Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness by Pooja LakshminMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Self-care is effective when it is personalized to meet your needs. It is not a substitute for medical or mental health intervention. I'd recommend this book to someone addicted to "faux" self-care and still searching for the answer.
The author proposes four core principles in order to implement real self-care.
1. Set boundaries
2. Treat yourself with kindness and compassion
3. Connect with your core values and goals
4. Activate the power within to take control of your life
There are two parts. Part I: The Tyranny of Faux Self-Care, covers how faux self-care hasn’t saved us, why it is so easy to turn to faux self-care, and how the system is broke. In Part II: Real Self-Care is an Inside Job, the author dives deeper into the four principles of real self-care.
“Do not shy away from taking this time to learn how to look after your own well-being…I will invite you to take a close look at how you spend your time and how you talk to yourself, so you can make clear decisions about aligning your behaviors with what matters most to you” (pp. xxiii).
The objective is to come away with clarity on how to develop practices that are nourishing and transforming. These same principles can and should be applied to your physical health as well.
This book is rich with actionable tools and exercises for applying these principles. I like how she has included an appendix listing all the exercises throughout the book and also providing information on seeking professional help. Key concepts and summaries are boxed out for emphasis and easy review. There is a helpful Real Self-Care Thermometer to measure your capacity to identify and communicate your boundaries in various situations.
This is not a quick read. To get the most from it requires time to think through and implement these four principles. The activities and self-reflections can be overwhelming.
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