Self-Care for Women Over Fifty
In the third installment of our 3-part series in honor of the paper edition of her latest book Fifty is the New Fifty: 10 Life Lessons for Women in Second Adulthood, Suzanne Braun Levine discusses the importance of self-care. As she puts it: “do unto yourself as you’ve been doing unto others.”
Women who were reared in the 1950s and ‘60s will especially relate to how difficult this lesson can be. Not only did society teach us to nurture above all else, Mother Nature played a role in ensuring our instinct to care for others by hardwiring our brains to do just that. But, as Suzanne reminds us, at midlife our hormones become more balanced. The magic of menopause empowers us to take charge of our lives, speak out in new ways, and finally learn to put ourselves near the top of our own to-do lists.
So spend some time on your SELF (a mere fifteen minutes) and listen to Suzanne share her personal thoughts on self-care. Among other stories, you’ll hear:
- The “lice-lesson” one woman learned the hard way
- The power of a certain flower
- Shaving both legs in a single day?!
As Suzanne wrote in her book: “Doing unto yourself is not about me; it is about taking practical and emotional responsibility for the rest of your life.”
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April 22nd, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I haven’t read your book yet, but it sounds great. 1st of all I like the title – I’m tired of all the 50 is the new 40, 60 is the new 50 stuff. It just is & we are just us. The better we can make our lives & the healthier, the longer we’ll live with a joyful, quality of life.
I’ve read The Female Brain & found out why I & so many other women don’t suffer fools gladly during perimenopause & later – our nurturing hormones have tanked out! & that’s as it should be – as you say, we’ve been there & done that.
Thank you.
Ellen Besso
MidLife Coach, Author & Elder Care Expert
April 20th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Suzanne’s book is one I definitely need to check out. She is right–as you are—about self care. Even when our children have left the nest, we still find other things to keep us “busy” instead of slowing down and concentrating on the “me” factor. Hopefully, this message will resonate with women who need to hear it.
April 18th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Amen. And I am not afraid to tell someone I can’t do something because I have promised myself that I was going to do something for me. I wish I had been more like that when I was younger.
April 14th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
I haven’t read your book yet, but it sounds great. 1st of all I like the title – I’m tired of all the 50 is the new 40, 60 is the new 50 stuff. It just is & we are just us. The better we can make our lives & the healthier, the longer we’ll live with a joyful, quality of life.
I’ve read The Female Brain & found out why I & so many other women don’t suffer fools gladly during perimenopause & later – our nurturing hormones have tanked out! & that’s as it should be – as you say, we’ve been there & done that.
Thank you.
Ellen Besso
MidLife Coach, Author & Elder Care Expert