Inside: If you’re tired and exhausted and have no energy left, these books on mindfulness will teach you techniques you can use right away to help you regain some of that energy and refocus your mind to get everything on that to-do list accomplished. 

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I wouldn’t change anything about our life now, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say having another child at 35 was rough.

Yes, I’m older and wiser, and I’d like to think a more seasoned parent the second time around.

But the energy? Not quite the same as when I was a little bit younger.

After engaging 75 eleven-year-olds all day as a teacher and then coming home and being a wife and mom, my energy is zapped.

How in the world does a toddler have enough energy to wear out every adult within arms reach?

All that energy wrapped up into a pint-sized body.

Don’t get me wrong though. I count my blessings that I’m a boy mom x2.

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Everyone Seems the Same

It appears I’m not the only one who feels a little less energetic these days. I see it on almost every parent’s face as they drop their kids off for school.

Will we as a society ever stop going, going, going?

I think we’ve been so conditioned to move at breakneck speed and try to fit more into a day than is humanly possible.

We’re all tired…but I discovered a small solution that takes less than 5 minutes.

 

I knew there had to be a way to “eek out” a little more energy. Come to find out it’s as simple as being mindful.

This is the magazine that started it all. >>> TIME Mindfulness Special Edition

Here’s the definition of mindfulness from Mindful.org:

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

Practice Makes Perfect (Almost)

I’m just a mom trying to get it all done and not pull my hair out at the same time. And be the best mom I can be for my family.

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After reading the TIME Mindfulness Special Edition, I found myself looking for the best mindfulness books for beginners.

Wanting to practice what I was reading, I would consciously find time in my busy day to take some deep breaths. It was really that simple.

Whether it was the frustration of forgetting where I last placed my to-do list…

or the class full of hormonal teenagers…

or the toddler who incessantly wants to see if his finger fits up your nose,

consciously breathing helped calm the stress that was trying to creep in.

In a matter of a few minutes, my stress levels decreased and energy levels rose.

With this new found energy, I wanted to get my hand on every resource and read all the books on mindfulness possible.

Where to Start

Below you’ll find enough books on mindfulness to keep you busy for a while.

Some of the resources are decks of cards with activities you can do with your kids. I love that I can throw them in my purse for anytime use.

I’ve personally read over half of this list myself and have the others on my shelf just yearning to be read.

If I don’t have another book “on deck” ready to read, I find that I take a longer break between books than I’d like to.

To that end, I may not have read every book on this list yet, but I only share resources I use and enjoy myself or have fully researched.

So to be fully transparent, this post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Here’s a quick list of all the books on mindfulness in this post. You can click on a title that grabs your attention or keep reading to find more details about each book below:

1. The Little Book on Mindfulness
2. The Mindful Child
3. How to Train a Wild Elephant
4. Fully Present
5. Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens
6. The Little Book of Hygge
7. 10-Minute Mindfulness
8. Chasing Slow
9. Yoga and Mindfulness Card Deck
10. The Coloring Book of Mindfulness
11. I Am Here Now Activity Book
12. Mindful Games Activity Cards
13. Present Over Perfect
14. At Home in the World
15. TIME Mindfulness Special Edition

Best Books on Mindfulness for the Busy Mom

1. The Little Book of Mindfulness

My favorite attribute of this book is its size. It’s just a little bigger than the palm of your hand and fits perfectly in your purse.

The Little Book of Mindfulness is also an easy read, so you’ll feel rejuvenated and relaxed in no time.

2. The Mindful Child

I consider Susan Kaiser Greenland the pioneer of creating mindfulness practices for young people. She shares several of her personal family experiences throughout the book.

The Mindful Child is included in the list because Susan gives practical activities for teaching young kids mindfulness. In other words, if the activities work for younger children, they will definitely work for exhausted moms.

Several of her techniques make you stop and think about what’s really going on inside that brain of ours.

3. How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness

The title of this book alone caught my attention. And that elephant is simply adorable.

Jan Chozen Bays, the author, is a meditation expert and pediatrician who also helped found a monastery in Oregon.

Each mindfulness technique she shares is divided into sections. Dr. Bays explains the exercise, gives things to remind yourself, possible discoveries from other’s insights or research, explores deeper lessons about life, and leaves us with final words at the end of each exercise.

4. Fully Present

Dr. Sue Smalley and Diana Winston create an amazing blend of scientific explanation and practicality to teaching mindfulness.

Fully Present is an introduction to the how and why of mindfulness. While this book delves deeper into the “why” from a scientist’s view of the brain and body, it forms a great foundation to the power of practicing mindfulness.

Dr. Smalley and Ms. Winston bring mindfulness to even the smallest of tasks and help you incorporate the practice into daily life.

It’s a longer read than others but created such a strong sense of understanding for me that I definitely wanted it to make the list.

5. Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens

As mentioned previously, some of these books on mindfulness aren’t books in and of themselves. They are cards that can be pulled out anytime, anywhere to bring mindfulness to the moment.

Gina Biegel is a psychotherapist who brings mindfulness techniques to teens. She created this beautifully colored deck of cards which are divided into 3 categories about your senses, self-care, and other ways of thinking.

Do you like acronyms?

I love acronyms because they help me remember even the most complicated of topics. Throughout her cards, she has included several acronyms to make remembering a specific technique a breeze.

The Be Mindful deck of cards would be great for kids and adults alike. She suggests either working through one card at a time or grab a few and go.

This is another great mindfulness resource to throw in a purse or backpack.

6. The Little Book of Hygge

I heard about this book on the Young House Love podcast. Its title was intriguing because I had been seeing the word “hygge” around the internet and wanted to learn more.

The illustrations and easy-to-read format made this book a pleasure to read.

Remember the part where I like learning about culture? This book is steeped in the Danish culture, as that is where hygge began. The Danish people are supposedly the happiest people on earth according to several studies.

Though this book isn’t truly one of the books on mindfulness, the secrets of hygge and living in the moment are extremely applicable to the mindfulness movement.

The Little Book of Hygge is perfect for the busy mom who may only have small moments of time to pick up a book and read.

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7. 10-Minute Mindfulness: 71 Simple Habits for Living in the Present Moment

I highly recommend the Kindle ebook version of this mindfulness book. There are a gazillion other links the authors include with this book that make the book even more valuable. 

If you sign up for Kindle Unlimited, you can read the book for free amongst thousands of other books and magazines.

Building a habit of mindfulness is key to helping you reduce your stress.

Mr. Scott and Ms. Davenport have written about ways to create a mindfulness habit throughout any part of the day.

If you still need a little help, they have included a link in the book to a companion website they created just for readers of 10-Minute Mindfulness.

8. Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey off the Beaten Path

If you don’t know Erin Loechner, she does it all. She’s been on HGTV.com and became a viral sensation garnering praise from several popular websites. She even earned the title “The Nicest Girl Online.”

But she also learned that she didn’t want “fast and fame and frenzy.” She wanted to learn slow living.

Her book is all about her journey and the things she learned along the way. Mindfulness is about slowing down and enjoying the moment.

If the books on mindfulness prior to this one aren’t your cup of tea, this might be just the one for you.

Erin includes several of her personal stories which make Chasing Slow very engaging. She has a way with words that suck you right in. Before you know it, you’ve been reading for 2 hours and forgot to start dinner 30 minutes ago.

9. Yoga and Mindfulness Practices for Children Card Deck

Mindfulness isn’t just for adults. Teaching kids mindfulness at a young age will help them socially and academically. When you pair yoga and mindfulness, you get the benefits of exercise and learning to calm your mind at the same time.

Busy moms and kids can enjoy exercise and mindfulness with this deck of cards that have great illustrations.

The cards are divided into 5 elements:

• Connect
• Breathe
• Move
• Focus
• Relax

It’s as simple as picking a card and completing it together to help each other learn self-awareness and increase personal power.

Yet another simple resource for your purse. (Your purse shouldn’t be too heavy yet.) 🙂

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The next three books on mindfulness are really fun. They’re more creative in nature and can be done in little spurts of time.

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10. The Coloring Book of Mindfulness

You’re never too old to color. Research has shown that coloring can be very therapeutic.

It helps adults focus which also reduces stress and anxiety. Your kids can join in the fun too and begin to develop their mindfulness habit.

The line illustrations in this coloring book depict things in the natural world which I love. Beautiful quotes are dispersed throughout the book too that you can ponder while you’re coloring.

Need to know the best markers for coloring in those small spaces?

Check out the Staedtler line of fine tip pens. They are my favorite because they’re nice and colorful but don’t bleed through the paper.

11. I Am Here Now: A Creative Mindfulness Guide and Journal

This mindfulness book comes in a paperback or spiral bound version. I recommend the spiral bound version because the book will lay flat as you complete each activity.

Some of my favorite books allow me to interact with them which solidifies what I’m reading in my head. This journal is no different. You can’t be mindful while thinking about the past or the future, so this journal helps you stay in the present.

Even if you don’t feel like you have a creative bone in your body or aren’t a “journaler,” I really encourage you to give I Am Here Now a try.

The Staedtler fine tip pens I mentioned earlier are excellent for this journal too.

While helping you in the here and now, the activities are also fun and engaging.

12. Mindful Games Activity Cards: 55 Fun Ways to Share Mindfulness

Here’s another great resource from Susan Kaiser Greenland of The Mindful Child. These larger cards are a little different than the Be Mindful deck of cards previously mentioned.

I won’t put these in my purse because they’re heavier, but I will throw a card or two in my day planner. The cards are about the size of a 4×6.

One of my favorite aspects of the Mindful Games is the color-coding system Susan uses. She bases the cards on six life skills that help you relate to everything around you with more awareness and compassion.

Each color represents a different life skill. A daily or weekly practice of each skill helps create a well-rounded individual.

We could all benefit from quieting our minds, seeing with our eyes, reframing our perspective, caring for and connecting with others to bring more focus to our lives.

Ordinary Moments

Mindfulness doesn’t always have to be this intangible experience felt alone. In the midst of this chaotic life, simplicity can be found in the most ordinary of things.

We can be present AND at home anywhere in the world.

I saved some of the best books on mindfulness for last. You won’t find activities or even mindfulness techniques listed in these books per se, but you will find stories of people who have found balance.

Isn’t that what mindfulness is all about? Finding balance as the whirlwinds of life swirl all around us.

Tsh and Shauna share different yet similar stories in finding that balance and how they’ve managed to carve their way even with a full family.

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13. Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living

As Shauna so aptly shares, we don’t have to be busy and burned out but rather live simply and more soulful.

We all live under a tremendous amount of pressure, and yet life doesn’t have to be this way. Our society has created this image of perfection that robs us of truly enjoying life and being in the moment.

Present Over Perfect does just the opposite. Through a collection of essays, Shauna shares her life’s stories and how she transformed from tired and stressed out to find a simpler way to live.

She doesn’t leave you, the reader, out at all. All along the way, she is pulling you along to take a look at your own life and begin a transformation of your own.

14. At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe

At Home in the World is such a great read when you have that wanderlust feeling but haven’t found a way to scratch that itch yet.

Tsh paints a picture with her words of the places they’ve visited around the globe with their three children. She makes it seem effortless, yet at the same time, she shares the bumps in the road.

You feel as if you’re on the trip with her and learn along the way the many secrets the world can teach us about life and belonging.

Most of us will probably never experience the many places her family has visited, but through At Home in the World, we can have a staycation of our own at home.

She says, “Travel has taught me the blessing of ordinariness, of rootedness and stability…It can be found anywhere in the globe.”

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Before You Go

Remember, you don’t want to conquer all these books on mindfulness at once. They definitely aren’t going anywhere, but you do want to get started. That first step is always the hardest.

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Need some inspiration to remind yourself to breathe and be mindful? Sometimes a little quote is all it takes to bring our minds into focus.

I’ve gathered some of my favorite quotes that complement these books on mindfulness and created printable quotes just for you.

Download Your Free Quotes on Mindfulness

1. Click the button below to grab your free printable quotes, plus join my newsletter!
2. Print out the quotes or turn them into a phone wallpaper. They won’t do you any good staying on your computer.
3. Hang them in a place where you can see them. We all need visual reminders.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in the whirlwind of life and forget what we’re working towards. Use these printable quotes and the books on mindfulness in this list to help keep you on track and remind you of the little things that can make a big difference.

As much as I’d love to say mindfulness has turned me into the world’s best mom, I’m not there yet.

I’m not even sure I’ll ever be there, but I strive daily to remember those moments to breathe. Just breathe.

Now it’s Your Turn

Have you read any books on mindfulness before? Or books that stopped you in your tracks and made you rethink your life? I’d love to hear. Share in a comment below.