Mental Health Monday: Meditation & Mindfulness, part 2

Last week, we discussed the different between meditation and mindfulness. Let's talk about how to actually act mindfully. The idea is not to empty your mind while you are practicing, it’s to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings as they arise, so that you can observe them with kindness and without judgment (“Getting Started with Mindfulness”). The goal is to learn how to live in the moment, so mindfulness can be practiced throughout the day as you carry out your day-to-day life. I’ve listed a few examples that come to mind:…continue reading →

Mental Health Monday: Meditation & Mindfulness, part 1

With the media coverage exploding on the current COVID19 crisis, social distancing, and adjusting to the changes in our class and work schedules, it’s not hard to believe that this is making a huge impact on our already hectic lives.  It is no wonder many of us find ourselves in fight or flight mode; with increased stress and anxiety, it’s hard to find the time to take a breath.  If you are like me, the first thing I want to do is run away, feeling at a loss on how to proceed.  Even…continue reading →

#WorthReading: Flights of Fantasy

According to an article “Why are Adults Reading YA books” on http://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/ a little more than half of the reading audience are adult readers. In fact, “A 2012 survey found that 55% of YA readers are adults. In fact, the largest (and growing!) segment in the market for YA literature are adults aged between 30 and 44 years (which accounts for 28% of all sales).” In just the last 10 years of working in the public library, I’ve noticed a significant increase on amount of new YA books that have been added to…continue reading →