Making Yourself a Priority

The concept is not difficult to understand, and yet somehow, I did not become aware of this idea until after entering my 40’s. Is it possible that something so simple as making yourself a priority can bring peace and joy to not only yourself, but also to the family relationships that surround you each day? How is it that our society applauds and expects parents, but mothers in particular, to ignore their own needs in the name of love?

The art of extreme self-care

These questions led to picking up a copy of Cheryl Richardson’s The Art of Extreme Self-Care. In short, the book is broken into twelve chapters that provide you with monthly practical and inspiring concepts and strategies to make yourself a priority.  This book is radical in that it is not your run-of-the-mill self-care book; eat well, exercise, take a bath, etcetera. Each month you focus on a skill or strategy to help you develop self-love in ways that allow you to live in authenticity and integrity with your heart and soul’s desires. It’s a true methodology to help you return to the best version of yourself. 

Although this book is appropriate for just about anyone who needs a self-care reboot, I particularly recommend this book to single parents and parents who are navigating high conflict divorces or high conflict partnerships. Being on your own as a parent physically or emotionally can be very difficult. Making yourself a priority alongside daily overwhelm and exhaustion is quite a challenge. Richardson presents strategies like Chapter three’s, Let Me Disappoint You, or Chapter six’s, Absolute No List, that are powerful tools to implement in honoring yourself and your needs. 

Do you need extreme self-care?

To determine if you are in need of extreme self-care, Richardson’s The Art of Extreme Self-Care has a handy one-page checklist in the beginning of the book. This checklist can help guide you to certain chapters and strategies as you identify what needs must become a priority. Richardson couldn’t have made it any easier!  The Art of Extreme Self-Care by Cheryl Richardson is truly a magical book that compels us to get to the bottom of why we do not make self-care a priority. Richardson reveals to us how taking self-care seriously allows us to truly live in authenticity and integrity, and allows us to let go of self-defeating behaviors like people-pleasing and over-explaining or defending ourselves or our choices. This book also helped me to realize when we start making choices where pleasure is a priority and honor and reflect our deepest desires and needs, we are truly living in integrity. 

Self-care tools and strategies

The Art of Extreme Self-Care provides tools and strategies I am excited to share with my clients as we walk together on a journey of becoming the best versions of ourselves. And because I navigated a high-conflict divorce myself, I bring personal insight to the importance of making self-care a priority and have a particular affinity in supporting parents who find themselves in high-conflict or isolating parenting experiences.  I’ve used this book to lead The Art of Extreme Self-Care accountability groups and feel honored to be a guide on each group’s self-care journey. 

Interested in building a community among parents?

Consider joining a self-care group! Please visit my coaching page to learn more.