Jun 6, 2023
Dr. Pooja Lakshmin visits Google to discuss her book “Real
Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness”. The
book provides a step-by-step guide towards real, sustainable
change, using case studies from Dr. Pooja’s practice and clinical
research.
You may have noticed that it’s nearly impossible to avoid the term
“self-care”. That phrase encompasses any number of lifestyle
choices and products—from juice cleanses to yoga workshops to
luxury bamboo sheets—self-care has exploded in our collective
consciousness as a panacea for practically all of women’s
problems.
Psychiatrist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin finds this cultural embrace of
self-care incomplete at best and manipulative at worst. Fixing your
troubles isn't as simple as buying a new day planner or signing up
for a meditation class. These false self-care practices keep us
looking outward, leading us to compare ourselves with others or
striving for a certain type of perfection. Even worse, they
exonerate an oppressive social system that has betrayed women and
minorities.
Real self-care, in contrast, is an internal, self-reflective
process that involves making difficult decisions in line with our
values - and when we practice it, we shift our relationships, our
workplaces, and even our broken systems.
In “Real Self-Care”, Lakshmin helps readers understand what a real
practice of caring for yourself could—and does—look like. Packed
with actionable strategies to deal with common problems, “Real
Self-Care” is a complete roadmap for women to set boundaries and
move past guilt, treat themselves with compassion, get closer to
themselves, and assert their power. The result—having ownership
over one’s own life— is nothing less than a personal and social
revolution.
Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.