Too often, we settle for the notion that self-care means giving
ourselves treats and rewards for good behavior. But
it’s so much more than that. Welcome to the self-care
revolution!
"This is a magnificent book. When I first brought self-care into
the mainstream back in 1992, I encountered comments like 'Well, I
do my nails!' or 'I work out.' The idea that self-care is how you
want to approach your whole life was hard for some to grasp-and
that often included me. . . . Tracey's book will help! She's done a
fantastic job pointing the way. Buy this book!"
--Jennifer Louden, bestselling author of The Woman's
Comfort Book
A day of indulgence at a spa—or at home on the couch—might help us
unwind and feel temporarily renewed, but is that all there is to
self-care? In this book Tracey Cleantis changes the dialogue and
shows why real self-care is more than just routine
self-indulgence—it’s a lifelong practice that’s essential to
finding fulfillment and joy.
An Invitation to Self-Care uncovers seven principles for care that
are rooted in self-empowerment and self-knowledge. Through personal
stories and observations, exercises and quizzes, and interviews
with experts and everyday people, Tracey invites you to consider
self-care across your relationships, finances, spiritual and
professional life—and more. By accepting who we are, what we need,
and how those needs evolve over time, we create space for
self-care’s transformational magic in our lives. In fact, an
authentic self-care practice is the secret to the life you’ve
always wanted.
French women learn from a young age to practice the art of
self-care. It’s the secret to their famous mystery and
confidence. So how can we, as Americans, borrow a little of
that savoir-faire and take better care of
ourselves? Easy. Read Tracey Cleantis’s wonderful book An
Invitation to Self-Care. It will change your life!
*Jamie Cat Callan, author of French Women Don’t Sleep Alone, Ooh La
La! and Bonjour, Happiness!*
No one gets through this life without a few twists and turns,
disappointments and surprises. This book gives you the tools to
become the architect of your own support system so that you can
survive any crisis and learn to thrive again.
*Lee Woodruff, best-selling author of Perfectly Imperfect*
As a nutrition and fitness expert, I have seen firsthand how taking
care of your health and body can radically change your life for the
better. Tracey’s new book guides readers to create a powerful
self-care program that is uniquely theirs. Whether your goals are
physical, emotional, spiritual or mental, you can’t miss with this
book. You will discover your strengths and areas for growth. By
taking excellent care of yourself, you will have the stamina,
courage, and energy to live the life you’ve always dreamed of.
*JJ Virgin, bestselling author of Sugar Impact Diet and The Virgin
Diet*
This book made me fire my hairdresser. It made me stand up to my
mom, fix a pair of broken sandals, stop feeling guilty about my
expensive acupuncture habit, and fundamentally change the way I run
my business. It brought me a sense of peace I didn’t even know I
needed. I am a book coach who is constantly proselytizing about the
power of books to change lives. This is what I mean.
*Jennie Nash, founder and chief creative officer of
AuthorAcclerator.com*
I have been exploring self-care for a long time, for my readers,
clients, and for myself. I have landed
here: Self-care is self-acceptance. In this
book, Cleantis gets to the absolute heart of self-care and leaves
you with real and radical, usable and practical tools. I
promise you, you will be better for reading this book. I
know I am…with this string of words fastened to my all-too-often
self-careless mind: Beauty, comfort, kindness.
*Laura Munson—New York Times best-selling author of This Is Not The
Story You Think It Is and founder of Haven Writing Retreats*
If self-care feels like one more thing you must do, do
yourself a big favor and pick up this book. With humor and
real-world frankness, Tracey Cleantis offers expert insight into
what self-care is, what it isn’t, and how to realistically move
yourself up your already-full priority list. From the very first
chapter, you’ll learn how to treat yourself with respect and make
better decisions about the way you care for your most valuable
asset…you.
*Lisa Manterfield, author of I’m Taking My Eggs and Going Home: How
One Woman Dared to Say No to Motherhood and Life Without Baby:
Surviving and Thriving When Motherhood Doesn’t Happen*
This book is a no-nonsense wake-up call for all of us who, like
Cleantis, know that self-care is something we ‘should’ be doing,
but for the life of us can’t quite work out what it really means
beyond eating healthily and taking more naps. Her inclusion of
issues around money, interpersonal boundaries and physical
possessions as self-care was a big ‘aha’ moment for me because, as
Cleantis points out, self-care isn’t really just about salads and
scented candles, although she allows them their place too, it’s
about becoming properly grown-up and assuming full responsibility
for ourselves and our lives in all its aspects. For
those of us who didn’t get the best of role models for this as
children, and who live in cultures caffeinated with some version of
the Protestant work-ethnic, it seems that taking care of ourselves
has become something that we imagine people with more time and
money than ‘us’ do – because, after all, we’ve got stuff that needs
to be done first. Cleantis calls time on this, and uses
her own and others stories to illustrate how self-care can become
part of our everyday life, rather than an add-on or treat if we’ve
got time or have been ‘good’.
Cleantis’ quirky voice goes down as pleasingly as a green smoothie,
but don’t be fooled - this book delivers the psychological goods
and is both an erudite education in the psychology of self-care as
well as a practical go-to manual of how to identify and upgrade
your self-care in each of eight major life areas by applying her
seven principles of self-care.
Insightful, realistic and practical, this book fills a massive gap
in our culture’s blind spot around self-care and I can’t think of a
single person who wouldn’t benefit from reading it because, as
Cleantis points out in one of her myth-busting sessions, self-care
isn’t just for mothers, health-care providers and other caregivers.
It’s for all of us who want to be fully adult.
*Jody Day, Author of ‘Living the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your
Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Life without Children’ and
founder of Gateway Women*
You cannot withdraw from a bank account into which you never make
deposits. Self care is the deposit we make in our selves as bank
accounts. The many exhausted and unhappy people around us suggest
few of us are clued into the how-to of self care. This book is a
gift to all those amongst us! Here Tracey Cleantis proposes seven
principles of self care - physical, emotional, psychological and
spiritual - and shows us the rewards of self care. Writing with
empathy and enablement, she will set you off on a path of self
awareness and self care that is bound to benefit your wellbeing and
consequently, your roles and relationships. I couldn't recommend it
more especially if you are juggling demands of work, leisure,
friendships, family and care duties, and let's face it, who isn't?
You can thank me later, but better still, buy a friend a copy
too!
*Shefaly Yogendra, PhD, Board Director and Advisor to CEOs*
Self-care is the most selfless practice we offer ourselves and
those in our lives, but we often trip over our own internal
messaging and lousy excuses. In An Invitation to Self-Care the myth
of sacrifice has been busted. Tracey Cleantis silences the noise
around self care, applies the factual argument for the care of you
and provides the roadmap. A must read for mothers and truly --
anyone with a heartbeat. This book is absolutely going to change
lives....It’s like the self-care Bible.
*Jeanette Schneider Creator, Lore and Little Things and Love, Me:
Love Letters To Your Past and Future Self*
Self-care has become a frequent phrase in our culture. We are
admonished to do it, shamed for not doing it or guilty for ignoring
it. But what IS it? Ironically, I learned a lot about that when I
was a caregiver for an ill and disabled spouse. If I did not attend
to self-care, I became unable to meet the high demands of her
illness and our life together. Still, I could not have defined it
in such eloquent terms as Tracey Cleantis in her new book, An
Invitation to Self-Care: Why Learning to Nurture Yourself Is the
Key to the Life You’ve Always Wanted.
In an inviting and conversational tone, Tracey helps us evaluate
what we are doing to successfully and less successfully take care
of ourselves in every aspect of our lives, including personal,
work, play, financial and spiritual. She helps to make the daunting
project of attending to ourselves reachable and inviting, offering
powerful tools to evaluate, invent and implement self-care starting
right where we are. Building on the lessons of her first book, The
Next Happy, she shares how she herself created a life that invites
the very best results, from a compassionate and forgiving place.
Not only will you gain valuable tips on how to take better care of
yourself, you’ll also recognize the powerful ways you are already
doing so. A must read!"
*Cheryl Jones, LMFT Therapist, educator and host of Good Grief
Radio*
An Invitation to Self-Care is the step-by-step plan I have wished I
had for my clients for years. Having the privilege of styling
beautiful and successful women, I see how important it is for
people to care for themselves in all areas of their lives. Tracey’s
new book will help everyone look at where their self-care shines
and where they need to be more self-nurturing. A fuller, healthier
and richer life can be achieved when Tracey leads you through her
powerful analysis of your life and self care plan. With Tracey’s
book your self-care will shine!
*Chris Greene, Celebrity Hair Stylist*
"An Invitation to Self-Care, by Tracey Cleantis, LMFT, explores the
true meaning of taking care of oneself. Going well beyond the idea
that self-care involves simply indulgences and rewards, the book
offers seven principles to guide self-care and asserts that only
through regular and sustained self-care can one hope to achieve
self-actualization.
"The seven principles that the book asserts are the foundation of
self-care include recognizing that it is a lifelong practice,
self-love, taking personal responsibility for one's actions,
noticing what matters most, attention and responsiveness, realistic
expectations and practices, and finally, recognizing that self-care
must happen before self-fulfillment is possible. Combining quizzes,
personal stories and interviews into the text, the book offers
insight into both self-care and self-sabotage and helps individuals
explore their own beliefs and behaviors and how these can be viewed
in terms of self-care.
"This is not only an informative book, but one that is easy to read
and relate to. The author makes use of familiar references, such as
the food-guide pyramid and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, to
illustrate her points. Her writing is generally down-to-earth and
honest, with just a touch of humor. For example, in a chapter about
taking care of one's body, she writes, 'I'm not going to impart a
lot of Thou shalts and Thou shalt nots to live by, especially in
regard to eating low-carb, Paleo, wheat-free, meatless, or
whatnot.'
"The message of Invitation to Self-Care is a powerful
one. The idea that not only is it okay to prioritize taking care of
oneself but that it is absolutely necessary in order to care for
one's responsibilities and to lead a fulfilled life is liberating.
The information and guidance the book offers will help many to
start on a healthier, happier life journey."
*Foreword Reviews Magazine, May/June 2017*
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