by guest blogger Thomas Roberts, author of A Mindfulness Book

Greetings!

Recently, mindfulness has become somewhat of a commodity, a buzzword, something we can learn or get and be guaranteed wonderful outcomes. Be aware that mindfulness isn’t a thing to possess, an end state, something you have or do.

Consider, instead, that mindfulness is a way of being in the world. A way of being with great compassion, of remaining present amidst the flow of experiences that is our life. Turning down the volume on all our resistance, our need to control, manipulate and react. Instead, hang in there with what is going on. Remain patient with this flow, remain curious, and respond with great compassion.

by guest blogger Sameet Kumar, Ph.D. author of Grieving Mindfully and The Mindful Path Through Worry and Rumination

The old saying “as above, so below” is particularly well suited to learning both the practice of mindfulness and the revolutionizing changes that mindfulness can bring. Mindfulness can change how you experience yourself and thereby affect how you manage your relationships with others. The more mindful you become of your thoughts and feelings, the less likely are you to be controlled by ruminations and irrational worries, or get swept up into the maelstrom of destructive emotions.

Excerpt from Going Home without Going Crazy: How to Get Along with Your Parents and Family (Even When They Push Your Buttons)

Flooding occurs when an adrenaline over load over whelms parts of the brain. Have you ever been so upset you can’t think, can’t speak, can barely cope? That’s flooding. You may already know some thing about flooding from the fight-or-flight syndrome, where the more primitive parts of the brain over ride the more advanced parts. The result is knee-jerk fear or aggression and a distinct lack of level headed reason.

You can expect flooding to affect you both physically and mentally. Physical symptoms act like an early warning system.

Your ultimate goal is to control flooding rather than allow it to control you.

Excerpt from five good minutes in the evening

If kids can have bedtime rituals, why can’t you? Tonight, be mindful of your bedtime routine and be fully present in each moment-to-moment ritual. Take extra care in brushing your teeth, washing your face, drying your hands, changing into your comfy pajamas, pulling back the blankets, fluffing your favorite pillow, and hugging yourself good night.

by guest blogger Stephanie Silberman, author of The Insomnia Workbook

During the holiday season, many people find themselves sleep-deprived. The reasons for lack of sleep can be positive or negative. Although staying up late at parties, eating and drinking a lot, and having friends and family over at your house can be a significant source of fun and pleasure and something that you’ve looked forward to for quite some time, it can also lead you to deprive yourself of much needed sleep. On the other hand, if the holidays are causing you to feel stressed due to financial concerns, tension at family get-togethers, or other similar reasons, you may be lying in bed at night wishing the holidays were over already so that you could go back to sleeping better. Although it’s quite common to have trouble sleeping during stressful periods of your life, insomnia can easily turn from a short-term problem into a chronic one. Before letting poor sleep affect both your physical and mental well-being, try these simple tips to improve your sleep this holiday season.

by guest blogger Colleen E. Carney, Ph.D., co-author of Quiet Your Mind and Get to Sleep

So you are lying awake and you can’t shut off your thoughts…sound familiar?

You are in good company. Not being able to shut off your mind is one of the most commonly cited troubles in insomnia. But many people do not have effective strategies to deal with this pesky problem.

The most common “strategy” in popular culture is to count sheep. So is it effective? Let’s first consider why someone would recommend that you count sheep to help you set aside your thoughts and go to sleep. While some believe it is an activity that would promote such boredom as to facilitate sleep, there is probably a better explanation.