The Anxiety & Emotional Regulation Guidebook
A look inside before you buy — the full table of contents, and the complete introduction, exactly as it appears in the book.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
A gentle orientation to the workbook and how to use it. - Part 1Understanding Your Anxiety
What anxiety is, how the stress response works, and mapping your own patterns. - Part 2How Your Nervous System Works
Polyvagal theory, the window of tolerance, and why regulation tools work. - Part 3Somatic Regulation Tools
Sixteen body-based practices to help your nervous system return to calm. - Part 4Visual Calming Prompts
Diagrams and visual guides you can follow with your eyes when words feel like too much. - Part 5Calming Racing Thoughts
CBT-based tools, cognitive distortions, and thought records. - Part 6Emotion Regulation & Self-Compassion
Naming emotions, DBT skills, and building a kinder inner voice. - Part 7Nutrition & Your Nervous System
Foods studied to support a calmer stress response, and a calming-plate planner. - Part 8Daily Regulation Routine
Morning, evening, and weekly check-ins to bookend your day with steadiness. - Part 9Coping Scripts & Affirmations
Grounding phrases and affirmations to reach for when anxiety is loud. - Part 10Crisis & Grounding Toolkit
Fast resets, the TIPP skill, and a personal crisis card for when anxiety peaks. - Your Personalized Plan
Bringing your favorite tools together into one place. - Glossary of Terms
Plain-language definitions for the language used throughout this book.
Introduction
Anxiety is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It is a sign that your body and mind have been working overtime to protect you.
This workbook is designed to help you understand your anxiety with clarity, compassion, and a sense of empowerment. Rather than fighting your symptoms or feeling defeated by them, you will learn to recognize what your anxiety is trying to communicate, how it shows up in your thoughts and body, and how to respond in ways that support your nervous system.
Throughout these pages, you will explore gentle, evidence-informed tools drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), polyvagal-informed somatic practice, nutrition science, and mindfulness. You will learn to regulate your mind and body, soften the stress response, and build a daily rhythm that creates emotional steadiness.
How this book is organized
Each part builds on the one before it. Parts 1 and 2 help you understand what anxiety is and how your nervous system works. Parts 3 and 4 give you body-based and visual tools to use in the moment. Parts 5 and 6 work with your thoughts and emotions. Part 7 looks at the connection between food and your stress response. Parts 8 through 10 help you build daily habits and prepare for harder moments.
How to use this book
You do not need to complete this book in order, and you do not need to finish it in one sitting. Some pages ask you to reflect and write; others ask you to try something with your body or your breath. Move at a pace that feels right for you. There is no rush. This is your space to reconnect with yourself, your breath, and your inner strength.
Ready for the rest?
72 pages, 10 parts, and every worksheet, tracker, and crisis card described above — yours to write in, revisit, and keep.
Get the full Guidebook