Have you been thinking about New Year's resolutions? Here are some books that might help:
THE MINDFUL WAY TO A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP by
Tzivia Gover, Director of the Institute for Dream Studies, offers some workable
and useful information in order to sleep more deeply. Gover writes, “This isn’t
simply a book to read. This is a book to do.” From there, she advocates trying just some of
the exercises and writing prompts – keeping what works and moving on from the
rest. In various sections, such as one
titled “create your sleep sanctuary,” she offers suggestions about getting
comfortable, using soothing scents and light reading to promote restful sleep.
In addition, there are several methods for incorporating mindfulness (being
grateful as you make your bed each day or washing away worries and regrets when
brushing your teeth or following some of the breathing exercises). We have been
doing some mindfulness exercises at school and I can see possibly incorporating
some of these (like the quietest sound, p. 53).
If you are looking for sleep help, you may already be aware of several
of her ideas and a significant portion of the book is devoted to dreams, with
suggestions for keeping a dream journal and for understanding dream
language. The final section is about
waking up well; throughout her book, Gover includes quotes like Rainer Maria
Rilke’s “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love
the questions themselves.”
MEDITATION FOR FIDGETY SKEPTICS by Dan Harris
is a follow-up to his 10% Happier (2014) which has been recommended to
me after a presentation on “Less Stress” resources at the AASL national conference this year. There is a bit
of a snarky tone (I drew it; deal with it … ew), but that also seems to be an
attempt to add some humor and better connect with the reader. I do like that
there is a feeling of acceptance: “I began my meditation practice slowly, with
just five to ten minutes a day…. (and frankly, if you can only find time for
one minute a day, you can count that as a win.)”
In addition, he stresses the importance of giving yourself
permission to fail, including knowing that you need to re-focus your mind again
and again (and again). Throughout this text, there are the stories from a road
trip where he and co-writers travelled around the US, exploring the benefits of
(and challenges to) meditation with others like radio show hosts and former
prison inmates. I am curious to read more of Harris’ comments about how
meditation has helped relieve his anxiety and decreased the inclination to act impulsively.
Harris was recently interviewed on NPR and Publishers Weekly called this a “clever guide.” There are
several meditations included in MEDITATION FOR FIDGETY SKEPTICS,
plus a section with resources to help keep meditating.
And New Harbinger Publications produces numerous books related
to this topic; I especially liked The Grit Guide for Teens. Another recent
title is MINDFULNESS FOR TEEN WORRY. Written by Jeffrey Bernstein,
it is filled with “quick and easy strategies to let go of anxiety, worry, and
stress.” Bernstein talks directly to
teens, often quoting those he has interviewed and offering visual cues like a
section where he suggests using your hand to visualize how your brain
works. He talks further about how worry often
gets in the way, wastes energy and even makes people ill. He acknowledges that
teens already know how to be mindful (listening to music, walking outside) and
encourages them to practice “the power of the present moment” with intention,
attention and attitude. There are entire chapters titled “the beginner’s
mindfulness toolkit” as well as “getting back in control by letting go.” Throughout, there are numerous “try it!”
sections with suggested activities; some of them (like the body scan), we have
already used in advisory. MINDFULNESS FOR TEEN WORRY is another
helpful look at an important topic. 
