Self Care; Suzy’s story

Suzy Reading

It was motherhood colliding with the terminal illness of my father and my ensuing energetic bankruptcy which first lead me to the concept of self-care. I don’t know whether it was postnatal depression, exhaustion or grief, but I really struggled. I think anyone would’ve given those extreme variables.

In partnership with a wonderful psychologist, we worked on creating a new self-care toolkit, given so many of the things I used to do to nurture myself were inaccessible with a newborn in my care. We also focused on self-care activities that helped heal my frazzled nervous system and this is what I am now passionate about sharing with other people.

Self-care was the thing that helped me process my experiences, to heal and recover and it also helped provide a buffer to future stresses. I know it works because six years ago we packed up our Sydney life to move back to the UK, while 12 weeks pregnant, to be with my father in law in end stage heart failure. Second time around it was still painful and like wading through treacle, but I didn’t wind up flat on my back.

I’ve come to appreciate that this is just life in its full glory and no one is immune from challenges and curveballs. After clawing my way back to vitality, I felt I’d earnt my stripes and I reclaimed my psychological practice. Now my mission is to empower others with the tools of self-care, and I have a special focus on mothers because we need a whole new toolkit that takes little time, energy and one that is healing and soothing after the upheavals and change we face physically, emotionally, mentally and energetically.

Self Care; Suzy’s story