How to Be Mindful by Anna Barnes | Goodreads
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How to Be Mindful

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Say hello to a new, mindful you Would you like to feel less stressed, live more calmly and be more content? The simple ideas that mindfulness teaches can help you achieve all these things, by allowing you to live in the moment and embrace all that life has to offer. Bursting with tips, centring statements and activities, 'How to Be Mindful' will provide you with everything you need to make every day full of gratitude and peace.

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2016

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Anna Barnes

90 books95 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Dana Al-Basha |  دانة الباشا.
2,270 reviews908 followers
February 5, 2017
Last night, after returning home from gym, we stopped at Jarir because I needed a new journal. As I was passing, a hot mint cover caught my eyes. It was not in it's place, I have a habit of rearranging books in stores if I remember where they belong (don't ask me why!)



I flipped through it and I just knew, I must buy it! It was breathtakingly beautiful! I didn't care what it was about at that moment. It was love at first sight.



The store announced that it was closing in 3 minutes, so I hurried, got my journal and headed to the cash register.



This morning while reading the intro, I knew that I bought the best book I could have "thought" about buying subconsciously, without a thought. It was the right book for me to read and enjoy now. I needed the reminder. I must buy ALL her books!



Mindfulness is about focusing on the magic of the present moment. Rather than fretting about the past or worrying about the future, the aim is to experience life as it unfolds moment by moment. This simple practice is immensely powerful. As we rush through our lives, mindfulness encourages us to stop constantly striving for something new or better and to embrace acceptance and gratitude. This allows us to tap into the joy and wonder in our lives, and to listen to the wisdom of our hearts. This book will show you how to experience small but beautiful moments of mindfulness every day and so guide you along the path to finding more peace and contentment in your life.


Profile Image for Alla Komarova.
314 reviews246 followers
December 1, 2021
Цю, простігоспадє, книгу я знайшла в себе на полицях випадково, коли збирала стосик книг про Голодомор, аби зробити сьогоднішню фото (див. мій телеграм). І оскільки я геть не пам’ятаю, звідки вона в мене усвідомлено взялася, до можу припустити диверсію. Ну або видане у «нагрузку», себто у подарунок, як колись мені прийшла із замовленою класикою якась дитяча книга (до речі, нікому не треба? Червоненька така, щось там про сім руж чи щось таке).
Але я відволіклась. Значить, витягаю я з полицю цю, простігоспадє, книгу, кидаю, як непродуктивні, спроби згадати за обкладинкою її походження в мене, і намагаюсь просто прочитати. Ну, думаю, може всередині щось підкаже?
А всередині, мммм…
Всередині на непідготовлену мене вискакують картиночки, малюночки, квіточки-хуїточки, ромашки-хуяшки, метелики й хмаринки, залиті градієнтом і просто кляксами сторінки в стилі «жах епілептика», на яких ОТАКЕННИМ, блд, КАПСОМ написані одкровення. Ні, навіть не так. О-Д-К-Р-О-В-Е-Н-Н-Я. О так краще буде.
«Не думайте про погане»
«Будьте наполегливими»
«Думки мають силу»
«Звичайне може бути незвичайним»
І решта твітів-статусів зі сторінки пубертатної дівчини, яка знайшла дідову захалявну книжку, куди він виписував розумні фрази, коли залицявся до її бабусі. Вся ця доморощєна хвілософія для бідних подається як План, як Подолати Стрес і Почати Жити Усвідомлено.
«Походіть босоніж по саду» (ага, вже біжу от прям зараз у кінці листопада)
«Заваріть смачний чай» (татишо? Серйозно? А я прям не знала, шоб ото його заварити)
«Розфарбуйте картинку, краще за все підійде мандала» (манда що? А за це точно не забанять?)
«Не беріть телефон з першого виклику, дайте собі час зібратися із думками, перш ніж відповідати» (нормальні люди, коли беруть трубку, кажуть «слухаю», якщо вам потрібно зібратися з думками, аби вимовити це просте слово, ви – Зеленський)
Коротше кажучи, я чесно двічі прогортала цей нотатник із картинками, який чомусь нахабно видають за книгу і ще й нонфікшн-книгу. Іспанський сором таке тримати на полицях, це перше. Ну і друге: саме завдяки ось такому трешу в масі своїй у читачів упереджене ставлення до нонфікшену. Бо на зміну Фройду прийшли легіони отаких от аннбарнсів, які прочитали за все життя три книги (першу, Буквар і синеньку), і вирішили, що світ далі не проживе без їхнього нотатничка із картинками.
Profile Image for Nafsika.
42 reviews5 followers
July 14, 2018
"Η ενσυνείδηση έχει να κάνει με τη συγκέντρωση στη μαγεία της παρούσας στιγμής."

Ένας πολύ ωραίος οδηγός/συμβουλάτορας που υποδεικνύει μικρά βήματα προς μια πιο χαρούμενη και "γεμάτη" ζωή,
που λίγο πολύ όλοι μας γνωρίζουμε ήδη, αλλά είναι ωραίο και συνάμα αναγκαίο να μας τα υπενθυμίζει κάποιος.
Profile Image for Megan Lea.
11 reviews1 follower
February 6, 2018
Beautifully visual, stunningly simple and one to pass over to friends.

(even with it's editing oversights!)
Profile Image for Bonnie.
48 reviews1 follower
November 24, 2021
I didn’t learn anything new from this book. It’s more of a page a day book, you could have it by the side of your bed or on your work desk and pick it up and open it anywhere for a little mindfulness reminder which is sweet and the illustrations were really pleasing to the eye but overall for me it’s a nice to have, if you are absolutely brand new to mindfulness and never meditated before or know anything about being mindful then maybe this book is more appealing. I personally did not learn anything new from this book that I did not already know already.
Profile Image for Muna.
89 reviews2 followers
October 14, 2017

لا أظن أنني كنت سأشتري الكتاب لو صادفته في المكتبة و لكن شائت الأقدار و وصلنـي الكتاب هدية. من عنوانه يمكنك معرفة أن الكتاب
يحتوي على مجموعة نصائح خفيفة لطيفة تساعدك في أن تصبح Mindful .

الكتاب جداً جفيف يمكنك أن تُنهيه في جلسة واحدة، فكرة الكتاب واحدة، الألوان، الرسومات و الصور في الكتاب لطيفة، بكل بساطة يطلب منك الكاتب أن تركز اهتمامك بالحاضر، بالعامية "عيش اللحظة". و إذا وجدت نفسك فجأة أنشغلت بأمور أخرى و فقدت تركيزك ببساطة خذ نفس عميق و أعد تركيزك للحاضر.

يطلب من الكتاب أن تركز و تستشعر كل لحظة تمرر فيها فرشاتك على أسنانك، أن تضع شمعة على طاولة طعامك لتنعم بهدوء يسمح لك بالتلذذ بوجبتك،
أن تمشي حافي القدمين، و تسمح للمطر بأن يبللك.

في اللحظة التي تقرأ فيها كلامي هذا خذ نفس عميق، و شغل حواسك كلها لتستشعر نعمة البصر اللي سمحت لك تقرأ ، و السمع اللي سمحت لك تسمع صوت الهدوء، و الشم اللي تخليك تستمع برائحة الكتاب اللي بين يديك.


من الاقتباسات التي أعجبتني في الكتاب:
"Don’t jump to conclusion “
بالعربي لا تقفز إلى الخاتمة، في هذه النقطة تكلم الكتاب عن إصدارنا لأحكام مسبقة على الأشخاص من مظهرهم أو حتى أصواتهم. الكتاب يقول إنك لما تصير شخص متيقظ/ منتبه / أو mindful بتقدر تشوف الشيء في لحظته بدون ما تسبق الأحداث و توصل لنهاية ليست موجودة أساساً.


ونهاية الكتاب إذا لم تستطع مع هذه الخطوات البسيطة أن
تصبح minful عليك مراجعة طبيب لمساعدتك.
Profile Image for Katie Baker.
695 reviews2 followers
December 28, 2019
Received this book as a Christmas present. My friend said she thought I already knew everything in it but that she thought it was worth it for the lovely presentation. It is a beautifully presented book and it also provides a quick but valuable reminder of the principles of mindfulness for when they have slipped your mind.
Profile Image for Patille.
31 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2022
I just don't enjoy mental health books and such; I never have, never will. I prefer classics and fictional novels over books that advise what to do.

I chose to read this just to see what it was like and check it off of my owned books.

Maybe I'm not ready to read mental health books? I don't know, I just don't like being given advice from people who are older than me and don't know what situations I am currently in and how I am currently feeling. Also, this book is about being mindful, which is not a current concern of mine. Maybe it will be in a couple of years, who knows.
Profile Image for Esther Rodriguez Coronil.
8 reviews1 follower
June 8, 2022
Despite the book being beautifully done with illustrations on every page, as a designer I can't help noticing that they don't have the same style which is a big mistake to keep visual unity. In terms of the content, I don't think I've learnt anything that I couldn't have guessed myself before reading the book. There was a point where I felt I was reading the same idea once and again, just with different examples. I got it the first 678 times, thanks.
Profile Image for Elina.
38 reviews2 followers
February 8, 2023
I randomly picked this book for £2 in a charity shop and it was a real hit, really inspiring! The author gives you tips how you can have a happier and mindful life. I can highly recommend reading it. 🤗
Profile Image for paperlove.
1,123 reviews83 followers
December 29, 2019
Durch meine Arbeit als Psychologin bin ich mit dem Konzept der Achtsamkeit bereits grob vertraut, ich bin allerdings immer auf der Suche nach ein paar alltagsnahen und praxisrelevanten Büchern, die Anleitungen und Übungen enthalten, die ich nicht nur selbst ausprobieren kann, sondern auch meinen Patienten mitgeben kann. Aus diesem Grund war ich auch sehr neugierig, was mich im Buch von Anna Barnes erwarten würde. Das Buch ist der 4. Teil der Reihe "Zeit für mich". Jedes ihrer Bücher fokussiert sich auf ein bestimmtes Thema. Neben "Achtsamkeit" ist deshalb jeweils ein Buch zu "Innere Ruhe", "Selbstvertrauen" und "Glück" erschienen. Ich würde aber behaupten, dass man die Vorgänger nicht kennen muss und man sich diejenigen Themen rauspicken darf, die einen besonders interessieren.

Das Buch beginnt mit einer kurzen Einleitung in Form einer Begriffserklärung von Achtsamkeit. Die Einleitung fällt aber eher knapp aus, so dass man zumindest schon ein grobes Vorwissen mitbringen müsste. Eine ausführliche Erläuterung des Konzepts, ihrer Wirkweise oder Entstehung ist nicht enthalten und muss andernorts recherchiert werden.

Nach der Einleitung beginnen direkt die verschiedenen kleinen Übungen oder positiven Sätze, die man im Alltag ausprobieren kann. Das Buch ist dabei sehr liebevoll und mit vielen schönen Illustrationen gestaltet, so dass es sehr angenehm ist, durch das Buch zu blättern. Viele der Übungen waren mir bereits bekannt, aber es war eine gute Erinnerung daran, wieder vermehrt achtsam durchs Leben zu gehen. Einerseits lassen sich die verschiedenen Ideen gut im Alltag umsetzen, andererseits hatte ich das Gefühl, dass auch hier ein Vorwissen zum Thema Meditation o.ä. vorausgesetzt wird. Es wird beispielsweise grob erklärt, was ein Body Scan ist, jedoch ohne ausführliche Anleitung, die besonders für Neulinge im Bereich Achtsamkeit hilfreich sein könnte.

Fazit
Ein liebevoll gestaltetes Nachschlagwerk zum Thema Achtsamkeit, das einige alltagsnahe Übungen enthält und vor allem dann Verwendung finden könnte, wenn man einen schlechten Tag hat oder man mit negativen Gedanken oder Gefühlen zu kämpfen hat. Das Buch ist einfach geschrieben und enthält viele schöne Illustrationen, dennoch würde ich es nicht für komplette Neulinge empfehlen, die noch gar keine Erfahrungen mit Achtsamkeit oder Meditation haben, da hier meiner Meinung ein Grundlagenwissen vorausgesetzt wird. Dennoch ein schön gestaltetes Buch, das ich sicher zukünftig gelegentlich zur Hand nehmen werde.
Profile Image for Dori.
38 reviews3 followers
September 26, 2021
A quick and easy read to check in with myself. My problem with self-help books is that they tend to generalise. It wasn't much different here: "rather than springing out of bed to start your busy day, spend a few moments becoming aware of your surroundings" - as nice as this sounds, the only thing I'm aware of in the morning is my baby crying. I wish there were more alternatives, although refreshingly the author did think of that here and there in this book (but mostly when it was easy to offer one, such as 'if you don't have a garden, go to a park').

I thought it had some interesting ideas though, some are better than others. Many are about visualisations. I'm truly terrible at visualising that I'm a tree or that all my stress is floating away in a hot-air balloon but (perhaps precisely because of this) I love visual cues such as positive affirmations and thoughts displayed around the house. There were plenty of other interesting suggestions that I liked the idea of such as 'digital detox' and 'forgive and forget'.

Having talked about generalisation, I must also mention the other end of the scale: "This is something the whole family can relish (...) young children can run around (...), while teenagers may be inspired to sit and write poetry". I mean... I'm sure there are teenagers who enjoy writing poetry but... Oh well, good luck with this one 😏
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Becky Hodson.
97 reviews7 followers
July 7, 2017
I love that this is a dip in and out book. As someone who has suffered from depression and anxiety for over 20 years, I find a lot of the mindful techniques and messages in this book useful. For me, active positive thinking, ie actively changing negative thoughts into positive thoughts, has been a big part of my self-management so to find a book stuffed full of other helpful little ideas is great.

I would encourage anyone to pick up this book and have a look through - I went with just randomly picking pages at one point and reading through. Not everything is going to suit everyone - after all we're all different, so why would the same thing that works for me necessarily work for you? But there's a good chance that there will be something in there that suits you and makes a positive difference. What I would say is don't try something once and then assume it doesn't work; keep at it for a week or two and then if it isn't working, move on.
Profile Image for Zehalee  Pham.
3 reviews
January 25, 2021
Nói về ưu điểm, cuốn sách này họa tiết vô cùng bắt mắt câu từ cũng hết sức ngắn gọn và hàm súc. Bởi vì đọc bản dịch Tiếng Việt nên có thể chưa thật sự sát nghĩa. Nhưng đối với riêng bản thân tôi, cuốn sách này khá thiên về đạo lí đơn thuần hoặc do tôi cảm không hết nội đúng cuốn sách. Nội đúng cuốn sách xoay quanh sự chú tâm, cách chú tâm, bắt đầu từ những việc gì, đưa đến những cái nhìn tích cực của cuộc sống khiến bản thân người đọc thấy cuộc sống thật đẹp. Những câu từ tuy ngắn gọn nhưng có tính hàng súc cao, có thể thực hành theo và học cách cảm bản thân bên trong chúng ta. Nếu mọi người muốn thử, hãy thử đọc xem sao!
1 review
April 19, 2019
Easy read, can finish in an hour or two. This book has helped to realize how much focus I was giving my past and the unknown future. What I took away is to be present in every moment, to choose one thought over another when dealing with stress (think about something else). To actively listen and not think of a response when conversing, and my very favorite, "The more we notice things to appreciate the more they seem to grow". There's a meaning for all our encounters in life, good or bad, I will appreciate them all.
Profile Image for Ivy Nguyen.
72 reviews17 followers
January 2, 2020
Tôi đánh giá quyển How to be Mindful (Chú Tâm Bất Chấp Động Tâm) này ổn hơn nhiều so với quyển How to Quieten Your Mind (Bình Yên Giữa Đời Đảo Điên). Vẫn là phong cách thiết kế sách đẹp, chất giấy tốt và màu sắc hình ảnh giúp người đọc thư giãn. Nội dung sách và các câu Quotes đơn giản nhưng không gặp tình trạng mâu thuẫn lẫn nhau.

Nói chung, đây là một quyển sách nhẹ nhàng, phù hợp thư giãn trong thời gian rảnh rỗi :)
Profile Image for Cat Rayne .
540 reviews5 followers
January 30, 2020
A charmed collection of quotes and brief blurbs on how to be present, and mindful of the moments we often speed through. The book was constructed in a way that each page, with art and photos to enhance the words, could be savored with thought.

It was enjoyed over the first month of 2020, a few pages here and there. Because it holds wisdom, food for thought, and is pretty in visual senses, it will join my journal and be used to remind me to pursue the present.
Profile Image for emily o..
108 reviews23 followers
February 11, 2020
This book is easy to read and so cute! It has short blurbs about mindfulness as well as quotes throughout it. I read it cover to cover in less than a day but plan on flipping to a random page when I need a moment of mindfulness. I am excited to check out the other ones like it! It would be good to have them on a nightstand or coffee table and flip to a page when you're needing a little inspiration.
Profile Image for Etna.
77 reviews13 followers
February 16, 2020
Я купила эту книгу исключительно ради картинок и мотивационного текста. Ничего сверхособенного здесь нет, просто приятно держать в руках и листать. Но в ней неожиданно нашлись те слова, которые мне были очень нужны. Про самопрощение, жизнь в настоящем, замедление, медитацию и благодарность. Звучит ванильно, но мне это помогло немного расслабиться и снять лишнюю тревожность. Поэтому о покупке ни разу не жалею :)
Profile Image for Aisha.
112 reviews10 followers
October 25, 2017
Indeed this book is splendid. Every time I held it my breathing evened out on its own and a calmness washed over me. I basked in the warm glow of these pages and it felt like like sunlight being cast cozily onto my heart. The illustrations were as sublime as the words. It is useful for the restless. I will be picking this up soon, especially if I feel the need to feel a little tranquil.
Profile Image for Reham.
1 review2 followers
May 21, 2019
I fell in love with the illustrations. I was in the airport and I couldn't resist buying this book. It took me one hour to finish it all. Then after that I was picking random picture of the book and sharing it with my friends. It is an opener and life changing book which I appreciate that I accidently found in an airport bookstore.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
18 reviews4 followers
January 13, 2021
Nice and easy read. As a skeptical non-fiction lover, it was okay but I think I need a little more science/explanation/persuasion to convert me to loving mindfulness. But as it said, it's not an overnight fixer so who knows, over time my opinion could change - I hope it does. Would still recommend it.
Profile Image for haitalourbear.
106 reviews
March 4, 2021
I thought this book was helpful and I really liked the infographics. Personally, this was like a beginners course in mindfulness (which is why I bought it a year ago.) As a person who is pretty sound in their mindfulness technique, this book didn't particularly "help" however it was more so a bunch of lovely reminders! 3.5 stars!
270 reviews7 followers
September 26, 2021
This book had some wonderful things to reflect on. I found myself reading a snippet-and then just thinking. I appreciate the way this book is laid out, and the images on each page were mindful themselves! I recommend this for anyone who doesn't want to dig too deep into mindfullness, but needs a reminder/refresher of things.
Profile Image for Sarah.
36 reviews4 followers
December 29, 2022
Quick, easy read. The illustrations though made my head spin as they are too visually chaotic. Took less than an hour for me to read and it presented more like small daily tidbits of encouragement. Good for maybe someone dabbling in mindfulness but not for anyone who really wants to dive into the topic.
Profile Image for J. Wukotich.
24 reviews1 follower
June 2, 2020
This is a nice little book. It takes a small amount of time to read, and by the end... you are a more mindful person. If you are in need of a refresher, read the book again. That is part of the process. Good stuff.
Profile Image for Jessica M.
36 reviews
July 30, 2021
A quick and easy read. Visually inviting with lots of great picture and quotes. Finished in one mindful sitting and came away with lots of great takeaways and ideas to incorporate into my journey toward enhanced mindfulness. Breathe in, breathe out, enjoy the world around you.
Profile Image for Fifi Reads.
101 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2023
Very cute book I love it emphasizes on mindfulness. I wish it wasn’t as repetitive but it is cute and easy to read. I am thinking of keeping this book somewhere accesible for guests because it is cute to have and it is also cute gift for someone who wants to be more mindful.
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