The Art of Extreme Self-Care: Transform Your Life One Month at a Time [Hardcover]

Cheryl Richardson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2009

This life-changing handbook by best-selling author Cheryl Richardson offers you 12 strategies to transform your life one month at a time. Designed as a practical, action-oriented program, each chapter challenges you to alter one behavior that keeps getting you in trouble.

The book is filled with personal stories of how Cheryl and others have learned to make the practice of Extreme Self-Care their new standard for living. With chapters such as “End the Legacy of Deprivation,” “Take Your Hands off the Wheel,” “The Absolute No List,” and “Does That Anger Taste Good?” you will stop the endless cycle of self-betrayal and neglect that stems from daily violations of self-care. 

      Each chapter includes a relevant resource section that offers books, Websites, audio programs, podcasts, and more should you want to explore a particular topic further.

  

The Art of Extreme Self-Care is a sane and sensible program that gives you the permission you need to dramatically upgrade your life!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cheryl Richardson is the author of many bestselling books. Her work has been covered widely on national television, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today Show, and Good Morning America.  She is also featured in many top newspapers and magazines, that include: The New York Times and Good Housekeeping.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: Hay House (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140191828X
• ISBN-13: 978-1401918286
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cheryl Richardson is the author of The New York Times bestselling books, Take Time for Your Life, Life Makeovers, Stand Up for Your Life, The Unmistakable Touch of Grace and her new book The Art of Extreme Self Care. She was the first president of the International Coach Federation and holds one of their first Master Certified Coach credentials. Cheryl is also the recipient of the 2000 Motivational Book Award for Life Makeovers from Books for a Better Life, which honors the year's most outstanding books and magazines in the self-improvement genre. Her book, The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, was chosen as a finalist in the 2005 Spiritual Inspiration category for Books for a Better Life.

As a professional speaker, Cheryl has designed and presented programs to universities, Fortune 500 companies, educational conferences, and professional associations. Her work has been covered widely in the media including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, New York Times, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and O Magazine. Most recently, Cheryl has been a regular guest on Good Morning America. She was the team leader for the Lifestyle Makeover Series on the Oprah Winfrey Show and she accompanied Ms. Winfrey on the "Live Your Best Life" nationwide tour.

Cheryl served as the co-executive producer and host of "The Life Makeover Project with Cheryl Richardson" on the Oxygen Network and as the co-executive producer and host of two Public Television Specials - "Stand Up for Your Life" and "Create an Abundant Life."

You can check out Cheryl's radio talk show -- Coach on Call -- on the Internet at www.hayhouseradio.com. The show airs live on Mondays at 5pm ET (2pm PT) and is replayed throughout the week. You can also find her Facebook Fan Page facebook.com/cherylrichardson and follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/coachoncall.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem, February 9, 2009

By 

Norma Lehmeierhartie (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Extreme Self-Care: Transform Your Life One Month at a Time (Hardcover)

I first became acquainted with Cheryl when I worked at Wainwright House and took one of her classes there. The warmth and energy that she exuded as a teacher is found in her new book. The Art of Extreme Self-Care: Transform Your Life One Month at a Time, by Cheryl Richardson is a short book--just over 100 pages--but it is just packed with great information. Just as she has de-cluttered her home, Richardson has presented a thoughtful book without any fluff, just substance.

In 1994, Richardson saw a coach, Thomas Leonard, who introduced her to the concept of Extreme Self-Care. Extreme self-care is for women like Richardson once was; women who took on the role of caretaker to their detriment. She writes: "I was a good girl, and it was sucking the life out of me."

The following are some of the concepts of Extreme Self-Care:

* Surround yourself with people who give and take
* Eliminate clutter
* Create a soul-nourishing work and home environment
* Get finances in order
* Don't make commitments based on guilt or obligation
* Make pleasure a priority

There are 12 chapters and Richardson encourages the reader to tackle one chapter a month.

Each chapter is filled with her personal stories. It is obvious Richardson has worked through each chapter herself. She even presents her own list of things she will never do, for example.

She wrote about her experience on Oprah with Louise Hay and others on the subject of the Law of Attraction. Hay recommended looking in the mirror and saying "I love you" to yourself every day. Richardson liked the advice and writes about her experience doing that in the book.

As an interior designer who knows how important the environment is on the well-being of the occupants, I really enjoyed her chapter on this subject. She writes about creating a soul-loving space: "The power of being in a space that feels fully aligned with our soul is sorely underrated." Amen!

Richardson spends most of the chapter discussing how to get rid of clutter--even going as far as saying remove 50% of it. She suggests de-cluttering one often-used room first to experience the difference it makes on how you feel. Excellent advice.

Each chapter concludes with resources for further reading, all good choices.

By the author of the award winning book, HARMONIOUS ENVIRONMENT: BEAUTIFY, DETOXIFY & ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME & YOUR PLANET.

78 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly inspirational guide to self-care, December 14, 2008

By 

Kara D. Lane "Author, Wake Up to Powerful Living" (Carmel, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Extreme Self-Care: Transform Your Life One Month at a Time (Hardcover)

Cheryl Richardson has written a beautiful and uplifting book on the power of self-care. Not only do her words inspire, but so do the wonderful pictures of the ocean throughout the book.

Some people may think "extreme self-care" sounds like a selfish concept; but as Cheryl explains, when we learn to care for ourselves deeply, we naturally begin to care for others in a healthier and more effective way. In fact, if we always put others first out of guilt or obligation, it can lead to resentment which doesn't benefit us or those we love.

Throughout the book, she shows us through personal stories what obstacles stand in the way of self-care. For instance, she notes she used to be an "automatic yes machine" when people asked for help because she wanted people to like her and she didn't want anyone to disapprove of her. She learned the hard way why that doesn't work and offers tips on how to respond to requests for help through a 3-step process of (1) buying some time, (2) doing a gut check, and (3) telling the truth directly with grace and love if it is necessary to say no.

This is a short and wonderful book that provides 12 ways to practice self-care, gives examples of each, issues a 30-day challenge for each principle and offers additional resources at the end of each chapter. It would make a great gift for yourself or someone you love.

134 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Advice for a Special Interest Group, January 17, 2009

By 

H. C. Traveller (Guildford, Surrey United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Extreme Self-Care: Transform Your Life One Month at a Time (Hardcover)

This book describes, with honesty, many of Cheryl Richardson's personal experiences from which she offers detailed advice to a special interest group. (That would be fine except that there is nothing in the marketing material to indicate the special interest reader.)

The group comprises women aged approx. 25-45, able-bodied, heterosexual with a husband/partner and children at home; well educated women with professional (traditional) work and with access to the Internet; women who accept gendered concepts of facials/fashion/pampering.

For this group, the "insiders", the book will resonate strongly and be applicable to their lives.

For the many women outside of that group, for most men and for most minorities the book will not resonate. They would frequently need to modify advice to make it relevant to their own lives. This group of "outsiders" will often have the feeling that they are reading about a private club to which they do not belong.

There is no doubting CR's complete sincerity or the excellence of some of the advice but it is a great pity that she does not write for the general public and does not take into account the diversity and inequalities in society.

Footnote: Approach the resource lists with caution. Some of the books and websites are decidedly eccentric and consequently unhelpful. None of the books listed in the first edition has a publisher, publication date or an ISBN number given. This can make locating a book difficult, especially for overseas readers.