Highs! : over 150 ways to feel really, really good... without alcohol or other drugs

Library	Material Type	Shelf Number	Child Count	Shelf Location	Status	Item Holds
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Searching... South	Book	YA 158 PACKER	1	Juvenile Non-Fiction	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Summary

Safe, creative, natural ways to relieve stress, see the world a little differently, get a rush, and feel really, really good. A wise, witty, often hilarious guide.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6 Up-Packer does for teen life skills what he did for teen etiquette in his irreverent, humorous, and wise How Rude! The Teenagers' Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior and Not Grossing People Out (Free Spirit, 1997). Highs! is crammed cover to cover with advice, but it's much more than a preachy tome on alternatives to drugs. The first three chapters are on stress reduction, breathing exercises, and how to meditate. The author then proceeds to cover everything from high-minded "highs" like Zen koans and fractals to flat out fun "highs" like creating optical illusions. Shaded text boxes and charts provide fascinating additional information, ideas, and points of view. Numerous "Find Out More" sections point readers to additional materials and Web sites. Written with wisdom and wit, the author brings together an amazing collection of things to do to live a better, fuller life. This is one of the best life-skills books on the market, and it should be on every teenager's bookshelf.-Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 6^-12. Packer, the fun-loving author of How Rude! The Teenager's Guide to Good Manners and Bringing Up Parents (1997) has hit the jackpot again, this time with a text overflowing with effective ways to chill out or feel exhilarated without using drugs or alcohol. His 150 ideas (more if you count the ones in the clever, eye-catching sidebars) focus on three general areas: serenity (meditation, breathing, visualization); physical improvement (exercise, diet, sensory input); and creativity (nature, intellect, socialization). In every case, Packer's personal approach and steady stream of suggestions give teens plenty of ways to feel good about themselves and life. His ability to tackle school-sensitive topics, such as spirituality, in nonthreatening ways broadens the book's appeal, and his mix of lighthearted tone and solid information make the information seem both fun and authoritative. Appropriate for group work and for individual exploration. --Roger Leslie

Introduction: Why High?	p. 1
Serenity Highs
1 All Stressed Up and No Place to Go: Serenity Highs	p. 5
Sources of Stress	p. 6
Effects of Stress	p. 8
Handling Stress	p. 9
How Stress-Resistant Are You? A Quiz	p. 11
Increase Your Stress Resistance	p. 13
Lessen the Stress in Your Life	p. 13
Be Optimistic	p. 14
Get Support for Yourself	p. 15
2 How to Be an Airhead: Breathing Highs	p. 16
Breathing from Your Diaphragm	p. 17
Know Your Breathing	p. 18
Check for Stress	p. 18
Breathe Your Stress Away	p. 19
Really Deeeeep Breathing	p. 21
Tension Prevention	p. 22
Sigh High	p. 22
SWAT Breathing	p. 23
Get Nosy	p. 24
Breathe Out Loud	p. 25
Refresh Your Brain	p. 25
The Laughing Cure	p. 26
Zen Power Yell	p. 26
3 Seeing the Light: Meditation Highs	p. 28
When to Meditate	p. 29
Where to Meditate	p. 30
How to Meditate	p. 31
Progressive Relaxation	p. 32
Mind Over Muscle	p. 32
Breath Meditation	p. 34
Up Your Nose	p. 34
In and Out	p. 34
Sound Meditation	p. 35
Oomm Ahh Huunng	p. 36
Aural Fixation	p. 37
Meditating on Objects	p. 38
It's Polite to Stare	p. 38
Dealing with the Wandering
Mind	p. 39
Mindfulness Meditation	p. 39
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble	p. 40
Visualization	p. 41
Your Special Place	p. 42
Say Good-bye to Sadness (and Other Feelings)	p. 43
Dope on a Rope	p. 44
Now Playing at the Cinema of Your Mind: A Visualization Script	p. 45
Self-Hypnosis	p. 48
The Power of the Mind	p. 48
Feel Yourself Becoming Calm... Calm and Relaxed... Deeper and Deeper	p. 49
Be Your Own Hypnotist	p. 51
Countdown	p. 51
T'ai Chi Chuan	p. 53
Horse Around	p. 54
Yoga	p. 55
Out-of-Body Experiences	p. 57
Physical and Sensvous Highs
4 Pumping Adrenaline: Sports, Exercise, and X-treme Highs	p. 58
Sports Highs	p. 58
Exercise Highs	p. 61
Warm Up	p. 68
Cool Down	p. 69
Relaxation Exercises	p. 70
Head and Shoulders	p. 71
Save Face	p. 71
Alex's Fabulous Finger Lifts	p. 72
Thrill-Seeking and X-treme Sports	p. 73
Cheap Thrills	p. 74
Upside-Down Uppers	p. 74
Seesaws and Swings	p. 74
Jump for Joy	p. 74
Spin Cycle	p. 75
Roller Coasters	p. 75
Going to X-tremes	p. 76
Air Highs	p. 77
Land Highs	p. 81
Water Highs	p. 87
5 Food for Thought: Healthy Eating Highs	p. 90
The High of Clear Thinking	p. 91
Start the Day with Breakfast	p. 91
Eat Lighter, More Frequent Meals	p. 93
Take Your Vitamins	p. 94
Eat a Crowbar	p. 94
Slow Down on Fast Foods	p. 95
Stop Pumping Gas	p. 96
The Scoop on Caffeine	p. 96
Be a Quitter	p. 99
Sugar Shock	p. 102
Are You Eating Too Much Sugar?	p. 103
Cut Back on Sweets	p. 104
A Good Night's Sleep	p. 105
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz	p. 106
6 The Eyes Have It: Visual Highs	p. 108
The Power of Perception	p. 108
Look for Something New	p. 109
Look for Patterns	p. 109
Then and Now	p. 110
Topsy-Turvy	p. 110
Fingers in the Eyes	p. 110
Stare-Way to Heaven	p. 111
Feel the Beat	p. 112
Fun with Strobe Lights	p. 112
Find Your Blind Spot	p. 113
Binocular Vision	p. 114
Wag the Dog	p. 115
Three Thumbs Up	p. 115
The Language of Color	p. 116
Color Your World	p. 117
Mandalas	p. 118
Mandala Meditation	p. 118
When Seeing Isn't Believing: Visual Illusions	p. 120
Fascinating Fractals	p. 125
Visual Music	p. 125
Help for Tired Eyes	p. 126
Lazy Eights	p. 127
Lighten Up	p. 128
7 Coming to Your Senses: Sensuous Highs	p. 130
Cats Know Where It's At	p. 131
The Cat's Mcow	p. 131
Sensory Deprivation	p. 132
The Power of Touch	p. 132
Kissing Palms	p. 133
Here's the Rub: Massage	p. 134
Give a Back Massage	p. 136
Treat Your Feet	p. 138
Get Rolfed	p. 138
Taste	p. 139
Go S-l-o-w	p. 139
Quiet Diet	p. 140
Let's Sweat	p. 140
Stcam Room vs. Sauna	p. 141
Aromatherapy	p. 142
Get Incensed	p. 143
Pamper Yourself	p. 143
Give Yourself a Facial	p. 143
A hair-Raising Experience	p. 144
Get Naked	p. 145
Social, Spiritval, and Creative Highs
8 Blue Skies, Cow Pies: Nature Highs	p. 146
Why Nature?	p. 147
Stop and Smell the Roses	p. 147
Take a Hike	p. 149
Sleep Under the Stars	p. 150
Go Camping	p. 150
A Garden of Earthly Delights	p. 152
Grow Your Own	p. 152
Tree Highs	p. 153
Build a Tree House	p. 154
Get Wet	p. 155
Water Ways	p. 155
Ride the Waves	p. 156
Take a Bath	p. 157
Fire Highs	p. 157
Build a Bonfire	p. 158
Thunder and Lightning	p. 160
Storm Safety	p. 160
Armchair Adventures	p. 161
9 Altered States: Out-of-the-Ordinary Highs	p. 163
Change Your Habits	p. 164
Just for One Day	p. 165
Just for One Week	p. 165
Deprivation Highs	p. 166
Get Tanked	p. 167
Go Into the Closet	p. 168
Fasting	p. 168
Being Alone	p. 170
Go Out with Yourself	p. 170
Quiet Highs	p. 171
Shhhhhhhh	p. 171
Seek Silence	p. 173
Turn Off the Music	p. 174
No News Is Good News	p. 174
Take a News Break	p. 175
Travel	p. 176
Low-Cost Travel	p. 177
Roleplaying Games	p. 181
Alter Your Altitude	p. 184
High Highs	p. 185
Space Out	p. 186
10 Messing with Your Mind: Creative and Intellectual Highs	p. 188
Writing	p. 189
Keep a Journal	p. 190
Write Poetry	p. 191
Different Strokes for Different Folks	p. 194
Storytelling	p. 195
Once Upon a Time	p. 195
Collecting	p. 196
Be a Collector	p. 197
Explore the Arts	p. 197
Draw and/or Paint	p. 198
Visit a Museum or Gallery	p. 199
Dance	p. 201
Music	p. 203
Whistle While You Work	p. 205
Highbrow Highs	p. 205
Zen Koans	p. 206
Higher Math	p. 207
Science	p. 210
Philosophy	p. 211
Performing Highs	p. 212
Sing for Your Supper	p. 213
Follow Your Muse: Four Steps to Success	p. 213
11 Friends, Family, and Heavy Petting: Connecting Highs	p. 215
Connect with Your Family	p. 217
Talk to Your Parents	p. 217
Have Family Meetings	p. 218
Maintain and Invent Family Traditions	p. 219
Eat Dinner Together	p. 220
Do Service Work Together	p. 220
Stay in Touch with Relatives	p. 221
Connect with Friends	p. 222
See Your Friends Regularly	p. 223
Broaden Your Friendships	p. 223
Make Cyber-Friends	p. 224
Love and Sex	p. 225
Connect with Your School	p. 226
Connect with Other Adults and Mentors	p. 227
Find a Mentor	p. 227
Be a Mentor	p. 228
Connect by Giving	p. 229
Make the Small Gesture	p. 230
Practice Kindness	p. 230
Volunteer	p. 232
Create a Web Site	p. 232
Connect with Animals	p. 233
Heavy Petting	p. 233
Connect with Your Past	p. 234
Learn About Your Family History	p. 234
Learn About Your Cultural and National History	p. 234
Connect with Groups and Other Organizations	p. 235
Join Together	p. 235
Support Yourself	p. 236
Connect at Work	p. 236
Spiritual Connecting	p. 237
Pray	p. 238
More Readings and Resources	p. 240
Bibliography	p. 242
Index	p. 243
About the Author	p. 250
About FCD and SALSA	p. 251

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