Written by Julie Mackey, MS, LPC
I was lucky enough to receive The Anxiety and Stress Solution Deck by Judith Belmont in exchange for an honest review.
This engaging deck of cards is a delightful collection of tips and tools for managing stress and anxiety. The deck is divided into four focused areas which the author calls the 4 C’s: Challenge Your Thoughts, Change Your Behaviors, Clarify Your Feelings, and Create Calmness. Each topic is designed to gain a new perspective or find a way to manage an unhealthy way of thinking or coping. The cards each have a Tip and a Tool. Both are concise and bring new insight into common areas of stress and anxious thinking. They also offer encouraging words of wisdom and relatable examples of how to use the tips and tools.
For example, one card from Challenge Your Thoughts advises one to stand up to the inner critic that beats you up and puts you down by using affirmations of positivity. The tool suggests starting each day off with one positive affirmation, advising to write a new affirmation every day on a note card and refer to it throughout the day. Some affirmation examples are "I am a worthy," "I am a good person," and "I am lovable and deserve to be loved." The cards end with the encouraging words that you deserve to see yourself as someone special!
As a mental health therapist, clients and I often discuss how to change a behavior. After gaining insight into what is making their thinking faulty or unhealthy, learning what to do next to actually make a change becomes the challenge. This deck of cards will be an invaluable asset to find concrete ways to make positive changes. Either in session or for personal use at home, this deck will become an important tool to enhance therapy and manage stress. I highly recommend it!
This is not a paid endorsement and all opinions in this post are my own.