Book Review: Rushing Woman’s Syndrome by Dr Libby Weaver

This post is part of a my Taking Care Of Mum series. Click here to read more posts in the series.

Two words for all the women readers of Planning With Kids when it comes to this book – READ IT!

Rushing Woman’s Syndrome by Dr Libby Weaver (aff) is the best book I have read for some time. It may be that it just came to me at the right time and I really needed a dose of reality about the pace my life was running at. I found it confronting at times, but I did really enjoy reading it and felt I have come away from it having a much better understanding how rushing and the stress this creates for my body impacts me – from my emotions to my menstrual cycle.

This book is heavy on details in terms of how the nervous system works and I do admit to skimming over some of those parts. There is also some repetition of this information. But you know the author has included this information as it is sets the background for why she wants you to change your rushing ways.

There is a checklist in the book of over 30 items to help you identify if you are a rushing woman. Score seven or more yes answers and you are indeed a rushing woman.  Here are just a few of the symptoms that might resonate with you:

Loves coffee to the point that she feels deprived if she cannot get her daily fix (I was like that with diet coke!)

Tends to crave sugar, particularly mid afternoon or close to menstruation

Feels overwhelmed often

Can’t sit down as she will feel so guilty

Compromises sleep to get jobs done later at night

Beats herself up for not being a good enough wife/mother/friend

Goes to guilt as a common emotional pattern

Doesn’t usually ask for help

Can’t say no easily and if she does…she feel guilty

And you do very much feel all the way through the book that she wants to help you and slow your life to a healthier and sustainable pace. It doesn’t lecture, but it doesn’t allow excuses either and she questions why you can’t give up caffeine, alcohol, saying yes to everyone etc.

The book offers practical solutions on how to rush less. You just need to be brave and implement them! This book has helped me:

  • Stop working while I eat my lunch.
  • Commit to a better bed time.
  • Get better at saying no and not feeling guilty about it.
  • Practice deep breathing

There was so much for me to take away and think about from reading this book, but here are my five key take aways using quotes from Rushing Woman’s Syndrome by Dr Libby Weaver:

1.Beliefs – “Once you understand what is really going on, you will see that the swing between rushing and not rushing is code for your beliefs and your behaviour is the outermost expression of those beliefs. For unless you question the beliefs upon which your actions are based, the actions will continue.”

2. Rejection – “This is a big statement: Rushing Woman’s Syndrome comes from your relentless pursuit to never feel rejected.”

3. Food – “never underestimate the healing and restorative power of food the way it comes in nature.”

4. Breathing – “Long, slow breathing that moves your diaphragm, communicates the opposite message to your body-that you are very safe. Nothing downregulates the production of fat storage stress hormones or the alarm signals within your body more powerfully.”

5. Guilt – “What leads you to feel guilty? Most often it is your perception that you have let someone else down. Yet when you pause to think about that, it is simply a story you are telling yourself. The reality is that it is not physically possible to let another human being down. If you do or say something, it is the other person’s choice entirely whether they feel disappointment or any other emotion.”

There is still a long way for me to go until I am no longer a rushing woman, but I am happy that I am aware of it and am making changes.

You can read more about the book at Dr Libby’s website here.

Do you think you have rushing woman’s syndrome?