School Resource Pack
Taming Your Scaredy Cat: Learning to Live with Anxiety
We often disregard anxiety as ‘I’m just stressed’, and either simply accept it, or blame it on others around us – our boss, our partner, our families, or maybe even the cat.
But if that stress is ongoing, long-lasting and is beginning to impact on your functioning, it’s worth taking a look to see if it’s something more than stress, and if there is anything you can do about it.
‘Taming Your Scaredy Cat’ is a great introduction to all aspects of anxiety for children and adults alike. It beautifully depicts the experience of anxiety while also providing much needed accurate and useful information about how anxiety can affect us. A must read for anyone touched by anxiety.’
Gemma Downie, Psychologist, BSc(Psych), PostGradDip(Psych), MBA
I have long danced with the challenges of stress and anxiety. Over the years, I have filled my tool kit with strategies to both keep it at bay and to tame it, when necessary. When my teenager Max started struggling with anxiety, I was keen to teach him strategies. It was so hard for him to get on top of it, while he was consumed by it. But little by little, Max opened up to ideas to help him to face the anxiety, to not take all of its negativity as truth, and to move through it. I am so proud of Max’s achievements and progress in managing his anxiety.
I started writing this book about anxiety for my work, and then Max agreed to do a few illustrations. Inspired by the brilliant Black Dog books by Matthew Johnstone, Max imagined anxiety as a scaredy cat. One that could be annoying, intrusive and attack, but one that could also be contained and ultimately tamed.
We hope you find some ideas in this book that can help you, or someone you care about, to learn to live with anxiety.
The school resource pack includes the book, activity worksheets and additional resources.
