It’s Just Burnt Toast | Understanding Anxiety for Teens & Young Adults

Making anxiety a little easier to understand.

It’s Just Burnt Toast: Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety by Mark Scarborough is an accessible, illustrated guide created for adolescents and young adults who want to better understand anxiety and the role our thoughts can play in how we experience it.

Using quirky illustrations and straightforward explanations, Mark explores anxiety in a way that is approachable, practical and easier to digest than a dense mental health resource.

The compact A5 format makes this a useful resource for reading independently, working through with a supportive adult or using alongside other wellbeing supports.

Why we chose it

• Created with adolescents and young adults in mind
• Explains anxiety in accessible language
• Explores the relationship between thoughts and anxiety
• Quirky illustrations help make complex concepts easier to engage with
• Compact A5 format that's approachable rather than overwhelming
• A practical resource for starting conversations about anxiety and worry

What readers can explore

Through the book, readers can explore:

• What anxiety is and how it can affect us
• The role thoughts can play in anxiety
• Ways of recognising anxious thinking
• A different perspective on thoughts and worries
• Ideas for better understanding their own experience of anxiety

Who is it for?

It’s Just Burnt Toast was created for adolescents and young adults and may be useful for anyone looking for a straightforward introduction to understanding anxiety.

It may be read independently, explored with a parent or supportive adult, or used alongside appropriate professional support.

Product details

• Title: It’s Just Burnt Toast: Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety
• Author: Mark Scarborough
• Format: Softcover
• Size: A5
• Illustrated throughout
• Written for adolescents and young adults
• Focuses on understanding anxiety and the influence of thoughts

ND-affirming note

Understanding anxiety isn't about learning to simply think positively or convincing yourself that difficult feelings aren't real.

Sometimes the first useful step is simply being able to recognise what your brain is doing and why something feels so difficult.

An accessible resource can give young people language for those experiences and a starting point for exploring what helps.

About the author

Mark Scarborough was a clinical psychologist and author whose work focused on making psychological concepts practical and accessible for children, families and adults.

Mark held a Master of Clinical Psychology from the Australian National University and was a member of the Australian Psychological Society, the APS Clinical College and the International Association of Applied Psychology.

He created a range of approachable resources exploring anger, anxiety, emotional wellbeing and everyday psychological skills, including Angus the Angry Gremlin, Wart the Worry Ghost, It's Just Burnt Toast, The Masters of Misery and Shining Brightly.

Keeping Mark's resources accessible

Mark Scarborough wanted his resources to remain affordable and accessible to the people and families who could benefit from them. We're honoured to continue stocking his work and have intentionally kept our markup on these books low in keeping with that legacy.