Resources

Good Reads

  • Atlas of the Heart

    Another great contribution from Brene Brown. This is her latest book which draws upon her research and defines the many emotions (87 in fact) that make up our humanness and what is needed to build meaningful connections. Great storyteller; great quotes; impactful messages.

  • Your Turn: How to be an Adult

    Author Julie Lythcott-Haims is a former Stanford undergraduate adviser. Through her personal and professional journey, she boldly offers compassion and practical strategies for living a more authentic adulthood. She emphasizes that it is not about a checklist but a process to grow into adulting.

  • The Chemistry of Joy

    Anything Dr. Henry Emmons writes is always a worthwhile read. He is a respected psychiatrist who uses a whole person, integrated approach to improve mental health. This is a workbook based on his Chemistry of Joy book that uses questionnaires, exercises, and practices to build emotional resilience based on brain science, nutrition, and mindfulness.

  • The Four Agreements

    One of my all-time favorite books, this short, easy to read wisdom book will enlighten you to recognize and learn how to let go of self limiting beliefs to live with more joy and less suffering. The Four Agreements: Be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best.

  • The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself

    Author Kristin Neff is a leading psychologist and researcher of self-compassion. This book helps you learn how to be kind to yourself to live a healthier, happier, and more effective life.

  • The Mindful Twenty-Something

    Instructs mindfulness as a helpful skill to deal with life’s challenges. This book is full of exercises and reflections and it is based on a program started at Duke named Koru.

  • Peace is Every Step

    Thich Nhat Hanh instructs simple ways to meditate in our daily lives based on Zen Buddhism to foster inner peace and harmony.

Helpful Websites

Excellent, scientifically-based organizations to learn more about mindfulness and meditation, with free mindful content

 

Apps for Wellbeing

There are hundreds of mindfulness-based apps on the market today. A 2015 systematic review identified only 4% of the 700 mindful apps on the market provided mindfulness education & training (Mani et al., 2015). It is challenging to measure the effectiveness & quality of apps due to the rapid growth & changes that are constantly occurring in this area of technology. A recent 2018 randomized control trial concluded that brief mobile mindfulness meditation practice can improve some aspects of negative mental health in the short term and may strengthen positive mental health when used regularly (Flett et al., 2019). Research aside, you need to find an app that appeals to you and meets your authentic needs. The following are previews of popular mindful apps in the market today & some actually have good research backing, like Headspace and Smiling Mind (Flett et al., 2019). Caution-most apps have a free trial period, then will start monthly billing, so be cognizant of individual policies.

Mani, M., Kavanagh, D., Hides, L., & Stoyanov, S.(2015). Review & evaluation of mindfulness-based iPhone apps. JMIR MHealth & UHealth, 3 (3), 82. DOI: 10.2196/mhealth.4328

Flett, J., Hayne, H., Riordan, B., Thompson, L., & Conner, T. (2019). Mobile mindfulness meditation: A randomized controlled trial of the effect of two popular apps on mental health. Mindfulness 10, 863–876. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1050-9