How Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett’s Experiences with Anxiety Inspired Their Kids’ Book (Exclusive)

The husband and wife authors released their second children's book 'Hattie Harmony: Opening Night'

Avengers actress Elizabeth Olsen and her musician husband of three years, Robbie Arnett, are hoping to teach kids how to manage anxiety.

The couple's new children’s book, Hattie Harmony: Opening Night (following their first best-seller Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective) offers young readers tools to use such as journaling, time-outs and self-reflection. Both books are illustrated by Marissa Valdez.

"Lizzie and I went on a walk and were brainstorming and came up with this Hattie Harmony character," Arnett, 31, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "We both wanted a Hattie when we were younger."

As for their own personal experiences with anxiety, Olsen, 34, says hers first surfaced in her early 20s. "I had panic attacks when I was 22, and I absolutely thought something was medically wrong with me," she explains. "They’re pretty terrifying when they happen. I learned games to play in order to keep myself present and not spin. I’ve also done yoga since I was 17. Luckily I felt like I had tools."

Arnett admits he grew up "a very anxious kid, and my family moved around a lot," he says. "I never really felt rooted anywhere, and I had all sorts of fears. It’s been helpful developing Hattie and really sitting with it and thinking about the kid in me."

Working together has come easy for the pair. "It's so funny because I had this instinct where I was like, 'Oh, I don't know, how are we going to do this?' But honestly, our whole relationship is built on communication," Olsen says. "Obviously you'd hope that most relationships are, but it's very easy and enjoyable for us to problem solve."

Arnett "is a very imaginative and creative person," the actress continues. "And I obviously have a creative career, but I really love type A puzzle piece solving. So while he comes up with lots of ideas, I tend to be the one to figure out how do we structure format. How do we turn this into language that we can learn from a child's behavioral psychologist? How can we use that language and still make it fun? That's kind of how we balance."

"Every writer needs a good editor," adds Arnett. "I feel like that has been the yin and yang of our journey."

Hattie Harmony: Opening Night is on bookshelves now.

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