Free self-help resources for anxiety
Good free help for anxiety is easy to find once you know where to look. Most of it comes from public health services and university teams, and most of it is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which is the most researched talking approach for worry, panic and social anxiety.
The list below includes full workbooks you can work through over several weeks, shorter guides you can read in one sitting, and a few pages in German, Dutch and French for those who would rather read in their own language. Some of the material was written for a specific problem, such as panic attacks or health worries, so pick the one that sounds most like you.
It helps to go slowly. Try one module, practise it for a week, then move on. If a technique feels wrong for you, it is fine to leave it.
Self-help is not always enough. If anxiety is stopping you from working, leaving the house or sleeping most nights, or if you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please speak to a GP or a local crisis line.
What? Me Worry!?! (CCI workbook)
Centre for Clinical Interventions, WA Health · Workbook · CBT · English
A ten-module workbook on chronic worry and generalised anxiety. It works through beliefs about worry, attention training, problem-solving and learning to live with uncertainty, with worksheets in each module.
Written by a specialist public mental health clinic in Western Australia and widely used by NHS therapists.
For: Adults with persistent, hard-to-control worry · Free to download for personal use; copyright Government of Western Australia, not openly licensed.
When Panic Attacks (CCI workbook)
Centre for Clinical Interventions, WA Health · Workbook · CBT · English
A module-by-module workbook on panic. It explains what keeps panic going, then covers fearful thoughts about panic, coping with body sensations, facing avoided situations and dropping safety behaviours.
A structured CBT programme for panic from a public clinic, free to download.
For: Adults who have panic attacks or avoid places because of them · Free to download for personal use; copyright Government of Western Australia, not openly licensed.
Stepping out of Social Anxiety (CCI workbook)
Centre for Clinical Interventions, WA Health · Workbook · CBT · English
A workbook on fear of being judged by others. It covers negative thinking, avoidance, step-by-step behavioural experiments, safety behaviours and where your attention goes in social situations.
Follows the same tested CBT structure as the other CCI workbooks.
For: Adults who dread being judged in social situations · Free to download for personal use; copyright Government of Western Australia, not openly licensed.
Helping Health Anxiety (CCI workbook)
Centre for Clinical Interventions, WA Health · Workbook · CBT · English
Explains how health anxiety develops and what keeps it going. Later modules help you reduce your focus on symptoms, question worrying health thoughts and cut down on checking and reassurance seeking.
One of very few free, structured programmes for health anxiety.
For: Adults who worry a lot about illness or check their body often · Free to download for personal use; copyright Government of Western Australia, not openly licensed.
Anxiety self-help guide
NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland) · Guide · CBT · English
An online guide in numbered steps. It helps you check your symptoms, explains how anxious thinking works and then moves on to practical ways of tackling it.
Published by Scotland's national health information service and free of any sign-up.
For: Adults who want a step-by-step guide they can read online · Free to read online; copyright NHS 24.
Managing anxiety (Every Mind Matters)
NHS England · Website · CBT · English
A short page explaining what anxiety is, with tips, an expert video and a quiz that builds a personal action plan. It also points to NHS talking therapies and charities.
A quick and trustworthy first stop from the NHS.
For: Anyone wanting a short, practical starting point · Free to read online; copyright NHS England.
Anxiety self-help guide (CNTW)
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust · Guide · CBT · English, British Sign Language
A booklet written by NHS clinical psychologists. You can download it as a leaflet, an easy read version or an audio recording, and there is a BSL video. The same library has separate guides for panic, health anxiety and social anxiety.
Clear, short and offered in formats that suit people who find long workbooks hard.
For: Adults who prefer a short printable leaflet or an audio version · Free to download; printed copies are sold to support the Trust's charity.
Anxiety and worry self-help pages
Get Self Help (Carol Vivyan, CBT therapist) · Worksheet · CBT · English
A collection of free CBT worksheets, information sheets and audio on anxiety, worry and panic. Good for picking out one tool at a time, such as a worry tree or a thought record.
A long-running site used by many NHS therapists, with free PDFs for personal use.
For: People who like short worksheets and one-page summaries · Free for personal use and use in therapy; not to be reproduced elsewhere.
Generalisierte Angststörung
gesundheitsinformation.de (IQWiG) · Website · psychoeducation · German
A plain-language German overview of generalised anxiety: what it is, how it develops and which treatments have good evidence. Linked pages compare treatment choices.
Written by Germany's independent Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.
For: German speakers who want evidence-based information · Free to read online; copyright IQWiG.
Ängste und Zwänge
Gesundheitsportal, Austrian Federal Ministry of Health · Website · psychoeducation · German
Austria's public health portal on anxiety disorders, with linked pages on diagnosis and treatment, exam nerves and fear of flying. Useful for understanding how care works in Austria.
Official public information from the Austrian government.
For: German speakers, especially those living in Austria · Free to read online; copyright of the publisher.
Angst, paniek en angststoornis
Thuisarts.nl (Dutch College of General Practitioners) · Website · psychoeducation · Dutch
Short, very clear Dutch pages on anxiety and panic, with practical self-help tips. They also explain what a Dutch GP can offer.
Written with the Dutch GP society and checked against the guidelines Dutch doctors use.
For: Dutch speakers, and expats in the Netherlands who read Dutch · Free to read online; copyright Thuisarts.nl.
Troubles anxieux et phobies
Psycom (French public mental health information body) · Website · psychoeducation · French
A French-language explainer on anxiety disorders and phobias. It covers the main types, how they are treated and where to find support.
Psycom is a French public body set up to give reliable mental health information.
For: French speakers, including people living in France or Belgium · Free to read online; copyright Psycom.
Anxiety Disorders (Psychology 2e, section 15.4)
OpenStax, Rice University · Book · psychoeducation · English
A free university textbook section that explains the main anxiety disorders and current ideas about their causes. Background reading, not a self-help programme.
Peer-reviewed open textbook from a university publisher.
For: Readers who want the science behind anxiety · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Anxiety and Related Disorders (Noba module)
Noba Project · Book · psychoeducation · English
A short chapter written by academic psychologists on how anxiety works. It describes the different anxiety-related conditions and how they are treated.
Free, open textbook material written by university researchers.
For: Readers who like a short, academic overview · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
UCLA Mindful guided meditations
UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center, UCLA Health · Audio · mindfulness · English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Hindi, Farsi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese
Free guided meditations of a few minutes each, including breathing and body practices. There are recordings in many languages and a free app.
A long-standing university mindfulness centre, with a wide choice of languages.
For: Anyone who wants short audio practices to calm the body · Free to listen; copyright UCLA.
Questions people ask
Which anxiety workbook should I start with?
Start with the one that matches your main problem. If you worry about many things most days, try the CCI workbook on worry. If you have sudden surges of fear, try the panic workbook. If you fear being judged, try the social anxiety one. If you are not sure, the NHS inform guide is a gentle general starting point.
Is CBT the only approach that helps with anxiety?
No. CBT has the most research behind it for anxiety, which is why most free workbooks use it. Mindfulness, acceptance-based approaches and talking therapies such as person-centred counselling also help many people. The best approach is often the one you can stick with, and some people combine self-help with counselling.
Are there good anxiety resources in German, Dutch or French?
Yes. For German, gesundheitsinformation.de (Germany) and gesundheit.gv.at (Austria) are both public, evidence-based and free. Thuisarts.nl is written with Dutch GPs, and Psycom is a French public information body. These explain anxiety and local treatment options well, though they are not full workbooks.
When is self-help not enough for anxiety?
If anxiety is getting worse despite steady practice, stops you working or looking after yourself, or comes with panic so strong you avoid daily life, please see a GP. If you have thoughts of ending your life, contact a crisis line or emergency services straight away (112 across the EU, 999 in the UK).