CBT and self-help for anxiety, in plain English
Short, practical guides: how your thoughts work, what to do during a panic attack, how to keep a thought record. No fluff, no jargon.
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CBT for beginners: how thoughts feed anxiety
The core idea behind CBT, cognitive distortions, a thought record in 5 steps, and three techniques for everyday use.
PracticeWhat to do during a panic attack, step by step
Why panic isn't dangerous, how to help yourself in the moment — breathing, 5-4-3-2-1 grounding — and what to do afterward.
Quiz · 1 minuteWhich cognitive distortions do you have?
Check the thoughts that ring true and spot your own thinking traps — with CBT tips to match.
Quiz · PSS-10Stress level quiz
The official Perceived Stress Scale: 10 questions, an instant score, and what it means.
Tool · freeFill out a thought record
Work through a situation with the CBT steps right in your browser. Your entries stay private to you.
Cognitive distortions
A breakdown of common thinking traps — with visuals and real-life examples.
Catastrophizing
How to stop spinning up the worst-case scenario with a couple of questions.
DistortionsAll-or-nothing thinking
Why "all or nothing" holds you back, and how to find the middle ground again.
DistortionsMind reading
"Everyone thinks I'm…" — how to tell a guess apart from a fact.
Distortions"Should" statements
The tyranny of "I should," and how to ease up on the demands you put on yourself.
DistortionsComparing yourself on social media
Why the feed ramps up anxiety and how to step out of the trap.
Practices and techniques
Short exercises and walkthroughs — you can use them right away.
4-7-8 breathing
How to settle in two minutes — during anxiety and before sleep.
Practice5-4-3-2-1 grounding
Bring your attention back to the here and now through your five senses.
Exercise · interactiveDo the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding
Step by step, with breathing, a timer, and a walkthrough from the AI guide.
ToolHow to keep a thought record
A 5-step template and a worked example.
TopicAnxiety before sleep
Why your thoughts race at night and how to break the loop.
TheoryCBT, DBT, and ACT
How the three approaches differ and when each one helps most.
TopicIntrusive thoughts
Why they keep coming back and how to loosen their grip — without fighting them.
TopicAnxiety for no reason
Why it hits with no trigger and how to bring down your baseline anxiety.
PracticeHow to calm down fast
5 techniques to settle anxiety in a couple of minutes.
PracticeBreathing techniques for anxiety: 4-7-8, box breathing, diaphragmatic
Breathing is the fastest way to settle your nervous system. Three techniques that work for anxiety and…
PracticeAnxiety before an interview, exam, or presentation
How to steady yourself before an interview, exam, or big meeting: what to do…
Anxiety and the body
The physical symptoms of anxiety — why your body reacts and how to help yourself.
Heart pounding and anxiety: why your heart races
Why your heart slams and "skips a beat" with anxiety: the mechanism, CBT tools, and step-by-step…
BodyChest tightness from anxiety: what's happening and how to help yourself
Why anxiety brings heaviness and tightness to your chest, how to tell it apart from your heart, and what to do right…
BodyDizziness from anxiety: why you feel off-balance and how to ground
Why anxiety makes you dizzy: hyperventilation, the anxious focus, the fear of passing out.…
BodyNausea, a knot in your stomach, and a nervous gut from anxiety: how to settle your stomach
Why anxiety triggers nausea and stomach cramps — the gut–brain axis explained. CBT techniques,…
BodyA lump in your throat and air hunger with anxiety
A lump in your throat, hard to breathe, can't get enough air — common anxiety symptoms. Why it happens…
BodyShaky hands and inner trembling from anxiety: the cause and quick relief
Why your hands shake with anxiety and how to stop the trembling fast. The adrenaline-tremor mechanism,…
BodyDerealization and depersonalization from anxiety: that "dreamlike" feeling — what it is and how to come back
Feeling unreal, like you're in a dream, with anxiety — it's your brain protecting you, not losing it. We explain…
BodyHealth anxiety: when you can't stop checking for symptoms
Every body sensation feels like an illness, you keep googling symptoms and going to doctors.…
BodyFear for a loved one's health: when caring turns into anxiety
Compulsive checking, catastrophizing, constant fear for your mom's or your child's health. How CBT…
Panic disorder
Panic in different situations — how to break the fear cycle.
Nighttime panic attacks: why they hit you in your sleep
Why panic wakes you in the middle of the night, how to keep the fear from spiraling, and how to get back to sleep without the ER. The mechanism,…
PanicPanic behind the wheel: the fear of losing control on the road and how to ease it
Why panic shows up while you're driving, what happens in your brain in traffic and on bridges, and how to get back…
PanicPanic on the subway, bus, and plane: why it hits in transit and what to do
Why an enclosed space sets off a panic attack and how to handle the anxiety in…
PanicFear of a panic attack: how anticipatory anxiety keeps you trapped
The main engine of panic disorder is the fear of fear itself. We break down the vicious cycle…
Anxious thoughts
Rumination, "what if," and uncertainty — how to quiet your head.
Rumination: why your brain runs the same thoughts on a loop
Why your brain gets stuck on the same thoughts — and how to stop endlessly replaying the past and…
Thoughts"What if…": how to break the chain of anxious scenarios in your head
"What if" thoughts are the core of anxiety about the future. We break down catastrophizing and teach you to…
ThoughtsIntolerance of uncertainty: why your brain demands guarantees and how to let go
How intolerance of uncertainty feeds chronic anxiety and what to do about it: CBT and ACT techniques…
ThoughtsFear of the future: how worry about tomorrow steals today
We break down the fear of the future: catastrophizing, intolerance of uncertainty, thinking traps.…
ThoughtsHow to stop overthinking: 6 steps
Overthinking is rumination: the same thoughts circle and blow up the worst case. 6…
ThoughtsCompulsive checking: did I turn off the stove, did I lock the door — how to stop
Why we keep checking the stove, the iron, and the lock — and how to stop. The mechanics of OCD, exposure with…
ThoughtsWorry time: how to give worry 20 minutes and get your day back
The worry-time technique: how to set aside 20 minutes a day for worry and stop fretting the rest…
Low energy and mood
When you've got nothing left and nothing feels good — gentle CBT steps.
Behavioral activation: the key CBT move against low energy
Behavioral activation: how small actions bring energy back when you're flat and low. A step-by-step guide to…
MoodAnhedonia: when nothing feels good anymore and how to bring the color back
Anhedonia is the loss of pleasure in depression and burnout. We explain the mechanism and give you concrete…
MoodApathy and no energy: when you "don't feel like doing anything"
Apathy isn't laziness or weakness. We break down why willpower doesn't help when you're emotionally…
MoodCan't get out of bed: why starting the day is so hard and how to help yourself
Why mornings feel so heavy with apathy and depression. We break down the "morning…
MoodMorning anxiety: why it hits the moment you wake up and how to ease into the day
We break down the morning cortisol surge and the habit of waking up into catastrophizing. A plan for your first 20…
MoodThe Sunday scaries: why the night before the workweek hits and what to do
Why Sunday evening turns into dread and gloom before work. We explain the mechanism and give you…
MoodCoping with loss: how to move through grief and slowly come back to life
How to survive the loss of someone close: the stages of grief, how normal grieving differs from getting stuck, and techniques…
Self-esteem and self-criticism
The inner critic, perfectionism, and the fear of judgment.
Self-compassion: how to be on your own side
A practical guide to self-compassion: its three pillars, everyday exercises, and an answer to "isn't this just…
Self-esteemImposter syndrome: why success feels like luck and how to stop fearing exposure
Imposter syndrome: where the fear of being found out comes from and the cognitive distortions behind it…
Self-esteemThe inner critic: where the harsh voice in your head comes from and how to tame it
Where self-criticism comes from, how the inner critic works, and what to do about it with CBT. Concrete…
Self-esteemPerfectionism: when "it has to be perfect" gets in the way of living and working
Perfectionism is an anxiety strategy, not a personality trait. We unpack its link to the fear of mistakes,…
Self-esteemFear of judgment: how to stop living for other people's opinions
The fear of judgment and what others think: the mechanisms, CBT techniques, and behavioral experiments. How to step out…
Work and burnout
Anxiety around work, boundaries, and recovery.
Recovering from burnout: a plan to get your energy back
The three stages of burnout and why a vacation doesn't fix it. A realistic recovery plan built on boundaries, values, and…
WorkWork anxiety: the fear of emails, calls, and messages from your boss
Scared to open an email from your boss? Avoiding calls? We break down the mechanism of work anxiety…
WorkAnxious procrastination: why we put off exactly what matters and how to get moving
Procrastination is often about anxiety, not laziness. CBT tools: breaking tasks down, lowering the stakes,…
DBT and ACT skills
Concrete skills for regulation, acceptance, and living by your values.
The TIPP skill: getting through an unbearable moment
A detailed breakdown of the DBT TIPP skill: temperature, intense exercise, breathing, relaxation. How to ride out the peak of an emotion…
SkillsRadical acceptance: how to let go of fighting reality
The DBT skill of radical acceptance: the difference between accepting and approving, why the secondary pain is worse…
SkillsEmotion regulation in DBT: how to name, understand, and ease strong feelings
DBT emotion-regulation skills: recognizing emotions, reducing vulnerability, checking…
SkillsWise mind: the balance point between emotion and reason in DBT
What wise mind is in DBT, how to find the balance point between feelings and logic, and how to make…
SkillsValues in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): how to choose a direction when you have no motivation
How to work with values in ACT: exercises to clarify what matters, techniques for choosing a direction,…
SkillsOpposite action: how to ease fear and sadness by doing the opposite of the urge
Opposite action is a DBT skill: when an emotion doesn't fit the situation, act against its…
SkillsCognitive defusion (ACT): learning to watch your thoughts from a distance
Cognitive defusion from acceptance and commitment therapy: techniques to see a thought as just…
SkillsPersonal boundaries: how to say no without guilt and avoid burnout
How to say no without guilt: DBT assertiveness skills, the difference between a request and manipulation,…
Anxiety and everyday life
Money, the news, moving, loss — the stuff of real, present-day life.
Financial anxiety: how to live when money is tight
How to tell real money moves apart from anxious rumination about money. CBT and DBT techniques for…
LifeNews anxiety and doomscrolling
Why your brain gets stuck on alarming news and how to set up healthy media habits without guilt. Real…
LifeThe anxiety of moving and emigrating: culture shock, loneliness, and losing your footing
Culture shock, loneliness, grieving your old life — how psychology explains the anxiety…
Relationships and closeness
Breakups, jealousy, boundaries, and fights — how anxiety runs your relationships.
After a breakup: how to move through the pain without getting stuck in it
How to get through a breakup: the stages of grieving, CBT and ACT techniques, and how to tell…
RelationshipsFear of abandonment: where it comes from and how to stop bracing for a breakup
The fear of being left: the causes, the behavioral traps (control, jealousy, self-sacrifice)…
RelationshipsJealousy and obsessive thoughts about your partner: how to break the cycle of suspicion
Jealousy as anxiety and rumination: why checking doesn't help, how to work with the cognitive…
RelationshipsRelationship anxiety: why doubts hit and how to stop controlling everything
Anxious attachment, looking for proof of love, overthinking — we break down the mechanisms and give you…
RelationshipsConflict avoidance: why we stay silent and bottle up resentment, and how to speak up about what matters
We break down the fear of conflict and passive aggression. DBT and CBT skills for hard conversations: how to…
RelationshipsSnapping at the people closest to you: why we lash out at family and how to stop
Why we lash out at the people we love, and how to stop. The mechanisms, CBT techniques, and a plan…
RelationshipsAnger and outbursts: how to stop blowing up and stay in control
The anatomy of an anger outburst, the triggers, and the thoughts that fuel it. CBT pause-and-reframe techniques for anyone who…
CBT for relationships between partners
Fewer fights, more understanding: how thoughts drive arguments and how to talk without blame.
Coming soon
- Self-criticism: how to soften the inner critic topic
- Procrastination and anxiety topic
- Health anxiety topic