Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World

Change starts within. Leading movements that ignite change begins with self-awareness and understanding the power of intentions. Healing happens in community with others who are invested in your well-being. These are only a few of Shelly Tygielski’s wise and enlightened comments intended to inspire her readers to make a difference, starting with oneself. The author shares her own struggles with fear and self-doubt as she overcomes debilitating disease, major life changes, and intergenerational trauma.

More than a self-help book, this is a manual on how to embody change and create a life of purpose and service. Tygielski walks us through her own journey of building a worldwide grassroots mutual aid movement during the global pandemic. Her approach to self-care is grounded in lifting up the collective toward the ultimate vision of bringing people together in relation to a common cause.

The book is a quick read, as Tygielski’s writing is compelling and powerful. I was a complete stranger to Tygielski’s activism and teachings before picking up this book, and I was immediately hooked on her narrative of facing and learning from adversity. Her message about radical self-acceptance is intended not only to help readers heal from within, but also to bring us together in recognition of our shared humanity.