The Self-Care Solution: A Modern Mother's Must-Have Guide to Health and Well-Being

by Julie Burton

Overview

Combining the thoughtful and expert narrative of a veteran mom of four children with the voices of hundreds of moms she surveyed, The Self-Care Solution offers insightful answers to poignant questions about how mothers take care of themselves, their relationships, and their jobs while raising their children—and how they don’t. Here, mothers reveal their struggles with self-care, and the consequences of neglecting themselves and their relationships, and share successful strategies to combat these issues. Each chapter also includes reflective self-assessment questions for mothers to gauge where they are from a self-care standpoint, as well as lists of tried and true tools they can employ to achieve more balance, and ultimately more satisfaction, within themselves and in their relationships. Inspirational yet practical, The Self-Care Solution will dramatically impact women who are navigating the critical responsibility of motherhood while attempting to stay true to themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631520686
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Julie Burton is a freelance writer, blogger, co-founder of the Twin Cities Writing Studio, a yoga instructor, a wife of twenty-two years and a mother of four children, ranging in age from twenty-one to eleven. She earned her advanced degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern Universityand is the former editor of Momtalk magazine. She writes about parenting, relationships, the aging process, and self-care for many national and local websites and publications, including Brain Child Magazine, Get Healthy U, Kveller and Your Teen, as well as on her blog juliebburton.com. She is happiest when she is reading, writing, practicing yoga, eating sushi and/or chocolate, taking long walks with friends, on a date with her husband, laughing with her kids, or spending time with family. She lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with her husband and children.

Table of Contents

Introduction 10

Chapter 1 My Life-or-Death Journey to Self-Care 19

Chapter 2 Merging Motherhood with Self-Care 25

Chapter 3 Self-Care Solution #1-Honor Your Body 41

Chapter 4 Self-Care Solution #2-Embrace Sleep and Rest 67

Chapter 5 Self-Care Solution #3-Cultivate Happiness and Joy 76

Chapter 6 Self-Care Solution #4-Find Gratitude and Connection 102

Chapter 7 Self-Care Solution #5-Set Boundaries 119

Chapter 8 Self-Care Solution #6-Nurture Your Partnership 136

Chapter 9 Self-Care Solution #7-Find Work-Life Balance 163

Chapter 10 Self-Care Solution #8-Never Give Up 190

Epilogue 197

Editorial Reviews

08/15/2016
Burton’s instructional guide to self-care for mothers is full of tips and techniques, and long on understanding and empathy. A mother of four, she realized that she couldn’t “handle everything on my plate,” and acknowledged her inability to ask for help. She also realized she wasn’t alone in her struggle. The result: this book. Clearly, Burton has done her research, as shown by the anonymous quotes from moms sprinkled throughout. The quotes provide reinforcement that moms everywhere face challenges and have their own fears and frustrations. The book starts well, offering straightforward advice about the benefits of exercise or sleep. Occasionally, Burton’s suggestions are light on substance, if well-intentioned (“Laugh. A lot”). Other sections are more substantive, such as one on sex and intimacy. The book also addresses the tension between working moms and SAHMS (stay at home moms), a point that comes across as a distracting digression from the main subject since Burton shows both groups are in equal need of a well-stocked “self-care toolbox.” She ends on a simple but strong note, reminding mothers that it’s important to “fulfill your children’s needs, not their wants.” (BookLife)

Publishers Weekly

2016 USA Best Book Award: Parenting & Family, Finalist
“Burton’s instructional guide to self-care for mothers is full of tips and techniques, and long on understanding and empathy.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“Burton draws extensively on her own parenting experiences as well as interviews with other mothers to clearly illustrate why women must embrace self-care and how they can do so, especially given the intense demands of modern parenthood.” —Kirkus Reviews
"Reading Julie Burton’s The Self-Care Solution is like cozying up with an old friend for a long and much-needed talk. Julie combines personal narrative with practical advice that will help any mom better care for her body, mind and spirit. Julie’s warmth and wisdom shine from each page, encouraging and empowering all of us to carve out the time we need to be our best selves. This is the perfect gift for any new—or not so new—mother!" —Kate Hopper, author of Ready for Air: A Journey Through Premature Motherhood and Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers
“Riveting from the first page, Burton shares her raw experiences, struggles, and helpful insights as she describes her own journey in The Self-Care Solution. Weaving together her experiences as a mother of four, stories of women she surveyed, and her insights as a professional journalist, Burton engages us in eight practical strategies for institutionalizing self-care in our lives. Anyone struggling with self-care knows that many, if not most, of the challenges are due to our own beliefs. Read The Self-Care Solution to liberate yourself and forge your own path toward sustainable self-care.” —Michelle Segar, PhD, author of No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness
“Reading The Self-Care Solution is the equivalent of putting on your oxygen mask before putting on your child’s. As a veteran mother of four, Burton’s messages about self-care are clear and relatable, and every mother will benefit from implementing her suggestions for taking care of yourself.” —Hilary Levey Friedman, PhD, author of Playing to Win: Raising Children in a Competitive Culture, Book Review editor at Brain, Child Magazine
"Bravo to Julie Burton for shining a guiding light for moms everywhere. By sharing her personal journey and her wise counsel, Julie highlights the truth that self-care is essential to keeping women healthy and happy. She clearly illustrates that when a mom makes self-care a priority, everyone benefits—a replenished mom is a happier mom, spouse, and friend. This book is a gift which provides much needed inspiration for women to implement and relish guilt-free, multi-faceted self-care practices." —Ashley Davis Bush, LCSW, author of Simple Self-Care for Therapists, Shortcuts to Inner Peace, and 75 Habits for a Happy Marriage
"I found myself laughing and crying as Julie’s word came off the pages and spoke to me. Being a mom is a rewarding, fabulous, scary, worrisome job, and trying to take care of our body, our mind, and our relationships while taking care of our children is an ongoing challenge. Julie really helps put it all together in this book by offering great solutions and strategies for self-care. The plethora of advice and experiences of other moms, along with Julie’s own honest portrayal of her self-care journey, helps us better understand the importance of self-care and reassures mothers that we are doing the best job we can.” —Chris Freytag, www.gethealthyu.com and gethealthyuTV.com

From the Publisher