"True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don't need to regularly escape from" ~ Brianna Wiest
 
Much has been written and said about self-care. And as much as it has been talked about, there are many misunderstandings and misinterpretations about what self-care really is.
 
When we talk about self-care, I don't mean just like this fluffy love stuff. We are talking about taking care of oneself, choosing oneself, taking the time to find out what our values are. Taking the time to integrate our shadows and do work on behalf of ourselves. Take the time to understand ourselves, so that we can create a reality that feels good to us and that is aligned with us.
 
This workbook supports you on your journey to self-care. It shows you the 8 concrete steps you can take to take better care of yourself. It also explains how you can live true self-care without neglecting your environment. And it shows you in which areas of your life you still have potential for development.
 
Use this workbook as a training manual, as inspiration and as a guide for your new life, in which you give yourself exactly the place that you really deserve. This workbook will inspire you to realize that life is more than the usual daily routine in which we all so often get caught. It is meant to inspire you to self-reflection as well as personal growth. And finally, it helps you to create a life in which your real needs have a place, and you realize that you are worthy of being happy and satisfied.
 
Numerous exercises and profound coaching questions will help you to transform yourself and your life. If you are short on time, this workbook is just the right start for you to take better care of yourself. It is designed to serve as a foundation on which you can build new routines and beliefs so that transformation can take place on all levels.
 
True self-care is never selfish or self-centered. Self-care is taking good care of yourself without becoming an egoist or narcissist. It's about being mindful of yourself and your body and listening to the quiet voice of your soul.
 
But self-care also means facing your inner demons and keeping the roaring voice of your ego at bay. So, self-care is truly more than drinking crystal water, taking bubble baths, or going for a massage. It is work on you and within you that helps you to know and respect yourself better. Because only if you can respect and accept yourself, you can also deal with the flaws and weaknesses of your fellow human beings.
 
If you allow others to treat you in a certain abusive way, you will treat yourself in a certain way. If there are no boundaries, there's no sense of autonomy or individualism. There will be bouts of dependencies on each other and on other things.
 
We set solid boundaries that are love, not cutting people off. Just setting them boundaries, because your energy field and your energy body is so important to you.
 
So, I want you to take time and think about the parts of your life that you're not showing up for yourself, that you're not loving yourself. Really think about whether there are toxic people in your life that you are allowing in because you don't love yourself fully. Think about all the destructive things that you allow to enter your field.
 
The more you love yourself, the more you take care of yourself, the more you heal and know that you are whole, the more your life is going to change as well as the ways that people will treat you. They will treat you better because you treat yourself better. End of story.