32: Book Chat: Real Self Care with Dr Pooja Lakshmin

If you follow me at all, you know that I really don’t like the word self-care. But today, I’m giving you an entire episode about Real Self Care!

My guest today is Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a perinatal psychiatrist, writer, and CEO of Gemma, a women's mental health community, has a fresh perspective on self-care. In her debut nonfiction book, Real Self Care, Dr. Lakshmin challenges the conventional concept of self-care, which is largely full of empty calories and devoid of substance. She argues that the game is rigged, and faux self-care only keeps us looking outward, comparing ourselves with others or striving for a certain type of perfection, which means it's incapable of truly nourishing us in the long run. Her insights on self-care are particularly relevant in the current times, when many people feel overwhelmed, overburdened, and burnt out.

Show Highlights:

  • The difference between a “system” and “philosophy”.

  • There is no one right answer, there are hundreds of answers.

  • Hope as a skill, not a new concept.

  • A boundary is the process you went through where you decided that you were worthy of standing up for what you want.

  • You know how to practice real self-care when you suffer from a mental health condition.

  • There is no one answer for recovery from religious trauma.

Links and Resources:

Connect with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin: Instagram, Twitter

Real Self Care, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin

Connect with KC: TikTok, Instagram, and Website 

Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning

​​We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes

  • If you follow me at all, you know that I really don’t like the word self-care. But today, I’m giving you an entire episode about Real Self Care!

    My guest today is Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a perinatal psychiatrist, writer, and CEO of Gemma, a women's mental health community, has a fresh perspective on self-care. In her debut nonfiction book, Real Self Care, Dr. Lakshmin challenges the conventional concept of self-care, which is largely full of empty calories and devoid of substance. She argues that the game is rigged, and faux self-care only keeps us looking outward, comparing ourselves with others or striving for a certain type of perfection, which means it's incapable of truly nourishing us in the long run. Her insights on self-care are particularly relevant in the current times, when many people feel overwhelmed, overburdened, and burnt out. In this text, Dr. Lakshmin discusses her ideas on self-care, women's mental health, and more in a conversation with Casey, the host of Struggle Care, a popular podcast.

    Show Highlights:

    The difference between a “system” and “philosophy”.

    There is no one right answer, there are hundreds of answers.

    Hope as a skill, not a new concept.

    A boundary is the process you went through where you decided that you were worthy of standing up for what you want.

    You know how to practice real self-care when you suffer from a mental health condition.

    There is no one answer for recovery from religious trauma.

    Links and Resources:

    Connect with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin: Instagram, Twitter

    Real Self Care, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin

    Connect with KC: TikTok, Instagram, and Website

    Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning

    ​​We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codesdc

KC Davis