I think we probably all agree that children these days are under huge amounts of pressure. Exams, friendships, social media, relationships…there’s a lot resting on their young shoulders. I know that as a parent, I’m just as concerned about looking after Ethan’s mental health as I am his physical health.
And that is why I want to share with you Anna Williamson’s latest book, launched earlier this year: ‘How Not to Lose It: Mental Health Sorted’.
A mental health book written specifically for young people

Anna is a TV presenter, life coach and counsellor. Both of Anna’s adult mental health books (‘Breaking Mad’ and ‘Breaking Mum and Dad’) have been brilliantly helpful and topped the Bestseller lists. I think ‘How Not to Lose It‘ is particularly important because Anna has written it specifically for young people aged 9-14+.
Did you know that 50% of mental health problems are established by the age of 14?
That’s pretty scary, isn’t it? And it really shows the need to help children address their worries as early as possible.
‘How Not to Lose It’ will help young people (and their carers and educators) to understand key issues that they might be facing, including anxiety, worry, social media, depression, relationships, phobias, fears, peer pressure, bullying, body image, self-esteem and more.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet Anna a couple of times now through work (here we are at her Breaking Mad event) and I can honestly say that she is one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve met. She’s a really honest and open person with lots of relevant life experience – which is why I know the young people who read this book will identify with her and truly trust her advice.
Each topic is broken down into easy-to-read, digestible chunks, with toolkits, practical advice, illustrations and helpful summaries throughout.
If I’d had access to this book when I was younger, I think life would have felt a lot less complicated and confusing. Thank you Anna for taking the time to write such an important book!
If you think How Not To Lose It would be helpful for your child to read, you can purchase from Amazon here, or you could try your luck and enter our giveaway below!
Win a copy of ‘How Not to Lose It: Mental Health Sorted’
Anna has very kindly given us a copy of her book to give away to one lucky reader. All you need to do is enter below by midnight BST on Sunday, 14th July. Good luck!
Natalie xx
About Anna Williamson
Anna Williamson is a trained therapist, Childline counsellor and ambassador for Mind and The Prince’s Trust – as well as E4’s Celebs Go Dating relationship expert, radio presenter and bestselling adult mental health author.
Anna is passionate about giving children the tools, techniques and education in order to understand and manage their own mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase using that link, at no extra cost to you Mums Off Duty will receive a very small commission. This goes towards the costs of running this blog. Thank you for your support xx
19 comments
What a great idea, my daughter is approaching this age…
I think 9-14 can be a tricky age – our kids need all the help and support they can get! x
“I’d love to win a copy of Anna’s new book please!
Thanks for entering, good luck Merith! x
Such a great idea, this would be ideal to get for my 11 year old starting high school in September.
Absolutely – it’s such a good book with lots of practical advice and tips.
I would love to win a copy of Anna’s new book please!
Thanks for entering, good luck!
I would love to win a copy of Anna’s book for my 9 year old daughter who has anxiety and PTSD. It’s a daily battle but together as a family we will get her through it. Xx
Wow that must be so tough for you, your daughter is lucky to have such a supportive family around her. Thank you for entering, and best of luck xx
I think I might look at getting this for my daughter. She gets very anxious and already I know how much goes around on social media. It sounds like it would be a useful read.
This book would be perfect for her – Anna is such a fantastic author and full of brilliant advice.
Oh this looks like a great book we would love a chance to win one.
It really is a great book! Anna has such an accessible style of writing, so kids will really relate to this.
What a great giveaway, something my daughter could definitely use right now x
I’m sure this book is going to help so many young people – I wish I’d had a copy when I was younger.
What a great giveaway. I’d love to win a copy of Anna’s new book please! Sounds like an important book every parent should read.
I have been looking for some new books to check out! I love reading, but haven’t done as much as I like lately due to being busy. I also rarely read a book more than once!
Oh wow this book sounds ace for young people as living in these modern times is so stressful! It’s going on the list
Laura x