Self-care for tough times, with Suzy Reading

In this week's episode, I talk to Suzy Reading about self-care in tough times. Suzy is a mother of two, an author, Chartered Psychologist and Coach. She specialises in self-care, helping people manage their stress, emotions, and energetic bank balance. It was her life experience of motherhood colliding with the terminal illness of her father that sparked her passion for self-care which she now teaches to her clients, young and old, to cope during periods of stress, loss and change and to boost their resilience in the face of future challenges. Suzy's first book ‘The Self-Care Revolution’ published by Aster came out in 2017, 'Stand Tall Like a Mountain: Mindfulness & Self-Care for Children and Parents' and 'The Little Book of Self-Care’ came out in 2019 and her new book ‘Self-Care for Tough Times’ came out in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown. 03:55 Suzy busts the myth that being tough on yourself gets you through tough times 05:44 Overcoming harsh self-criticism with self-forgiveness 08:23 Making healthier choices when talking to ourselves kindly 10:14 Self-compassion and the nourishing action of self-care 13:54 How 'compassion' supports us in a way that 'resilience' doesn't 16:30 Not letting maternal guilt stopping us from nourishing ourselves 19:42 Pressure and success in motherhood - the Nourish app 23:28 The toxicity of the compensatory crutches we use to cope  26:50 What to do when you realise your current habits are unsustainable 31:11 Suzy's micro movements approach to change 31:58 Making daily habits more nourishing 33:02 Suzy shares a physical exercise to help with posture 43:16 We talk about the power of visualisation if you are not able to physically play during hard times 44:26 Suzy's takeaway for you - to let guilt slide from your shoulders   Website www.suzyreading.co.uk/ Instagram @suzyreading   This episode was edited by Emily Crosby Media