Review: Good Anxiety by Dr. Wendy Suzuki

by H. Murray Oct. 14, 2021.

When this book first arrived, I was unenthused about reading it and anxiously avoided it for a few months (oh, the irony). The word Anxiety triggered all sorts of reactions and memories about stage fright and all of the other intricacies of being a performer and making a living onstage. I was doubtful that this book would be helpful and suspicious that it was just a catchy title to make people like myself (and my anxious colleagues) buy it.

I was wrong.

The book defines anxiety, how it manifests in the brain and throughout the body. Dr. Suzuki draws on relevant research done on the subject, mitigating the experience and treating the symptoms. I found it helpful to understand the neuroscience behind it, especially from an established leader in the field (Dr. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University). In addition, it was beneficial to read about the author’s journey with anxiety and some of the ways she alleviated it and harnessed it for positive growth and outcomes.

Dr. Suzuki reframes the conversation around anxiety to acknowledge how uncomfortable it is and how useful and essential it is for our survival. 

Every musician and anxious person should read this book. The research is so relevant to our line of work and simply understanding what we know, how it affects brain chemistry, and the positive results that can occur if we learn to harness it for good alone had me gushing about it to friends and family near and far. It felt like a relief to finally understand anxiety, and now I’m enthusiastic about implementing the suggestions outlined by Dr. Suzuki in this “guidebook for managing anxiety, and how we can use it to improve our lives for the better.” This book is an approachable and understandable read. The perfect balance of research and applicability, and If you liked Grit by Angela Duckworth, you will also appreciate Good Anxiety.

You should read this if you’re looking to understand anxiety better, dealing with it yourself, or have loved ones and community members who struggle with anxiety.