Be Mighty: A Woman's Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance

Jill A. Stoddard

Jan 2020 · New Harbinger Publications

About this ebook

You are stronger than your anxiety—you are mighty. In this empowering guide, you’ll find practical tools to help you shed the shackles of worry and fear and embrace a more vibrant life.

In a culture where women are still paid less for doing the same jobs, expected to juggle family and career effortlessly, and faced with the harsh realities of misogyny and sexism daily, it’s no wonder you’re also twice as likely to experience issues related to anxiety and trauma. But there are real tools you can use now to build personal resilience in a difficult world, move past anxious thoughts, and conquer your worries and fears. This book will help guide the way.

Be Mighty leads you on a bold quest to gain a deeper understanding of your anxiety by exploring your own “origin story”—how your early experiences led to thoughts and behaviors that may have offered comfort and protection at one time, but are now keeping you from living your best life. Using practical tools and experiential exercises based in mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), you’ll learn to respond to present-day triggers in a new way, making choices from a more conscious, values-driven place.

So, drop that outdated armor and dive headlong into this book. You’ll emerge fresh and fierce, with the confidence to stand up for the life you want to live and the power to face life’s complexities as your best, most authentic self. It’s time to be who you truly want to be. It’s time for you to be mighty!

Ratings and reviews

Be Mighty: A Woman’s Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance by Jill Stoddard promotes a novel therapeutic approach within contemporary context and leverages cultural references in a way that is accessible and entertaining. Stoddard begins by explaining why there is such a prevalence of anxiety in western culture, particularly among women. She points out that inherent inequality, unrealistic expectations, shifting gender roles and competition have exacerbated a problem that is already endemic to our society. The author lays out the ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) theory by clearly explaining its concepts and terminology; and demonstrating how the theory is uniquely suited for today. ACT uses the popular ideas behind the Mindfulness movement, adding acceptance and committed action goals to propose a new way of viewing and managing anxiety. The book reinforces the concrete steps for adopting this approach with interspersed journal prompts and summarizing “Takeaways” at the conclusion of each chapter. Personal anecdotes and case studies help to illustrate outcomes that have been experienced using ACT and underscore its easy implementation. Potential obstacles, both internal and external, are addressed with suggested strategies for overcoming some common pitfalls. The book is concise and well-structured for the non-clinician, and Stoddard’s warm colloquial tone is inviting for the reader. Pop culture references and some humorous metaphors make for easy digestion, but occasionally miss the mark and may serve to date the book prematurely. Overall, Be Mighty is a solid introduction to ACT and a helpful tool for those seeking an alternative approach to managing the distress faced by many modern women. Thanks to the author, New Harbinger Press and Library Thing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

About the author

Jill A. Stoddard, PhD, is founder and director of The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, a multisite outpatient clinic in San Diego, CA. She specializes in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and related issues. Stoddard received her PhD in clinical psychology from Boston University in 2007. She is an award-winning teacher, recognized ACT trainer, and coauthor of The Big Book of ACT Metaphors. She lives in San Diego with her husband, two kids, and two French bulldogs.