me and that there is so much hope. I have a beautiful life but I couldn't feel it or see it until I learned how to address my anxiety head-on. What I love about Sheryl's book is that she doesn't pathologize anxiety. She turns what I had always seemed as some inherent flaw in me into a blessing of sorts. It makes me a wonderful artist. It makes me a wonderful friend. Because my anxiety means I am a sensitive being with so many gifts and all I have to do is sit down with my anxiety to discover the next piece of the puzzle on my journey to self-actualization. As she states in her book, healing is not linear. I have to come back to my tools each and every time, but it does get easier. I experience more grace in the darkness and know that I have the modalities to work through them. I take responsibility for my perceptions now and my relationship with my lovely and perfectly imperfect partner has grown substantially since I found Sheryl's work and this wise book. Thank you, Sheryl. I hope all the sensitives who feel like life is so hard sometimes find your words. We all deserve to live in the fullness of ourselves.

If you experience anxiety/intrusive thoughts and want to work on your healing journey, this book is for you! As someone who reads a lot of self help books, this is one of my favorites of all time and I love Sheryl Paul’s work in general, but her book is just amazing. Reading some of the chapters gave me goosebumps. It has helped me so much in overcoming intrusive thoughts and anxiety and has helped me connect more with my heart and soul. It adds a spiritual (not religious) twist to psychology how how to heal and work with anxiety instead of against it and I love it. I utilize a lot of the skills and knowledge in this book in my daily life/routine. I 100% recommend those of you who experience anxiety, or more specifically, intrusive thoughts, give this book a go and check out Sheryl Paul’s website as she offers specific types of courses as well.

I loved the first half of this book, it gave me many ways to think about my anxiety that I had not thought of. It was an eye opener, for this reason alone I would buy this book. The author can write, a craft is evident. She brings a whole new way of addressing your anxiety through curiosity and compassion. It is a welcome read, a gift. That said, I felt undercurrents of a steadfast dogma to sticking with relationships, even if you are questioning them. Or questioning yourself. And this could just be due to me going through relationship transitions that I was hyperfocused on this. I just sense a big push to chalk questions up to intrusive thoguhts; which may very well be; however I believe there are more intricacies. The author does provide quantifications in epilogue; and that was welcome, but it was almost as a side note, when it would have been welcome as a actual chapter. What if you really are not attracted to your partner? And it's not an intrusive thought? In any event , the book is good, just keep an open mind . I felt it was written by a marriage therapist.

I've been suffering with anxiety for 40 years. Could never understand it in order to get ahead of it. This book is the best book I've read on understanding anxiety, so as to not have it control you anymore. Sheryl is great. She can be poetic and flowery at times which is not my thing, but if you can put that aside you will find so much wisdom in this book to help you. Highly recommended!

Sheryl Paul es, sin duda, una de las terapeutas que mejor entiende y sabe tratar la ansiedad. Este libro es oro puro y, en sí, sanador. Mi nivel de ansiedad disminuyó enormemente tras leerlo, y lo recomiendo a todo aquel que esté sufriendo de ansiedad. La idea básica de Sheryl es que la ansiedad no es nuestra enemiga, sino una mensajera que nos avisa de que algo dentro de nosotros no está bien. Su trabajo se basa en la psicología de Carl Jung, que me ha encantado descubrir. Sheryl Paul es, además, espiritual (que no religiosa, que no es lo mismo) y dirige su trabajo en especial a las personas altamente sensibles. Y, aunque no te identifiques ni como persona espiritual (yo tampoco) ni altamente sensible, este libro probablemente te ayudará. Yo personalmente me he sentido identificada prácticamente con todo lo que Sheryl describe en el libro y he acabado considerándome afortunada por haber tenido ansiedad (como dice en el título, "las preocupaciones y los pensamientos intrusivos son una invitación para ayudarte a sanar"). En definitiva, creo que este libro es una joya y que debería estar en la mesilla de noche de todas las personas.

"The Wisdom of Anxiety" is not just a book; it's a roadmap for reclaiming our inner power and embracing the full spectrum of human experience. By reframing anxiety as a guide rather than a foe, Sheryl Paul offers readers a profound invitation to embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and transformation. Whether you're grappling with anxiety yourself or seeking a deeper understanding of the human psyche, this book is a must-read for anyone ready to embrace the wisdom within.

Ho comprato questo libro dopo avere guardato un interview con lei su Holistic psychologist.Informazioni super interessante. Lo consiglio a tutti.

Absolutely loveeee this book! Totally changed my perspective on anxiety and helped me overcome it :)