Monday 1 April 2019

REVIEW: How Not to Lose It by Anna Williamson

Pages: 176
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Non-Fiction, Advice
Release Date: March 7th 2019
Source: Gifted from publisher
Buy The Book: Book Depository - A Great Read

The go-to mental health guide for kids! Exam stress? Friendship issues? Panic attacks?
 
How Not to Lose It will help you be the boss of all of this, and more.

It's not just your body that should be fit and healthy - your mind needs to be, too! How Not to Lose It is the go-to guide for achieving a balanced mind and strong emotional well-being.

With immediate, heart of the matter advice and a chatty yet honest tone, Anna Williamson addresses all of the key issues affecting children today.

Topics covered:
anxiety depression stress friendship bullying relationships and sex family life and bereavement phobias peer pressure self-harm self-esteem and confidence.


The purpose of this book is to inform and reassure young people about what goes on inside their heads by openly discussing how the mind can react to different situations. This is the book I wish I’d had as a teenager. I didn’t learn about anxiety and panic attacks until I was at university and even then, it was through social media. No one in school taught me that my anxiety was more than just being painfully shy. I know I’d have been grateful for a book like this to have been in my library.


How Not to Lose It covers a range of mental health problems, giving advice on how to cope with situations that young people might find themselves in. From stress and grief, to navigating the online world and learning to accept yourself, Anna Williamson leaves no stone unturned. 

What I particularly loved was the Myth Busting and Ask Anna sections. We all have illogical fears at times, and it can be difficult to find people to ask about them. It’s great that Anna uses these parts of the book to show teens that they’re not alone in their way of thinking. There are even sections for writing things down, and letter templates for when things need to be said but speaking might be too scary. There’s nothing condescending and no lectures on what’s right and wrong, just pure understanding.


The section that discusses being online is super important. A lot has changed since I was in school just ten years ago. Whatever advice I might have needed then is so different to what teens today need to know. The world of social media can be a wonderful community, but it also has may dangerous and upsetting sides to it. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for teens to navigate their way through that whilst being in school. We definitely need more books like this one to give an updated look in to how modern society can impact mental health.

  • It’s simple and straight to the point whilst also being reassuring. 
  • The book normalises things that young people might worry about. 
  • There are wonderful illustrations throughout, making the discussions seem less intimidating. 
  • It talks about various treatment options from doctors to medication. 
  • There are several websites at the back of the book to find further help. 


Books like this being easily available to young people are so important. We need to help teens feel like they have places to turn. Mental health can make us so isolated but there is always help available and there are places to find comfort, even if it’s within the pages of a book.


Royal Rating:
 
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