Sunny Day Therapy's Blog- Helping Children & Caregivers Shine, Do, and Thrive

I love to read and am excited when I find a truly good book! Here’s one that I think is worth a look:

Book: A Book That Takes Its Time: An Unhurried Adventure in Creative Mindfulness


Authors: Irene Smit and Astrid Van Der Hulst

Type: Self Help, Journaling/Self Reflection, Psychology, Art

Target Audience: Individuals wanting to nurture their creativity, cultivate mindfulness, and/or learn ways to slow down, reflect, and engage their consciousness.

It would be great for therapists and teachers of mindfulness, yoga, OT, social work, and psychology. It would benefit people who’ve just gone through a major change, who feel stress or worry, or who are experiencing grief or pain.

What I like about this book is that it is a creative blend of many artists’ insight, research, and playfulness. You find exciting, interactive projects to tear out – beautiful postcards, materials for making collages, making notes, and connecting to oneself and others. The pictures are pretty. The words are a dose of positivity which everyone deserves. The book is divided into sections by articles and themes which make it easy to read a bit at a time.

Favorite quotes: This book is filled with so many wonderful quotes, poems, and articles, it’s hard to pick just a few.
Here are my favs:

“Thoughts aren’t FACTS, so don’t take them SERIOUSLY.” – Ruby Wax (in the form of a pretty tear out postcard)

“Taking the time to write lists makes it easier to visualize how to make changes and cultivate gratitude for all of the good in your life.”- Eva Juliet

“When Australian photographer Hailey Bartholomew started a 365 day project to document one thing she was grateful for each day, it changed her life completely.” – Celebrate Today,
by Otje va der Lelij

“Motionless, I stay and go: I am a pause.”- Octavio Paz (Finding poems in books is like finding pearls in clamshells).

Here are some things I learned from reading this book-
1. to nurture self compassion
2. to set boundaries and take time for myself
3. to see life with “a beginner’s mind” (a child like “blank slate” attitude)
4. to cultivate anticipation (Research suggests that people report being happier when looking forward to a vacation than actually experiencing the vacation itself. The anticipation of looking forward to something releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness in the brain).
5. to step outside of my comfort zone
6. tips for breaking old habits

Cool Website and Magazine-
The authors of this book publish a magazine, Flow magazine. They have wonderful excepts , DIY crafts, and artwork from magazine articles on their website as well as information about their other creative books and projects (from art to mindfulness):

https://www.flowmagazine.com/category/read

Published in October 2017, this book is already an amazon.com Bestseller: https://www.amazon.com/Book-That-Takes-Its-Time/dp/0761193774/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517172413&sr=8-1&keywords=flow+a+book+that+takes+its+time.

Enjoy!