A new book from former practicing clinical psychologist Alice Boyes explores ways people can manage the anxiety they face in their daily lives.
Entitled "The Anxiety Toolkit: Strategies for Fine-Tuning Your Mind and Moving Past Your Stuck Points," the book breaks down different types of anxiety and what people can do on their own to address them.
According to Boyes, anxiety was something she treated very often while she was in practice.
"By far, the most common thing people came to see me for was anxiety," she told KNPR's State of Nevada. "I quickly became more of an expert in that topic."
Boyes began writing on anxiety and anxiety-related topics for a variety of blogs. She said she received a lot of feedback from readers who didn't necessarily have diagnoses of anxiety disorders, but were still finding use in the different types of coping mechanisms taught in therapy settings.
"Some people are acutely aware of being anxious," Boyes said. "But for other people, they don't understand that anxiety is what is underlying their reactions to things."
Modern conveniences, like e-mail and social media, can also bring about anxiety, according to Boyes, because they lack the body language cues people rely on during a conversation.
"The triggers for anxiety have changed," she said. "A lot of the context cues are stripped out that communication, so sometimes you'll get a strange response from somebody, or the tone will seem weird, and you won't know why."
She recommends setting aside time away from devices to relax, and to make time for yourself as ways to combat anxiety.
Alice Boyes, PhD., author, The Anxiety Toolkit
