YA Friday: Stress Less

Holidays are great, but they can also be a really stressful time.  You might be dealing with spending too much (or not enough) time with relatives, travel woes, homework, financial stress...the list goes on and on.  It can be hard to find time for yourself and your mental health.. You may need some tips on how to cope with stress and anxiety. Here are some books that cover mental health - from people who have been there, and strategies to help you through rough times!

Non-Fiction Edition

Project You: More Than 50 Ways to Calm Down, De-stress, & Feel Great!, book cover

Project You: More Than 50 Ways to Calm Down, De-stress, & Feel Great! by Aubre Andrus

Find your balance. Make a protein-packed smoothie to energize for a busy day. Center yourself after a stressful week by taking five minutes to write in your journal. Strengthen your body and calm your mind with simple yoga poses and breathing techniques.Craft a vision board to help you achieve your goals. Create a time budget to organize your schedule. Develop an evening routine that will help you wind down before sleep. Award-winning author Aubre Andrus shares more than 50 do-right-now projects that will help you beat stress, smile big, and discover a calmer, more blissful you.



Mindfulness for Teen Worry: Quick & Easy Strategies to Let Go of Anxiety, Worry & Stress, book cover

Mindfulness for Teen Worry: Quick & Easy Strategies to Let Go of Anxiety, Worry & Stress by Jeffrey Bernstein

Presents quick, easy-to-learn mindfulness exercises readers can use anytime, anywhere to stop worries from growing and taking over.



(Don't) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health, book cover

(Don't) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health by Multiple

To understand mental health, we need to talk openly about it. This collection explores a wide range of topics, from the authors' personal experiences with mental illness and understanding how our brains are wired, to exploring the do's and don'ts of talking about mental health.



Be Mindful and Stress Less: 50 Ways to Deal With your (crazy) Life, book cover

Be Mindful and Stress Less: 50 Ways to Deal With your (crazy) Life by Gina M. Biegel

Simple mindfulness practices for teens that build self-esteem, grow compassion, and reduce stress. The demands and pressures of everyday life can really stress you out! School, work, relationships, social media, and the like can leave you pulled in so many directions it can make your head spin. When you need help fast, these simple accessible mindfulness-based practices will help bring you relief and ease right away. If you make these mindfulness and self-care practices part of your routine, you’ll discover little life-hacks to get through even the toughest days.



Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir, book cover

Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir by Nikki Grimes

Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night - and discovered the magic and impact of writing. For many years, Nikki's notebooks were her most enduing companions. In this accessible and inspiring memoir that will resonate with young readers and adults alike, Nikki shows how the power of those words helped her conquer the hazards - ordinary and extraordinary - of her life.



Relationship Skills 101 for Teens:Your Guide to Dealing With Daily Drama, Stress, and Difficult Emot, book cover

Relationship Skills 101 for Teens:Your Guide to Dealing With Daily Drama, Stress, and Difficult Emot by Sheri Van Dijk

In Relationship Skills 101 for Teens, Sheri Van Dijk offers tools based in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help you regulate your emotions so you can build better relationships with everyone in your life.



The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens: CBT Skills to Overcome Fear, Worry, & Panic, book cover

The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens: CBT Skills to Overcome Fear, Worry, & Panic by Jennifer Shannon

Do you have problems with anxiety? The Anxious Teen Survival Guide is a much-needed, go-to guide to help you finally break free from the worry and ruminations that can get in the way of reaching your goals. If you have anxiety, your fears and worries can keep you from feeling confident and independent. Teen milestones such as making friends, dating, getting good grades, or taking on more mature responsibilities, may seem much more difficult. And if you're like countless other anxious teens, you may even avoid situations that cause you anxiety altogether-leaving you stuck in a cycle of worry and avoidance. So, how can you take control of your anxiety before it takes control of you? Based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), this book helps you identify your "monkey mind"-the primitive part of the brain where anxious thoughts arise. You'll also be able to determine if you suffer from generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, panic and agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or separation anxiety. Full of powerful yet simple cartoon illustrations, this book will teach you practical strategies for handling even the toughest situations that previously caused you to feel anxious or worried. If you're ready to feel more independent, more confident, and be your best, this unique book will show you how.