Being a mother is the toughest jobs there is.  It doesn’t end at 5 o’clock, it is often thankless and it certainly doesn’t come with 2 weeks paid vacation.  It shifts your priorities in a way that nobody can anticipate before accepting the job offer.  And I say all this merely as an outsider looking in, seeing as my only dependent is furry and four legged!  Most mothers know on an intuitive level that they need to take care of themselves to be the best mother they can be.  While they may know this, there’s often a gap between knowing and doing.  Or, more importantly, knowing and knowing how. 

I was recently sent a copy of Renee Trudeau’s book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal.  Renee is an Austin-based career/life coach who created the Guide as a tool to help empower women to really define and create the type of lives they want.

Many mothers who know that they need to be taking care of themselves often struggle with how to do that, or where to start.  As I read Renee’s book I thought to myself, “here is the map, that step-by-step guide that every mother is seeking.” 

Renee’s book is laid out in a month-to-month format that offers guidance and tools to help women develop strategies and create the mindset that fosters self-renewal.  There’s no prescription or one-size-fits-all cure to self-renewal.  One of the things I liked most about the guide was that each month included space for journaling and introspection – fostering the opportunity to really self-tailor the strategies to each individual’s needs and preferences. 

Interestingly enough, I also found the book helpful for myself, despite not being a mother.  There were so many themes throughout the book that would serve anyone who plays a caretaking role – whether it is to children, aging parents, to spouses, to friends or even working in a helping profession.

One of my favorite concepts was the idea that “no is a yes.”  As Keena talks about in her post on making time for yourself, saying no is really hard for many people.  Whether it’s from past programming that rewards you for being “the helpful one” or a fear of letting down others or simply a sense of obligation, there’s so many “strings” attached to the word “no.”  Reframing “no” to see it as a yes to yourself – for more time, more energy, more rest, etc – is a wonderful way to reinforce the experience of saying no.

For anyone, but especially mothers out there, who know they need to take care of themselves but are not sure how to create that space in their life, Renee’s book offers an excellent set of a tools to create the foundation for self-renewal.  Taking care of yourself is not only a gift to you, but it is ultimately a gift to all those whom you carry in your life. 

If you want to get Renee’s book or learn more about her coaching, you can visit her here.

 

 

 

Fun disclaimer stuff: The FTC has recently passed a new amendment that all bloggers make note of any compensation they receive for products mentioned on their blogs.  I did not receive any moola from Renee Trudea and associates, simply an opportunity to read a book for free.  If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have posted about it.  Did I cover my bases, FTC?