Your To-Die-For Life; Karen Salmansohn

Karen Salmansohn is a Behavioral Change Expert and best-selling author who has a compelling writing style that will make you laugh, and at the same time motivate you to take action. She has a morning mindfulness practice where she greets the day not just with open eyes but an open heart and mind as well. Karen’s newest book, Your To-Die-For Life explains How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret before Your Time Runs Out.

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• Website: notsalmon.com
• Book: Your To-Die-For Life: How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret . . . Before Your Time Runs Out by Karen Salmansohn

Most Influential Person

• Aristotle

Effect on Emotions

• Mindfulness helps calm the noisy “monkey mind,” much like letting a shaken snow globe settle so the scene becomes clear.
• When emotions run high, the brain shifts from the rational neocortex to the reactive “fight or flight” area, making clear thinking difficult.
• Mindfulness allows emotions to settle, restoring clarity and thoughtful response.
• Practices like journaling or quiet contemplation help achieve this state. To live our best lives, we need to create space for mindfulness in our daily routines.

Thoughts on Breathing

• I studied Ishta yoga and meditation to deepen my personal practice, not to teach, but to better understand how and why it works.
• Breathing exercises are powerful, even simple mindful breathing. With my young son, traditional prompts like “breathe” upset him, so I used a Spider-Man pinwheel.
• I showed him how to blow on it to watch it spin—an engaging, visual way to teach mindful breathing through playful, focused exhalation.
• I also taught him meditation exercises. I put these in my Instant Calm book that I wrote, which was about mindfulness and meditation.

Suggested Resources

• Book: Don't Sweat The Small Stuff by Richard Carlson
• Book: Instant Calm by Karen Salmansohn
• Book: Your To-Die-For Life: How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret . . . Before Your Time Runs Out by Karen Salmansohn
• App: Calm 

Bullying Story

• I have a son who’s now in high school, but during middle school, he experienced some bullying—kids at that age can be really cruel.
• I believe mindfulness could help not only the bullies themselves, but also those being bullied.
• When my son was going through that, I encouraged him to be mindful and reflect on why the bullies might be acting that way.
• Were they jealous? Hurting? Struggling at home? Mindfulness helps both sides better understand and manage their emotions.