Care

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       June 27, 2021

 

Author  Brooke McAlary

Distributor:      Allen & Unwin
ISBN:                 9781760878207
Publisher:         Allen & Unwin
Release Date:   June 2021  

FaceBook:   

YouTube:   

Instagram:   

X formally Twitter:   

The radical art of taking time

In the introduction to Care, Brooke McAlary describes what she means by “Care.” Love, compassion, empathy, tenderness, and attention are a few of the sub heading she uses to describe care. Brooke acknowledges the year 2020 as being a tough one for most. Many of us gave our attention to Covid, Social Injustice, and the Climate, the “Big Care,” without paying attention to the Self Care, which covers our physical and mental health. Both are important but there needs to be a balance in how we care.

To help us find this balance we are introduced to tools. The Time tool, which shows how time changes for us as we age, can be manipulated. A neuroscientist has shown that the best way to slow down time when aging is to try something new. “The more detailed the memory, the longer the moment seems to last.”  Even minor shifts in your routine can make a difference. Paying attention to the smallest details jolts our brain into paying attention, as does recording new experiences, and comparing them with stored memories.

Some of the other “Tools” that the author explains are: Asking questions and being curious, unplugging from electronic devices, and listening to your inner rebel. The following chapters explore the idea that if we all cared a little bit more for each other and ourselves the bigger issues would be easier to manage. The nine core ideas in this book will help you to do this. The Core ideas are Connection, Kindness, Awe, Nature, Making, Movement and Healing.

In a very readable and straight forward style, Brooke McAlary addresses these issues and gives personal examples of how we can explore and use these to benefit our lives. Ideas that are so simple, yet can have a dramatic impact on our well-being, are shown to work. This is a “keeper”, a book to reflect on often, a comfort read, and a path to follow.