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Loved this book, very informative and had some awesome ways to keep me busy with self care and self love. Which is what we all need to do
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There is a lot of self-care books out there but this book by Cicely Horsham-Brathwaite has become one of my favorites! As a few other reviewers shared, self-care isn't just about eating chocolate and bubble baths (although those can be enjoyable) but more on let's dig deeper to help you with lasting things to help you slow down and reconnect with yourself just as the title says.
For example, one of the first activities is to create an hour long playlist for songs that bring you happiness and joy. This was one of my favorite things to create for myself because I chose songs with meaning and that did bring me the happiness and joy. Anytime I feel down or need an internal power boost to get my energy going, I turn on this playlist. I've also given this suggestion to many friends because it's an activity you can do that you can use anytime you want to thanks to technology at our fingertips.
I highly recommend checking out this book if you're wanting suggestions of multiple activities to do to help boost your energy and to slow down when you need to.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Callisto Publishing for this ARC. All opinions I shared are of my own accord.
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I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.
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Incredible book! I loved reading through different activities and thoughts on taking care of oneself. I like that the author is a trained mental health professional, which separates this book from similar books.
Beautiful illustrations as well. This would be a great gift for another or oneself!
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Self care is so much more than sheet mask and bubble baths. This book gives great examples of ways to take care of yourself. Written in a way that is easy to understand and gives you actionable steps. I can not wait to try some of the activities in the book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
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I like how this book is sent up into different chapters of self care, and that each page concentrates on one suggestion. It would be easy to flip through and randomly pick an activity without needing to read the whole book at once. The activities seem relatively easy to,achiev, the instructions are clear and the suggestions seem very good. I can se this being a very helpful book.
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A nice resource and reminder on the value of self-care for women. This is an easy read and provides helpful activities one can apply to reduce stress.
Thank you NetGalley and Callisto Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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A daily dose of self-care anytime you need it
Doing small things to prioritize your own well-being is essential, especially for women, who are often the caretakers of everyone else in their lives. Self-Care Activities for Women encourages you to spend time on you, with a wide variety of ways you can relax, reset, and find a little joy.
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I've come across many books that repeat the same advice regarding self-care: soaking in the bath, attending a spa, manicures and pedicures… slathering on cream and make-up; and engaging in other little tidbits that we all sensibly already know what to do.
This book, "Self-Care Activities for Women: 101 Practical Ways to Slow Down and Reconnect with Yourself," is a useful guide on self-care reflecting on a variety of perspectives through active engagement.
Horsham-Braithewaite's book is heavily endowed with suggested ideas and activities a reader can participate in regarding various situations they may be encountering. It is a well-organized book, boasting separate chapters discussing the following: emotional, physical, mental, social and professional self-care.
It goes beyond the superficial and actively invites the reader to engage with the suggested step-by-step instructions. Each activity ranges from approximately 2 to 25 minutes. Easy to understand and implement. This is a 'hands-on' read, endowed with enough earnestness from the author to make me seriously consider this guide a 'go-to' keeper.
The book is beautifully presented, adding to a comforting and engaging reading experience. I recommend this book as a wonderful reference guide for self-care at all its levels. The book’s message is realistic- a great guide for the everyday woman. It is also a terrific book to give to the ladies in your life.
Thank you to Cicely Horsham-Braithwaite, PHD for an ARC of this book.
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I love a book that helps me find new and cost effective ways of changing up my self-care routine. Perfect for beginners or people looking for some new ideas. Also, a nicely presented book so great as a gift.
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As someone who spent the last year pursuing self-care in all of its forms, I am well-versed in the practice. Therefore Cicely Horsham-Brathwaite’s new book, Self-Care Activities for Women, did not open my eyes to anything new, but rather reaffirmed my knowledge that the included activities are generally advised when seeking self-care.
Written as an actionable guide and divided into sections; such as Emotional, Social, and Professional Self-Care; Horsham-Brathwaite provides the exact steps that a woman needs to follow to engage in that particular activity. While some readers may appreciate such precise advice, I found the writing to be a bit clinical and forced. Horsham-Brathwaite even provides phrases for women to say to themselves as they complete a particular activity, which came across as really awkward to me; however, to each their own - the phrases may actually be useful to some women, just not to me.
In all, this book provides some good self-care activities, but the prescribed steps may be a bit boxed in for some readers; however, those who are well-versed in self-care can use the activities as a jumping off point for making them their own.
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This book is such a great toolbox! I found myself taking photos of every other page. I'll return to this resource on a regular basis. Thanks for the ARC!
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This is a different book that what we are used to. I liked the activities found on each page. Its a nice book to keep handy in difficult times.
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Wow, what great activities! This was a quick read with very doable options. My favorites that I’d like to try our:
Childhood Brilliance
Art Gazing
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This is a great resource for finding the right self-care/mindfulness activity you need at the moment of overload. I found it to be very insightful and full of information on how to care for yourself during times of stress. It was an easy read; only took me an hour. The activities were very doable. I am currently implementing several activities mentioned in the book and find them to be very cathartic.
Thank you to NetGalley and Callisto Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
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I was given an advanced copy of this book to review. However, there was no obligation to post a review nor did I receive any payment or benefit outside of a copy of this book.
I found this book interesting, it is divided up into several areas
Emotion, physical, mental, social and professional (work/job related) self-care
What I enjoyed/found useful or helpful.
It does focus a lot in various areas about the benefits of journaling with several of the ideas involving journaling. There are many known benefits of journaling however it can be difficult to get started and often people don't have guidance on how to do it effectively.
One thing I found different though is it gives you good structure and tips for how to do the journaling on that particular topic. This is something I often find lacking in books or articles referencing journaling. I often feel like you are left with no structure or guidance on the practical steps. As such it can be difficult to start or you can get lost along the way.
There are activities designed to be done alone and in a group. Many of them seem obvious when mentioned but we often forget to incorporate them into our daily life. An example would be having a bedtime routine.
What I didn't like or felt could be improved.
I think the suggestions in this book would make a good calendar similar to a word of the day calendar. You would have the activity and introduction on the front with the details on the back of the same page.
Some activities incorporate aspects of CBT for Anxiety such as looking at negative automatic thoughts. I think with this activity it would be good to link to a website or resource that provides further information about CBT use in Anxiety. An example I think is good is https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/mental-health-self-help-guides/anxiety-self-help-guide/
Given the increased use of technology in this world it could be beneficial to include examples around distance or virtual relationships. An example would be having a zoom game night or joining a class online. This would be directed at those who live far from friends, dislike going out or have difficulty with socialising.
I think that the social self-care section assumes that people have a good friend network and/or are comfortable in new social situations or socialising. I think a suggestion or two would be good for those such as adults who move to a new place and are looking for advice on how to make friends or social connections.
Overall while there are aspects I would change I enjoyed this book and found some of the activities useful. Not all activities will appeal to all people. There are however enough activities in this book that you do not need all to be relevant to you to get a benefit from this book. This is a book I would recommend to a friend.
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I really love how actionable and easy to use this is, specially the information about supplies and time needed. I HIGHLY recommend turning this into a deck of cards (and perhaps color coding them by time required or type of activity so people can pull a card based on their mood or time available). I've tried several of the activities and found them impactful and the directions easy to follow.
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This was a well-structured and easy to follow format to read about self-care practices. I like that a lot do them were free or requires very low cost/few materials.
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Self-Care Activities for Women: 101 Practical Ways to Slow Down and Reconnect With Yourself by Cicely Horsham-Brathwaite is an excellent resource for any woman looking for ways to incorporate more self-care into their lives. The book is well organized and has chapters focusing on emotional, physical, mental, social, and professional self-care. #SelfCareActivitiesforWomen #NetGalley
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A good book of self care activities, written in steps and with time needed and supply lists. The activities are separated in chapters by type of self care: Emotional, Physical, Mental, Social, and Professional.
I liked the introduction and the activity descriptions. The book aso has sections on resources and references. It would have been nice to have some type of conclusion, but the last chapter just ended. Another couple things that would have been really helpful would be a checklist to mark off which ones you try, and a chart or something of suggestions for others - like if activity A was great for you, you may want to consider these others as well.
Overall a good book and an easy guide with lots of options.