"Stress is an epidemic, spreading viciously among teens. School demands, social pressures, the physical changes of puberty, and shifting family dynamics all compound to create anxiety, the fast-paced digital age a whirring centrifuge multiplying the intensity. PhD Bernstein (10 Days to a Less Defiant Child; Why Can’t You Read My Mind?) advocates mindfulness techniques that enable teens to notice what’s going on in their mind, body, and the world around them. According to the author, the average person has nearly 70,000 thoughts per day, or a dizzying 48.6 thoughts per minute. Simple-to-learn activities offer the antidote. Getting stuck in one’s own head is a process that upends teens as well as adults. Bernstein suggests young people use their five senses to stay grounded in the present, being mindful of breath, thoughts, and feelings. He explores common causes of teen worry and shares specific strategies for each. Walking meditation is a tool to help with body-image struggles. VERDICT Including “in their own words” sections and practical exercises, this resource will be useful to parents and teachers to inoculate teens against the onslaught of anxiety plaguing the current culture."
—Library Journal
“Bernstein’s book is an invaluable resource for both teens and parents. He distills complex issues with a sensitivity born of experience, offering sage advice as well as practical exercises, to help ease worry and anxiety during these years of intense change. Superbly researched and deeply insightful, every sentence rings true.”
—Leah Kaminsky, physician; author and winner of the Voss Literary Prize for The Waiting Room
“I am very excited about Jeff Bernstein’s new book, because it fills a critical gap in an area that has been begging for mindful attention. This book is written in a voice that teenagers can easily relate to. ... Mindfulness, as Bernstein points out, is not a panacea, but it is a tool. The mind-body connection that Bernstein discusses in the book is quite important to kids in their formative teen years. As a public school superintendent, I understand that mindfulness can stop the cycle of a worried mind and stressed body by changing how you respond. ... I am looking forward, with eager anticipation, to sharing this book with those who need it most: kids and those who spend lots of time with them. Thank you, Dr. Jeff!”
—Ivan Katz, superintendent of schools for the Fallsburg Central School District in Fallsburg, NY
“Chock-full of practical, helpful, and fun ideas for transforming your relationship with worry now, and for the rest of your life.”
—Christopher Willard, PsyD, author of Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety, and coauthor of Mindfulness for Teen Depression; Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School
“If you are looking for a practical, relatable, and easy-to-read book that will teach your teen how to cope with stress and anxiety, this is it! Bernstein’s latest book is a wonderful and comprehensive new resource for teens that teaches basic mindfulness strategies and shows how they can be applied to various types of common adolescent struggles. As a clinical child psychologist, I will definitely be recommending this book to my anxious teen patients.”
—Stephanie Margolese, PhD, clinical psychologist, and author of Sam’s Big Secret and When Monkey Lost His Smile
“With his easy and accessible tone, Bernstein shares his experiences working with teen clients on how mindfulness has helped them let go of worry and gain inner resources. This book is filled with mindfulness practices specific to the very situations that most often cause teens to worry—school pressures, family relationships, body image, and social dynamics. This is a great book for any teen who has ever worried—or will ever worry. In other words, a great resource for all teens!”
—Karen Bluth, PhD, author of The Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens, and assistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine
“Mindfulness for Teen Worry provides a treasure trove of mindfulness-based practices to kick worries to the curb. Teens today are managing so much with social media and other pressures, that worrying is a natural and normal response. Bernstein shows teens a positive and healthy way out of worrying. I wish I had this resource myself when I was a teen!”
—Gina M. Biegel, MA, LMFT, psychotherapist; author of The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens, Be Mindful and Stress Less, and Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens; and founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Teens (MBSR-T) and Stressed Teens programs
“Our teens are more stressed than ever before. Easy to read, Bernstein’s book gives teens simple, practical tools to transform stress into positive energy. From deep experience with teens, Bernstein offers insight and a path with clear structure using brief exercises in awareness, breathing, and visualization to help cope with external conflict, mixed emotions, and everyday pressures. A must-read for teens, parents, and teachers.”
—Richard P. Brown, MD, associate clinical professor in psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and coauthor of The Healing Power of the Breath
“Jeff Bernstein’s book on teen worry is superb: equal parts educational and inspirational. A must-read for teenagers and everyone in their lives—parents and therapists alike!”
—Shannon L. Delaney, MD, MA, child and adolescent psychiatrist on the faculty of Columbia University Medical Center
"Inspired and inspiring. This gentle and tender gem of a book—which includes numerous easy-to-follow ‘try this!’ exercises specifically designed to tame the ‘reacting brain’—will prove to be an invaluable treasure trove for all teens committed to letting go of their anxiety and worry.”
—Martha Stark, MD, faculty, Harvard Medical School
