In Good Morning, I Love You, Dr. Shapiro-one of the leading scientists studying the effects of mindfulness on well-being-shows us that acting with compassion toward ourselves is the key.

In short, lively chapters, Dr. Shapiro explains the basic brain science and offers numerous mindfulness and self-compassion practices. Stories from her life and research demonstrate how this powerhouse combination alleviates anxiety, boosts creative thinking, and enlarges our sense of belonging and purpose. We can see it on brain scans. Negative and critical thoughts (and the vast majority of our thoughts are negative) cause the part of the brain responsible for learning to literally shut down.

Kind and self-compassionate thoughts, by contrast, turn on the parts responsible for growth and change. With practice, we can literally rewire our brains for greater feelings of calm, joy, and possibility. Try it and see . . . even if it makes you squirm. When you wake up tomorrow, take a deep breath, hand on heart, and say, "Good morning, I love you." Then try it the next day. And the next. See what happens.