Book Description

I wrote this book to help those of us who give so much to others, give something back to ourselves. As moms, wives, daughters, career women, friends, and everything else between, we don't always leave space for our own needs because we get so busy tending to everyone else's needs. Our families, friends, and society expect so much from us, but what happens when we find ourselves not having much else to give because we've already given out so much?I know the answer to this question because I have experienced firsthand the results of putting everyone else's needs in front of my own and getting caught up in the busyness of life. As a psychotherapist, a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a friend, I am always tending to someone else's needs. Don't get me wrong; I love all my roles, but sometimes they are exhausting, especially when I neglect my own needs in favor of taking care of those of others. Many women whom I encounter in personal and professional contexts are willing to drop everything to help someone who calls on them for assistance. They will do that even if it means giving up time, they had planned to spend doing something for themselves. Why is that? Do we get some badge of honor when we prioritize everyone else's needs before our own? Do we feel a sense of satisfaction when people compliment us for always being there for them? We bust our butts to make things happen for others and leave little time and energy to make something happen for ourselves. Prioritizing time for ourselves may sound a bit counterintuitive because many of us have been raised to be nurturers, givers, go-getters, and selfless with our time. Listen, I was raised the same way, so I get it. But at what personal cost are we expending all our energy on everyone and everything around us? I know that all this is easier said than done, but at some point, we have to say enough is enough and realize that self-care is NOT selfish! As a matter of fact, self-care is one of the most selfless things we can do for ourselves. Practicing self-care can be life-changing for women. We can't pour from empty cups. We can't give to others when we barely have enough to give to ourselves. I made this workbook because I wanted women to take part in their own self-care journeys. The journey in this workbook is broken into three sections. Section One will allow you to notice where you are on your self-care journey by doing a short self-assessment. After discovering where you are, Section Two will allow you to embark on a six-week self-care journey. Section Three will help you express how you feel about where you are on your journey and determine what you can do to stay on your journey by integrating self-care into your life.