Daily Mindfulness: A 31 day guide to mental clarity

by Alex Smith-Powell

Transform your daily experience with bite-sized, science-backed mindfulness practices designed for real life. This 31-day guide builds your foundation through practical exercises that fit naturally into your day - no meditation cushion required...

Each day brings a concise 2-minute read or listen, grounded in research and focused on understanding your mind's natural patterns. Learn to navigate stress, improve focus, and build resilience through small, strategic changes that add up to lasting mental clarity.

Perfect for busy professionals, skeptics, and anyone seeking evidence-based methods for a clearer mind, this guide strips away the mysticism and delivers straightforward techniques you can start using immediately. Whether you're commuting, taking a break, or winding down for sleep, these daily insights help you build a more mindful approach to life, one day at a time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

72 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2025

Reviews

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy publication day 🎉🥳

If you’re new to mindfulness you may gain a lot from this short audiobook, personally for me there was nothing new, but it was a nice little reminder to always come back to centre. I’ll keep it as a little go to, the short daily tasks are a nice simple way to refresh and rebalance. This is the type of book that would be handy to carry around in your bag. So I suppose having the audio to carry round in your device is much the same.

Nicely narrated and well structured.

My gratitude to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley sent me the audiobook and I must admit that, perhaps because of the narrator's hypnotic voice, I paid much more attention than I would have with the book. Even though I listened to it all in succession I picked up in my mind a whole series of tricks and strategies for being present in the moment, but living it all much more lightly.

Netgalley mi ha mandato l'audiolibro e devo ammettere che, forse per l'ipnotica voce della narratrice, ho prestato molta piú attenzione di quanto avrei fatto con il libro. Anche se l'ho ascoltato tutto di seguito ho raccolto nella mia mente tutta una serie di trucchi e strategie per essere presente nel momento, ma vivere il tutto con molta piú leggerezza.

I received an advanced audio copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

[LLJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Victory Editing Net Galley Co-op for this gem of a mindfulness meets self-care meets strategies for wellness audiobook (which runs under TWO hours and is arranged in daily bits of wisdom that can be noted or put immediately into practice). Daily Mindfulness: A 31 day guide to mental clarity by Alex Smith-Powell is exactly what the title offers -- strategies for mental clarity and more.

To be fair I wanted to go through this audiobook a few times to provide a thorough review because the content is something I believe strongly in and have experience with. As a cognitive therapist and practicing meditator, the day by day suggestions included in this book are simply wonderful. More than that, they are achievable and, as promised in the intro, are not "set in stone" but are more of a "buffet" of suggestions that the reader can utilize (now or in the future). Some interconnect (especially thanks to the repetitive PRACTICE that is required to get our human brains off of autopilot and into self-awareness - using that all-important PAUSE).

My greatest takeaway (and so important in our current times with so much disorder and divisiveness in the world) is the author's repeated use of the word - GENTLENESS! Practically every suggestion Ms. Smith-Powell offers includes a reminder to be gentle with ourselves as we practice day to day. This is all a PRACTICE (to break away from habitual behavior, technology, etc. and notice what we are doing and to even make different choices). This book could have just as easily been titled -- Gentle Attention, Gentle Curiosity, Gentle Redirection, or Gentle Awareness. It's not about being perfect - it's about maximizing effectiveness (in our energy, in making decisions, in our use of time). For the amount of investment this book involves (1 hour/45 min!!) and the beautiful narration, this is a 5-star wellness and self-care book that I recommend to everyone. Narrated by Sarah Buck. Available now!!

[Rina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This 31-day guide builds your foundation through practical exercises that fit naturally into your day - no meditation cushion required. Each day brings a concise 2-minute read or listen, grounded in research and focused on understanding your mind's natural patterns. Learn to navigate stress, improve focus, and build resilience through small, strategic changes that add up to lasting mental clarity.

This book arrived at the right time for me. As I was swept away with never-ending to-do lists, chores and work demands, this book reminded me to pause and slow down.

Admittedly, I didn’t spend 31 days to read all the advices. The 2-minute bite-sized topics were so easy to go through. While speeding through this suited me just fine, you might want to follow its official use - just listen to a chapter daily, to anchor and ground your day.

I didn’t learn anything mind-shattering, but I enjoyed this. I took notes to remind myself of some of the topics, such as controlling my emotional weather and learning my default reactions to things. I’d recommend this to anyone needing a pause button.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for a gifted review copy)

See my bookstagram review.

[weemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley read 🎧

This was a lovely book, which wasn't just a copy paste of the other mindfulness books I've read.

I'd love to have a physical copy of the book (I listened to it) so I could make notes on each of the suggestions, and track how I'm following each of them.

I'd recommend this!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review post date: 25.02.2025 on Goodreads

A big thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the audiobook!

Daily Mindfulness is segmented in 31 chapters each under 3 minutes, with brief tips on the practice of mindfulness. As the chapters progress, the focus within the topic of mindfulness become more and more specific.

The 3-minute chapters were very digestible with some really insightful perspectives on our emotional landscapes; the focus always came back to the idea of observation over judgement, recognising our energy patterns, and seeing our emotions as part of an ecosystem, which was a comparison I found to be very helpful. The guide also included practical tips on how to manage triggers (such as directing procrastination into tasks that bring one forward).

I will be returning to this audiobook, because I learned so much, and will definitely be incorporating the practices I learned. A big bonus goes to the appeasing narration!

All in all, it's a 5-star audiobook from me, and I will be recommending this!

[KDub · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great beginner's guide to mindfulness. It consists of 31 short daily exercises to increase self-awareness and help you slow down. They're only a couple minutes each. I like that it's science-backed and strips away the fluff that can tend to push away the more skeptical among us. 


Recommended for anyone who is interested in mindfulness but isn't into woo. If you're an experienced practitioner it may be nothing new, but is certainly full of good reminders. 


Thank you NetGalley for the ALC.

[Leah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing access to an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this one. Self-help usually isn’t a topic I find myself reaching for, but I am always intrigued about learning new techniques to increase my mindfulness, since I am not one of the people who is able to meditate, and I’ve tried so many types of meditation, so I was really hoping for something to help me become more intentional and mindful.

That is basically what I got. Sarah Buck narrates the story, and with her smooth voice with mild British accent, I could listen to her talk all day. If there was a different narrator, I’m not sure I would have really been able to take in as much as I was able to with Buck’s narration. But I think one of my favorite things about this book is that there really isn’t a right or wrong way to apply the principles. Let me explain more.

Mindfulness is explained as having the ability to just be present in the moment and trying to avoid judgment, allowing us to just be. It seems like such a chill and relaxed way to go through life, and the book was only about an hour and a half total, so I figured it might be a good read to check out. I was right.

There is a little introduction, and then the book is broken down into 31 days worth of suggestions to get us going on the path to living an authentic and fulfilling life. Since the chapter for each day is only about two or three minutes long, it makes it really easy to both read it all the way through and to implement one tiny change in thinking or behavior each day. The segments worked really well for me when I listened to them starting my day, because it gave me an idea or emotion or pattern to focus on.

Over and over, the author reassures us that we don’t have to struggle to make everything right, we can just do a little at a time, and stick with what works for each of us. After introducing a topic to be aware of in ourselves, we are given clear examples of how it plays out in real life, and encouraged to be aware of the topic of thee day, while not needing to do anything about it just yet. After we understand how the thought or behavior or emotion functions for us, that’s when we can start to make tiny changes in our lives. And as you know, those tiny changes add up to big results.

This isn’t an in-depth exploration of mindfulness techniques, but rather a quick, surface-level collection of awareness boosters and tips for introducing mindfulness into our days. If you are already knowledgeable in terms of mindfulness, this probably won’t present any new information. Rather, the appeal of this book lies in the bite-sized chapters that can be read while brushing my teeth or getting dressed, and have something to think about for the rest of the day. Some topics were discussed and the book when it discussed environmental cues to our thoughts and behaviors, and I personally felt called out by the chapter about procrastination.

Overall, this is a wonderful beginning level read for people who are overworked, overstressed, and especially those of us who struggle with insight into situations, cues, and settings that might increase anxiety or otherwise prevent us from being aware. There aren’t any daily topics that immediately got me stressed out, and nothing about this is a big project. You can read it start to finish and pick out the ideas that you think might work best for you. You can choose to only read one chapter daily and keep your attention focused on what you read. If I had an ebook or print copy of this, it would have been so incredibly marked up with highlighter, so instead I just had to take some notes to remind myself how to get out of my head and live a life filled with intentional decisions and behaviors.

[SueCanaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daily Mindfulness on audio is a hard book to rate. I started out at a 3 star, but when mulling it over I'm moving it up to a 4 star. Alex Smith-Powell has nice tips on how to reign in chaos in your brain through very short, concise assignments over the course of a month. Each days work, on audio, lasted about 2 to 3 minutes. Some things were new to me, most were not, but a nice reminder. My hesitation is the medium. This very brief hook of 'hey, in 2 minutes here's what you can do' probably works better in a printed form. For an audio book, I found the segments too quick. Just when my brain could shift to the topic, the topic was over. I started out taking notes, but that got old and felt like too much work. I would recommend this one, but not on audio. Interesting (to me) side point was as a listener I decided to find out more about the author and her credentials. I found this almost an impossible task and have very little idea if the person giving the advice is qualified in any way other than being able to write short bursts of wisdom.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short guide on mindfulness. I did struggle a bit with the narrator. I'm sure she intended to be relaxing and soothing, but it made me want to fall asleep. Day 5 was helpful as it discussed behavioral changes which is something I didn't even realize I was doing prior to this book! I really liked that the author recommended documenting things. Day 6 talked about habits and how to recognize them for what they are. Day 8 was the most helpful: Control the weather. I am a very emotional person with a lot of ups and downs and this book taught me to embrace those emotions rather than trying to fight them. While not every chapter will apply to your own life (I'm not a procrastinator and I get plenty of rest so those weren't really for me) but this book has something for everyone! Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen.

[Joana Flauzino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a treat for the soul.
It has little exercises to do every day that will make you more mindful of yourself, more centered, and relaxed as your day goes on. A perfect two-minute routine to try and implement on a daily basis.
I loved the audiobook because the voice was so soothing and relaxing, and that put me at ease in a more calm state to do the task at hand.

A huge thank you for the ARC of the book to
the author Alex Smith-Powell
to the narrator Sarah Buck
and to Netgalley

[Marylovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick audiobook listen. It can be consumed in a sitting or broken up into daily meditations. Packed full of thoughts on boundaries, self awareness/care/reflection it will be helpful to the beginner to mindfulness as with the more advanced practice. I highly recommend this book and will go back and start it for daily mindfulness practice

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC and to the author.

[Becki Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very insightful and interesting book. I found it very helpful and would recommend it to people who would like to try mindfulness.

It went at a good pace and the narrator was pleasant to listen to.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.

Alex has put together a no-nonsense daily mindfulness devotional. This is for the neophytes, newbies, just starting out practitioners. My critique for the 3/5 is simply because it is basic for those seeking a mindfulness, daily, meditational practice. It isn't that bad and honestly makes for the perfect space for the beginner.

[Alanna Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should be a good book to physically read but audiobooking it just felt like little daily chapters of tasks. I’ve read a few mindfulness books and I didn’t learn anything new but it’s handy!
Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great few minutes reminder everyday to bring you back to your fullest potential and energy. The only improvement I would say is the narrator. If a physical book was issues with audio book it would make it more enjoyable and accessible.

[Anita Salát · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful little guidebook to keep you company on a month-long mindfulness journey. This contains the basics, and is best to have it with you in physical form, so that you can open it any time you need a pinch of focus.