Book Nook: Tame Your Anxiety - Rewiring Your Brain for Happiness

Mindfulness is a relatively new buzzword. The idea is to be fully present in everything - to really focus on what you're doing. It's supposed to improve outlook and lower stress. But as that article points out, it can be overhyped.

Dr. Laura Breuning has a different approach. “The electricity in your brain flows like water in a storm, finding the paths of least resistance. It will flow into old pathways until you build new ones,” says Dr. Breuning. “Mindfulness strengthens your ability to stop the flow and re-direct it, but you don’t get a new pathway until you design and repeat one.”

I had a chance to review her book, which included new strategies for handling anxiety, whatever the source. She has a "Rubber Ducky" method of handling anxiety (and just the imagery can make things seem not so serious). The book also has common pitfalls of anxiety, with tips to manage common obstacles that get in the way of keeping anxiety levels lower.