About Still Mind Guide
To give people with anxiety tools that actually work — translated from clinical research into protocols you can run yourself.
Still Mind Guide exists because "just breathe" is not a treatment plan.
If you have lived with anxiety — the kind that wakes you up at 4am with your heart pounding over nothing, the kind that makes you rehearse a two-minute conversation for an hour, the kind that invents catastrophes your rational brain knows are absurd — you already know the standard advice. Breathe deeply. Exercise more. Drink less coffee. Try meditation. Gratitude journal. "Have you tried not thinking about it?"
This is not help. It is a Hallmark card with anxiety as the topic.
What We Do Differently
We translate the actual clinical protocols — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and emerging somatic techniques — into step-by-step self-guided tools. Things like:
- Cognitive restructuring worksheets for catastrophic thinking, with the actual decision tree you work through
- Exposure hierarchies for specific phobias and social anxiety, built from the research
- Interoceptive exposure protocols for panic disorder — the ones that feel awful and actually work
- Defusion techniques from ACT for intrusive thoughts that will not leave
- TIPP and other DBT distress tolerance skills for acute anxiety spikes
Not tips. Protocols. The specific sequence of steps that has been tested in clinical trials.
Our Stance on Medication
We are neutral on medication. Medication saves lives for a lot of people with anxiety disorders — especially severe ones. If you are on medication, nothing here is meant to replace it. If you are considering medication, we have guides on how to have that conversation with a doctor. If you are trying to manage without medication (or alongside reducing medication under medical supervision), the techniques here were largely developed for exactly that.
Who This Is For
- You are dealing with generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, health anxiety, or specific phobias
- You do not have regular access to a therapist (cost, availability, stigma, preference — all valid)
- You are working with a therapist and want high-quality between-session materials
- You want to understand why these techniques work, not just that they do
What We Are Not
We are not a replacement for treatment of severe anxiety disorders, PTSD, OCD, or any condition that is disabling your life. If your anxiety is severe enough that you cannot work, cannot leave the house, or are having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out for professional help. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you are in crisis.
You are not broken. Your brain is doing something it was built to do — just too loudly and too often. This is fixable. The research is clear. You just need the right tools.
Meet the team
Managed generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks without medication for 9 years. Writes about the techniques that actually work — plus the ones everyone recommends that don't.
Clinical psychologist specializing in CBT and ACT for anxiety disorders. Translates evidence-based protocols into self-help tools for people who can't or won't see a therapist.
Wellness writer and former chronic worrier who researches the difference between anxiety hype and anxiety help. Reviews apps, journals, supplements, and techniques with a skeptical eye.