Disclaimer: Although this book was gifted, this is an honest review of “Put Yourself First” by Marianne Killick. Please also note that there are affiliate links within this post. For more information please see the disclaimer page.
- Author: Marianne Killick.
- Blurb;
“The author, Marianne Killick has been transforming women’s lives for over a decade. She brings together her years of experience and learning with the latest evidence-based research into Lifestyle Medicine, mindset and behaviour change, to bring women an easy to understand, practical and informative guide to prioritising their own health.
It helps women reflect on how they can take steps in their own daily lives to make sure they have the time they want and need to be healthy and reach the goals they have for themselves, be that health, professional or family. Bringing clarity as to how women’s hormones actually work and how they are impacted by our daily actions and choices, women will finally be empowered to make decisions for themselves from a position of knowledge and understanding.
By taking steps towards hormonal balance and better health, women who read this book will be ready and able to step into their own power to live the life they want.”
“I felt as if Marianne had written this book with me in mind.”
There was never a more appropriate time for this book to appear in my post box. With COVID-19 having put a stop to the majority of my life, I was feeling anxious and forgetting about the little things in life. But truth be told, I assumed ‘Put Yourself First’ would be like any other self-help manual. Page after page of dribble which, if we’re honest, is largely unreachable by the average busy or chronically ill person.
Instead, what I received was a very helpful, no bulls**t guide to putting yourself first. I immediately felt as if Marianne had written this book with me in mind, and with each new page, I could think of various other women in my life who needed to read it too.
If you’re…
- Feeling stressed, perpetually tired, worn down or lacking joy in your life.
- A woman with various responsibilities constantly hanging over her head.
- Suffering from hormonal imbalances, conditions such as PCOS or endometriosis, trying to conceive or heading towards menopause.
- Curious how our daily actions impact our hormones.
- Or maybe you need to work on your self-esteem and self-belief.
This book’s for you!
It’s essentially the busy woman’s guide to taking back control of not only their life but also their health and wellness.
“We shouldn’t need permission to look after ourselves, but often we do.“
As women, we’re often encouraged to take on much more than we can realistically handle. I’m twenty-seven and have yet to have a family, but I’m always being asked when I’ll start. In reality, I like my life as it is. I have two cats, a partner and I’m focusing on my self. The notion of even thinking about starting a family makes me feel sick, and yet I feel guilty for not giving in to the social norms.
Like many others, I neglected my health for in favour of the degree and the career. I worked to please everyone in every aspect of my life but entirely lost myself along the way. For those of you who have been following my journey, you’ll know this lead to a breakdown in 2018 and a relapse into anorexia nervosa, anxiety, and depression. This had such an impact that I’m still in recovery over a year later.
“Put Yourself First is a no Bulls**t approach to wellness.”
Marianne takes us back to the basics of self-care. She speaks to the reader as she would one of her acupuncture clients and, ultimately, herself. There’s no room for endless steps and to-do lists. Marianne hasn’t written a guide that even Wonderwoman would struggle to follow, instead, she speaks to every woman who has ever felt overwhelmed from the moment they wake to the moment they sleep.
There’s a simple time chart to help map out your days efficiently and you’re even encouraged to dedicate at least an hour to self-care. It could be reading a book, having a shower without the kids interrupting or following a yoga routine. Anything so long as it allows you to spend time with yourself, for yourself!
But the section that struck a real chord with me was based on our hormones. As a woman who has had hormonal issues the majority of her life, I can’t tell you what a difference this made for me. I not only understand more about myself but also how to change things. Although I am well aware of how stress impacts the body, I had avoided looking into my pituitary health.
Due to the intensely high levels of cortisol I’ve suffered since my early twenties, it’s caused my pituitary gland to malfunction. This has not only impacted my thyroid, but also my liver, reproductive health and, ultimately, my entire system. Marianne discusses this in great detail in a way no consultant has ever bothered to do despite the development of a cyst & high prolactin levels in my brain. I’m not aware of ways in which I can manage my cortisol levels (similar to stress management) and I can recognise the signs of a possible relapse.
You can pick up your copy of ‘Put Yourself First’ from Amazon!
Have you already read ‘Put Yourself First’? I would love to hear your opinions in the comments section below!
11 Comments
Sounds like a cool book to read. I love reading books about women. The cover looks pretty too. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your review! I think I would love to read this, too!
xoxo
Lovely
http://mynameislovely.com
I love to read, the books poetry, stories and novels. Since my high school days I have been reading, but nowaday I am reading history including the fiction….. Your post is very much inspiring for readers.
Sounds like an interesting read! I would encourage your readers to support indie bookstores in this time rather than Amazon.
I would love to read this book. I find myself in some of your descriptions, I am always overworking and put myself last when it comes to priorities. This is why I developed some health issues as well.
Great book review. 🙂
This sounds like a great book! I will have to check it out for sure.
I love the sound of this a lot! I’m big into my personal development and well-being and always looking for new, leading voices to learn from in those aspects of life. This sounds brilliant and I love that you said it was a no bull approach to the subject too. Thanks for the recommendation! <3
Women do have it harder in a lot of aspects. My sister in law hated when people asked her about kids after she got married. One she was not ready and she already had an 18 year old. It’s a lot of pressure and undue stress and it makes you feel bad about yourself because you’re not what people expect you to be. It sounds like a good book, I deal with putting others before my need as well. I could write forever about mine. Thanks Nyxie
Oh man I SO want to read this, it sounds amazing. I’m definitely going to have to look into it, sounds like it would be right up my alley.
Putting ourselves first makes sense. I need to check out this book