Must Try Harder: Adventures in Anxiety

Paula McGuire (Goodreads Author)

4.23 · Rating details · 13 ratings · 5 reviews

Paula McGuire’s world was shrinking. Bullied as a child and plagued by excessive social anxiety, she had become a recluse. Unable to even go into a shop on her own, Paula’s life was effectively over before she hit 30. But then something changed. She isn’t even quite sure what. But after years of running away from life, Paula decided to grab it by the balls …

She didn’t do a ...more

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Paperback, 152 pages

Published April 23rd 2018 by Trigger

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Aug 21, 2018 Lily rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, addiction-and-substance-abuse, biographies-and-memoirs, bi-pan-rep, book-reviews, ff-relationship, humour, lgbtqiapd-rep, mental-illness, mf-relationship

This self-deprecating and candid account of living with a severe and debilitating social anxiety disorder is both heart-warming and insightful. Told with a surprisingly genuine sense of humour and an unassuming wit this honest and at times deeply vulnerable biography provides a glimpse into the reality of life with a mental illness. It is an intensely relatable story for anyone who has fought a similar battle, filled with understanding and empathy but also the promise of hope. I learnt a lot abo ...more

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Sep 13, 2018 Stephanie Hartley rated it it was amazing

'Must Try Harder' is a book that I really thought I wouldn't get on with at all, largely due to the name. I'm sure a lot of anxiety sufferers have been told in the past that maybe if they tried a little harder they'd just 'get over' their anxiety. But I'm so glad I moved past this to read what was truly an inspirational book for me.

Paula McGuire subverts the idea of those struggling with anxiety needing to try harder to be better by absolutely going beyond anything that she ever expected. Paula ...more

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Dec 29, 2018 Lisa rated it it was amazing

I was really excited to receive a copy of must try harder to review. As someone who has suffered with anxiety for most of my life I always find it reassuring to read someone else's story. For me there has always been a sense of feeling that I'm 'not normal' whatever normal is. Until recently mental health has been something not really spoken about or admitted to. It's a welcome progression that there is now so much information and acceptance around the subject. Must try harder - adventures in an I was really excited to receive a copy of must try harder to review. As someone who has suffered with anxiety for most of my life I always find it reassuring to read someone else's story. For me there has always been a sense of feeling that I'm 'not normal' whatever normal is. Until recently mental health has been something not really spoken about or admitted to. It's a welcome progression that there is now so much information and acceptance around the subject. Must try harder - adventures in anxiety is a must read for people who have anxiety or have anxiety lingering in the background of their life. It's not a miracle solution and Paula doesn't promise to 'cure' you of your anxiety. What she does do is tell her story with brutal honesty and humour. Paula's story is inspirational, I think if she reads this review she'll disagree! It's inspirational because it makes you sit in awe at the things she's achieved, it's inspirational because it makes you think bloody hell, I feel my anxiety bubbling just thinking about the challenges she's not only set herself but completed. It's inspirational because I've actually started pushing myself to do things even though my anxiety is screaming at me not to! From The Glasgow 2014 challenge which saw Paula taking part in 17 commonwealth sports to the dream job challenge where Paula pushes herself out of her comfort zone to try every daunting career she can think of. (Think pilot and astronaut and you can imagine how high she sets the bar) Paula hits them all head on. She doesn't always enjoy it, she doesn't always excel in her given challenge, but she does it. She pushes herself out of her comfort zone, past the barriers of her anxiety and she flipping does it! Paula writes ... The only power anxiety had over me was how easily it could convince me of that power. As soon as I began to question its authority, and see it for what it was, it's hold over me loosened and it has never taken control again since. Telling myself that i am anxious, makes it feel like a part of me, something immoveable and innate, that I can do nothing about. When instead i remember that I'm only feeling anxious, I can separate the emotion out, and know it will pass. Feelings are fleeting, changeable, and don't ever need to be part of my permanent record. I can feel them while they're around, then move in because they are not an immutable part of me and never will be. These two paragraphs sum up Paula's journey. She makes the decision to kick anxiety's backside and kick it she does. Must try harder has had a positive impact on me, it's made me look at my anxiety differently, Im trying not to see it as a barrier, of course there are days when it's harder than others but must try harder and Paula's blog will remain in my life to remind me its achievable. Thank you Paula 😘 ...more

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Jun 02, 2018 Nicole rated it liked it

Shelves: mental-health-books

A very enjoyable and inspiring read if you have anxiety or social anxiety and are looking for some much needed inspiration and motivation to kick anxietys butt.

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Jun 09, 2018 Marie’s Book Boutique rated it it was amazing

check out full review mariesbookboutique.wordpress.com/2018...

When I read the blurb of this book I know it was going to be an emotional read, but also offering hope to fellow suffers.
I really like the brightness of this cover, which I really thinks makes it a book to pick up. The cover shows a swimming pool with someone about to jump off the board into the water. I like the different font's used in the title, another eye-catching factor.
I wasn't wrong there! Must Try Harder is a book split in tw check out full review mariesbookboutique.wordpress.com/2018...

When I read the blurb of this book I know it was going to be an emotional read, but also offering hope to fellow suffers.
I really like the brightness of this cover, which I really thinks makes it a book to pick up. The cover shows a swimming pool with someone about to jump off the board into the water. I like the different font's used in the title, another eye-catching factor.
I wasn't wrong there! Must Try Harder is a book split in two half's. The first part is called Anxiety; where she shares things like her typical day and how her social anxiety has affected every part of her life. Paula's struggles as she self mediates with over the counter medication, and she shows how her relationships suffered too. Part two Adventure; where Paula tells the reader how she throws herself into learning 17 Commonwealth Game Sports amongst other things.
From the very first page I was intrigued and interested in Paula's journey, she shows how unimaginable crippling her social anxiety has affected her life and all the people around her. I must say I shed a few tears, certainly not out of pity but understanding in a relatable sense. I felt kind of connected to Paula while reading like she was sitting on my sofa chatting to me, which made it very easy to read. I love the way in which Paula has not only written with pure emotion but also she has added some humour with her witty writing which definitely adds a lighter note.
Paula has offered great insight in to this mental illness by sharing her journey with the world, offering hope, understanding and undoubtedly inspiration to other suffers. I loved reading Paula's shear determination to learn to live with anxiety and the way she pushed herself to do new things. She is such an inspirational lady indeed!!!
Defiantly something I've taken from reading Must Try Harder is that there is hope, and the inspiration to push one's self every day! I'm for one am glad Paula has shared her journey with us and hope's it help's anxiety suffers to see that you can still have a life!
I would 100% recommend Must Try Harder to any one suffering with anxiety! Paula is an inspiring lady!

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