Mental health education advocate, Adam Avin, is a strong believer that mindfulness is the key to coping with stress, pressure, and the strong emotions that the teenage years often bring. And he would know – he’s not only a teen himself, but he’s a mindfulness expert and the founder of Wuf Shanti, an organization that teaches kids of all ages to be more mindful.

In the new book, Stress Less (released by Trigger Publishing and distributed by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution/Ingram), Adam walks you through the reasons why coping with emotions and stress in a healthy way is good for your body and mind. He will teach you what mindfulness is and how to develop a mindful mindset so that you can find balance and focus on the present, rather than worrying about the past or the future.

Adam also shares his favorite tried-and-tested ways to overcome difficult feelings. You will learn about affirmations, meditation, breathwork, and how to use journaling, all of which can help you feel less overwhelmed, anxious and depressed. Using these tools will help you to become calmer, happier and more content, and establish a solid mental health practice and toolkit to rely on for years to come.

“I wrote this book to help teens navigate daily stress so hopefully the amount of self-harm and harm to others will decrease. If I help one person, then it’s worth it,” says author Adam Avin.

Stress Less features a foreword by Udonis Haslem, three-time NBA Champion with the Miami HEAT, founder of The Udonis Haslem Foundation, and advocate for mental health in underserved communities, a passion that stems from his own experiences.

In discussing why he wanted to write the foreword for the book, UD said, “Wow, what I would have given to a book like this when I was growing up. Adam has provided so many helpful activities to help stay in the driver’s seat when dealing with stress and emotions. I’ve actually been using some of these tips, so let’s just say this book hit home for me.”

Beyond excited to have Udonis join the project, Adam said, “UD is one of my idols. He’s an amazing and kind community leader. He authentically cares about youth mental health, and to have him involved in my book like this is amazing.” Read Adam’s blog about UD Here.

To celebrate the release of the book, Wuf Shanti Children’s Wellness Foundation and the Udonis Haslem Foundation are joining together to host a Mindful Monday Event with UD and Adam. On Monday, October 9th, Adam and Udonis will guide teens and adults alike through some mindful activities including practices, book readings, signings, photo opportunities, a silent auction, and more! Sponsors to this event include: Cigna Healthcare, A Day in Miami, Courtney Einhorn, Divine Wave Sound, Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery, New Horizons Community Mental Health Center, DRT Brain Love Foundation, DJ Tillery James, Uncle Nearest, Senator Paul & Sandy Steinberg, and The Psychology Team. Tickets to the event, which will be held at Red Rooster in Miami, are available Here.

UD is a big proponent of youth mental health and explained why he feels the book is important, “Adversity and challenges are part of everyone’s life. Unfortunately, I know a lot of young people are ashamed to speak about mental health. But let’s end the stigma. Take care of your mind. Work on your inner thoughts and be kind to yourself and to your brain. Look for the people who are willing to help. Enjoy and use this book, practice the mindfulness exercises, and then practice them again, and again – mindfulness is a “practice” after all, just like basketball.”

In addition to the Mindful Monday event, they are holding an essay contest which is open to all public middle and high school students in the tri-county area. Prompts and Rules can be found on udcares.org and the Wuf Shanti Children’s Wellness Foundation’s social platforms. Winners get a chance to meet UD and Adam at the Mindful Monday event, get a free signed copy of Stress Less, and tickets to a HEAT game for themselves and a guardian.

“We are very excited to give students an opportunity to learn about mindfulness. We need to give students the tools to cope with emotions in a better way and let them know that they are not alone, and they have a voice and we hear it,” says Adam Avin.

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About Adam

Teen mental health education advocate Adam Avin created the Wuf Shanti Children’s Wellness Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, to teach kids and teens mindfulness. Adam also founded the Kids’ Association for Mindfulness in Education and the international online Mindful Kids Peace Summit. Adam is certified in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Teens, and has been in publications such as Mindful magazine, Psychology Today, the Tiger Woods Foundation magazine, goop magazine, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive Live Happy.

Adam gave a TEDxYouth@KC Talk about getting mindful programs into our education system, why mental health education is so important to stopping violence, and using our voices to make a positive difference in the world. He also was honored to be the Keynote Speaker for the Broward Mental Health Summit. Adam is a Posse Scholar and is attending Syracuse University, Class of 2026. He is majoring in Broadcast and Digital Journalism and minoring in psychology. For more information, please visit the Wuf Shanti website or socials.

Watch Adam’s Talk on TED.com

Broward Mental Health Summit Keynote

Profile in Mindful Magazine

Order the book here: Stress Less

UDONIS HASLEM

Udonis Haslem is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons with the Miami Heat and is a 3-time champion of the National Basketball Association. He now gives back through his entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavors in an effort to further help his community.

UDONIS HASLEM FOUNDATION

Supports children and families from underserved communities, mental health awareness, criminal justice reform, minority small business owners, and related causes relevant to community accessibility. The Udonis Haslem Foundation’s mission is to spread hope, access, and opportunity. For more information please visit udcares.org.

Contact Shelly-Ann King at [email protected] for more information about the Udonis Haslem Foundation or the Mindfulness Monday event. Contact Marni Becker-Avin at [email protected] for all inquiries about Wuf Shanti or Adam’s book, Stress Less: Mindfulness for Teens.