Real Self-Care

'A bracingly honest, galvanising and necessarily provocative look at "self-care" through a political and feminist lens' Pandora Sykes

'This isn't just another self-help book. A clear-eyed look at the way social systems drain our energy, and a concrete set of principles to rely on as we declare independence from these systems' Martha Beck

'A helpful and timely book that every woman needs' Julia Samuel

What does self-care really mean? From puppy yoga to gua shas, we are promised pastel-coloured 'quick fixes' to long-term social problems that cause burnout and stress. But the truth is you can't meditate your way out of a 40-hour work week with no childcare. So when these promises prove empty, we are made to feel like failures within a system that is failing us.

Now, psychiatrist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin offers a sustainable practice for real self-care. Based on her clinical and personal experience, Dr Lakshmin's revolutionary framework reimagines self-care as an ongoing, internal process that involves making difficult decisions in line with your values, putting boundaries in place, treating yourself with compassion and asserting your power. Practising it has the power to change your relationships, your workplace, and our broken systems. Her work serves as a wake-up call, reminding us that wellbeing is not a product to buy, but a way to be.

It is time to let go of the illusions of wellness and start practising real self-care. Because the result - having ownership over your life - is nothing less than a personal and social revolution.

Auteur

Dr Pooja Lakshmin, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist, New York Times contributor and a leading voice at the intersection of mental health and gender, focused on helping women and people from marginalized communities escape the tyranny of self-care. In 2020, Lakshmin founded Gemma - a physician led women's mental health education platform. She maintains an active private practice, where she treats women struggling a plethora of mental health-related issues. Having gone down the rabbit hole of extreme wellness herself, Real Self-Care is the author's answer to a happier, and healthier future not only for ourselves, but for our society.