The Black Woman's Guide to Coping with Stress - (The New Harbinger Voices for Change) by Cheryl L Woods Giscombé (Paperback)

About the Book

Black women often feel intense pressure to be strong and to do it all for others. But at what cost? In this empowering guide, Black psychologist and registered nurse Cheryl Woods Giscombe introduces the innovative, research-based superwoman schema (SWS) framework--five core beliefs that drive Black women's stress--and provides self-care practices grounded in mindfulness and self-compassion to help readers find balance and live a life of joy and greater well-being.

Book Synopsis

Do you feel like you're doing it all for everyone--all the time? This book offers mindful self-awareness practices to help you prioritize self-care, soothe stress, and create a life of joy, fulfillment, and well-being.

As a Black woman, do you often feel an intense pressure to do it all? To be a kind of "superwoman" who never lets others down? Do you feel compelled to hide your own emotions for fear of being vulnerable or appearing weak? If so, you are not alone. Our culture tells us in many ways that Black women must be strong and unwavering for their community, family, friends, and partners. But at what cost? If you're feeling the effects of stress and burnout, this book can help you find balance.

In The Black Woman's Guide to Coping with Stress, Black psychologist and registered nurse Cheryl Woods Giscombe introduces the innovative, research-based superwoman schema (SWS) framework--five core beliefs that drive Black women's stress--and provides self-care practices grounded in mindfulness and self-compassion to help you live a life of joy and greater well-being.

In this empowering guide, you'll identify the core beliefs that may be contributing to your experience of stress--that you must always be strong, hide your emotions, resist vulnerability, succeed even in the face of inadequate resources, and always help others while neglecting self-care. You'll learn how these beliefs can lead to burnout and a feeling of imbalance in your life. And finally, you'll discover how to harness the strengths within these beliefs, so they no longer cause you harm.

There's nothing wrong with being strong--but sometimes it's essential to "take off your superwoman cape," recharge, and prioritize self-care. You are worth it. This book will help you gain the self-awareness you need to stay balanced and live your very best life.

Review Quotes

"This book is a love letter to Black women who struggle with the need to be strong, stoic, invulnerable, relentlessly resilient, and to put everyone else's needs before their own. In this thoughtful and inspirational guide, Cheryl Giscombé weaves real-world narratives of stress, strength, and their impact on Black women's health with loving, practical strategies of how Black women can better cope--and live happier and fuller lives."
--Tené T. Lewis, PhD, FAHA, FABMR, FAPA, professor of epidemiology in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University--Tené T. Lewis, PhD, FAHA, FABMR, FAPA

"The Black Woman's Guide to Coping with Stress offers Black women everywhere a chance to heal, transform, and evolve through mindful living and self-reflection. This book is a representation of many of us and offers practical, grounded advice to overcome generational ways of being that have left us sick, depleted, and fatigued. The mindfulness practices shared are a portal for liberation for those of us who have been wearing the 'superwoman' cape for far too long."
--Dora Kamau, BScRPN, headspace mindfulness meditation teacher--Dora Kamau, BScRPN

"Absolutely brilliant and empowering! I literally felt lighter and more joyful after reading this book and putting the strategies immediately into practice. I am excited and truly grateful to have such an important work to share with my clients, and to wholeheartedly recommend to all. The insights bring us into the unique experience of the Black woman in a way that has the power to inform and serve us all."
--Keitra M. Robinson, JD, CPEC, founder of Justinspire Legends International Coaching and Consulting, and author of Life Re-Imagined--Keitra M. Robinson, JD, CPEC

"Cheryl L. Woods Giscombé is a guru, and this guide is long overdue. She is the pioneer of the Superwoman Schema, and her research is legendary. She is one of the reasons why I chose this as one of my favorite interests. This guide promises to illuminate how to better ourselves and liberate us all from feeling like the world is on our shoulders and is ours to fix."
--C. Nicole Swiner, MD, family doctor, speaker, and author of How to Avoid the Superwoman Complex and The Superwoman Complex--C. Nicole Swiner, MD

About the Author

Cheryl L. Woods Giscombé, PhD, RN, is a distinguished professor, psychiatric nurse practitioner, and social and health psychologist. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the Academy of Behavioral Medicine, and the Mind & Life Institute. She is also an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. Giscombé was named a Leader in the Field by the American Psychological Association, and her community-engaged research on mindfulness, mental health, and wellness for Black women has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health and other national foundations and health care organizations for the past twenty years.