Reclaim Your Mind – Seven Strategies to Enjoy Tech Mindfully by Jay Vidyarthi
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

You know the feeling. You put your phone down after who-knows-how-long and you feel worse than when you picked it up. You need boundaries, but that doesn’t mean you should feel guilty every time you scroll.

Reclaim Your Mind offers a middle way to “anyone who’s feeling guilty and helpless about their screen time” (Catherine Price, author of How to Break Up with Your Phone). It isn’t just another book telling you that your phone is ruining your brain. It’s a mindful, balanced approach that helps you enjoy tech on your terms.

Most people who write a book like this want you to use less of it. Jay Vidyarthi is one of the world’s leading designers of mindful technology. A lifelong meditator and tech lover, he weaves together “a tapestry of wisdom” (Dr. Richard J. Davidson, NYT bestselling author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain) based not only on mindfulness, but also a deep understanding of how tech is designed. You shouldn’t have to choose between inner peace and screen time, and neither should those you care about.

With relatable stories, short exercises in every chapter, and strategies backed by scientific research, Reclaim Your Mind is “a playful, wise, and practical guide” (Dr. Daniel J. Siegel, MD, NYT bestselling author of The Whole-Brain Child) to rekindling a positive relationship with TV, social media, games, news, email, and AI. You’ll learn to stand up for your freedom of attention and actually enjoy the convenience, connection, and joy that technology can offer — all without getting stuck on apps designed to exploit you.

Technology can be a double-edged sword.

Mindfulness is an incredibly useful habit to develop in many areas of life, and I liked the way it was described and explored here. I’d recommend having basic understanding of meditation and mindfulness before starting the first chapter for readers who know nothing about them. This did seem to be something that was written for an audience who was already aware of a few fundamental things about them such as drawing one’s attention back to the present moment after being distracted or how breathing patterns can affect these things. Other aspects of these topics were better described in later chapters and included some helpful tips and tricks along the way.

There were times when I thought this book wandered a little too far away from it’s original themes. For example, the author talked about technology as another form of nature which I found confusing. The section at the end on AI also felt out of character for the points that had been made earlier given the recent research that has come out on the negative mental health affects of using those sorts of chatbots for companionship or advice. Stronger development of these ideas would have made it easier for me to understand where Mr. Vidyarthi was coming from.

I appreciated the balanced approach the author otherwise took to the topic of how smartphones and apps should be used. There is nuance in these conversations, and not everyone will come to same conclusions about which apps to use and how to use them. His advice on taking note on how they make one feel and the inclusion of multiple exercises to explore one’s reactions to technology was helpful.

Reclaim Your Mind – Seven Strategies to Enjoy Tech Mindfully was thought provoking.

Acceptance – A Self-Guided Approach to Trauma Recovery by Tiberius Ryuu
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What if healing didn’t mean forgetting what happened, but learning how to live freely with it?

In Acceptance, former addictions counselor and trauma recovery guide Tiberius Ryuu invites readers on a deeply personal and practical journey toward reclaiming their lives after trauma. This book isn’t about quick fixes or spiritual bypassing—it’s about learning to meet yourself honestly, with courage, compassion, and integrity.

Through grounded self-reflection and gentle structure, Acceptance helps readers navigate the inner terrain of trauma with clarity and self-trust. Each chapter blends education, storytelling, and guided exercises designed to nurture awareness, rebuild safety, and cultivate the capacity to live with greater peace and authenticity.

This self-guided approach offers:

Foundational understanding of trauma’s psychological and physiological impact.
Tools for self-evaluation that foster awareness without judgment or blame.
Reflective exercises and prompts to help process emotions and patterns.
Encouragement for personal responsibility and rebuilding self-reliance.
Pathways toward forgiveness, meaning, and growth.
Written in a warm, conversational tone, Acceptance speaks to survivors who are ready to stop identifying solely with their pain and begin living from a place of strength and choice. It also serves as a compassionate companion for counselors, healers, and loved ones supporting others on their path to wholeness.

At its core, Acceptance is not a manual for “fixing” yourself—it’s an invitation to come home to yourself. To face the truth of what’s been, to grieve what was lost, and to recognize that healing is not the end of the story, but the beginning of belonging to your life again.

Whether you’re taking your first steps toward recovery or continuing a lifelong journey of self-discovery, this book offers a steady hand and a sacred reminder: you are not broken—you are becoming.

Healing is a journey.

Many self-help books seem to assume that their readers already have some basic knowledge of the topic they’re about to explore, so I was intrigued to find out how Mr. Ryuu was going to explain trauma recovery without doing this. I thought he did a nice job of starting at the beginning and making sure that everyone had the same basic understanding of what the plan was. It was a unique spin on this genre that made me curious to read more from him in the future.

I would have liked to see more time spent explaining the various techniques that people can use to heal from trauma, however. Yes, this was intended to be a brief overview of a wide variety of options as I mentioned earlier, but readers who aren’t already familiar with some of them might not be aware of what terms to search for or what to expect while doing a deeper dive into those topics. Just because I was familiar with all of them already doesn’t mean that everyone who picks up this book will have that same advantage, and I think it would have been stronger if it had given readers some of those context clues for further study.

One of the things I did like about all of the coping mechanisms mentioned was how varied they were. Everything from dietary changes to exercise to thought experiments were included. This meant that there were multiple opportunities for readers to notice something that appealed to them immediately which can be really helpful when one is experiencing this sort of mental health challenge and might not have the time or energy to leap into a treatment they’re unsure about at the moment. Making that first step as easy as possible is so important in order to encourage people who have experienced trauma to eventually consider branching out to other options as they continue to improve.

Acceptance – A Self-Guided Approach to Trauma Recovery was a thought-provoking introduction to some tools that can help one heal.