This really was not for me. I picked it up on a whim and truthfully I ended up skimming through this for the most part. I thought the language used was confusing and a lot of the times very repetitive. I liked the idea of sharing other peoples stories but there was nothing pulling me into reading.

Thank you New Harbinger and Netgalley for an ARC.

Just As You Are is highly relevant, not only to teens but to anyone struggling with self-esteem issues.

This mother-daughter team of authors provide a Helpful, easy to read book which provides exercises in each chapter to strengthen ones self-care through mindfulness, compassion and self-kindness.

I will be recommending this book be purchased for our children’s school library.

JUST AS YOU ARE by Michelle Skeen and Kelly Skeen is subtitled "a teen's guide to self-acceptance and lasting self-esteem." It fits perfectly with the recent New York Times article that we have shared with many of our high school advisories (homerooms): "Why You Should Stop Being So Hard on Yourself" by Charlotte Lieberman. She suggests 3 steps to self-compassion: meditation to let negative thoughts go, consciously being kinder to oneself, and reflecting on how it feels to engage in self-criticism versus letting it go. No doubt, the Skeens would agree and they, too, offer numerous exercises (Try This! Sections) in JUST AS YOU ARE. They also remind readers that "mindfulness can help you stay present with your current experience rather than reacting based on past failures." Other main messages include "Stop comparing yourself to others--you're special just as you are!" and "You are not alone." The mother-daughter authors offer timely, relevant examples and speak directly to teens although the tone turns a bit of a preachy at times ("when you are solid in your values, you are less likely to feel overpowered by the opinions and criticisms of others"). This publisher (New Harbinger) offers numerous titles geared for teens and members of our faculty especially liked The Grit Guide for Teens.

Links in live post:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/smarter-living/why-you-should-stop-being-so-hard-on-yourself.html https://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-grit-guide-for-teens.html

At a time when the statistics regarding teens and mental health are trending toward higher rates of mental health imbalances, Just As You Are is a practical manual filled with proactive strategies for coping with life’s daily challenges. This mother-daughter team of authors addresses each sample scenario across a range of perspectives from generational, professional to lay person, and observational to personal points of view.

The dedication “To all teens who have ever felt different, unworthy, defective or flawed” succinctly encapsulates what it means to be human, regardless of age.

Arranged to generate a cumulative strategic momentum, each of the eight chapters examines a specific obstacle that prevents or inhibits individuals from fostering compassion, mindfulness, self-awareness, and self-observation as reflexive responses.

Use of second-person direct address supports a sense of emotional intimacy and trust between the authors and the readers. The establishment of the context of the book as a safe space is deepened with the sharing of experiences from teens about their private struggles connected to a specific theme, like feeling the need to hide certain aspects of themselves that they believe are inadequate or subject to ridicule. Their revelations end with a related journaling exercise.

Each section ends with “Try This!” exercises that build on each other from chapter to chapter. There’s also a chapter summary from Kelly in which she shares her own personal struggles and effective coping strategies before Michelle integrates all of the elements previously discussed into a “Putting It All Together” conclusion.

Just As You Are offers accessible steps to identify the source of negative thoughts that lead to negative beliefs, to override the fight, flight or freeze compulsion in situations that are not life-threatening, to recognize the differences between conscious choices versus subconscious reactions, and to understand emotions in the context of brain science.

Just As You Are discusses prescription medications, talk therapy, attitude adjustments, and physical activities as equally valid and valuable tools for preserving, reclaiming, and maintaining balanced mental health.

“Gratitude is a natural antidepressant.” [Page 98] “Physical activities, in addition to being a distraction, provide endorphins, which are a natural pain reliever and an antidepressant.” [Page 126] These two passages exemplify Dr. Skeen’s integrated approach to mental well-being.

The text ends with brief chapter overviews and additional references. Although this practical guide is for teens and young adults, seasoned adults who care about young people should find some helpful tips for recognizing warning signs and for engaging in meaningful conversations with teens and young adults. Plus, the suggested self-evaluation and coping strategies are relevant for humans of all ages.

newharbinger.com

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/family-turns-tragedy-into-mental-health-awareness-for-teens-1218334275883

I really enjoyed this self-help book for your self-worth and self-esteem. It gave a lot of great examples of some struggles that we go through all the time. It was a very positive book and had some great ideas and techniques. The only thing that seemed old were some the people's name's who gave their stories to this book. Some of the names seems a bit fake which lead me to think some of the stories weren't true.
But overall, this book was very helpful and I would recommend it to others.

Being a teenager these days is both very different to when I was one – and also pretty much the same. Every generation goes through many of the same things, but these days there’s this thing called the internet, and this other thing called social media.
The internet has made some aspects of adolescence easier (try doing research for an assignment back when you had to catch a bus to the library and take photocopies out of books!), but it has also created a pretty hostile environment for a lot of people.
Just As You Are takes present-day obstacles into consideration and speaks directly to teenagers with the message: you’re not alone in this. It also offers activities of sorts for teens to work issues out for themselves.
There’s one page of the book I had a problem with: the example of a girl who regrets shutting down a political argument and not wanting to hear a boy’s opposite point of view.
In this current climate, that’s hugely problematic, because chances are that girl didn’t want to hear the misogyny being spewed by a boy on the Trump side of the spectrum. I see NO problem with what she did!
Otherwise, this is a thoughtful read for young people. I might not be in the target audience, but we’ve all been there at some point in time.

A concise, very accessible guide to identifying and managing our maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. Teens and young people will find this very relatable...full of insight, tips and personal experiences. Without becoming trite or preachy, this book offers the readers practical ways to improve their feelings of self worth through exploring their own thought processes and behaviors. As a psychologist, I was impressed with this book. I plan on purchasing a copy for my own family.

As strange as it may sound.. Even us teens need some tips and pointers on how to get through everything. Sometimes it's not what we want to hear, sometimes we want to try it ourselves and sometimes.. Well.. This book just teaches us 'kids' how we could do better; how we'd be our perfect self and it shows us how things are percieved from an other point of view. I for one, am not really into these kind of books; they tell you what to do and I really don't like that. But I can see this being really helpful for a lot of people!
I kind of felt it was written in a magazine 'Q&A' kind of way.. I'm still not sure what to think of that, it has something.. I'm just not sure if it's a good or a bad thing.

This book is a guide for teenagers struggling with various feelings or issues surrounding themselves and their self worth and value.



The guide has steps chapter by chapter to improve on negative thoughts about any aspect of themselves at all with ways to improve and begin to change negative behaviour to positive growth and provide them with more strength of character which in turn will help them grow.



This book is a great addition to the market as a guide for people to provide teenagers with and could prove an helpful essential for any young teen suffering with the constant negativity they may be wallowing in day to day.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!