Sometime in early adulthood, as I was preparing for a major life transition, I had trouble sleeping for days. This worried me for a while – I was excited about the new adventure to come, so why couldn’t I sleep? My mom eventually cleared things up. It turns out I had always been this way. She told me that for my whole life, for days or even weeks before the school year started or other major events happened, I had trouble sleeping. Apparently as a child I didn’t remember. And maybe as a college student, I just didn’t notice the sleeplessness as anything other than a “normal” college schedule. But in my mid-20s, I discovered that stressors in my life – good or bad – could cause physiological reactions beyond my control.

While some of us live with a diagnosis of anxiety, all of us have experienced the feeling of anxiety at some point in our lives. Whether situational or chronic, we need tools to get us through times when stress overwhelms our normal coping mechanisms.

Enter When Anxiety Strikes. This book, by Jason and Dena Hobbs, offers concrete faith-based suggestions for living with anxiety. It is arranged as an 8-week study, with a brief chapter (about 3 pages) for each day, including space for journaling or reflection. Each chapter is framed in the context of Christian Scripture and God’s relationship with humanity, but the authors also rely on scientific and sociological studies and experience. Every day includes an exercise focused on, for example, breath or body or movement or mind. Jason and Dena Hobbs do a good job of offering alternatives if the practices listed in the chapter do not work for a particular reader. And – perhaps most importantly – the authors encourage the reader to seek additional help if the practices that are offered in the book do not help to manage their anxiety. Additionally, the book is is structured to be easily used in a group setting, so that the reader will have the support of a community.

The church has a checkered history when it comes to supporting emotional crises and people living with mental illness. This book does a great job avoiding these potential pitfalls. The Bible passages referenced are empowering and occasionally surprising. The book’s theology is freeing and refreshing. The honesty of the authors in describing the needs of people (including intimate physical needs) is not the advice of a stereotypical Christian self-help book. Jason and Dena Hobbs are faithful, thoughtful, and practical in their attempts to help the reader manage anxiety.

Of course, no book is perfect, and this one may not resonate with all readers. The daily exercises do not assume a fully able-bodied person, but they frequently do assume a reader with two legs and arms and hands, who has the ability to use them to some degree. But the authors are quick to suggest modifications to exercises or additional resources if their offerings are not helpful to the reader.

Overall, this book is an excellent resource for any person seeking help to live with anxiety, or to accompany a loved one along their journey. Whether a clinical diagnosis or a situational crisis, Jason and Dena Hobbs offer an excellent resource in When Anxiety Strikes.