Pooja Lakshmin Says ‘Real Self Care’ Goes Far Beyond Meditation Apps

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2023

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Meditation apps, expensive spa retreats and other staples of the self-care industry claim to offer relief from the ongoing stress of work and family obligations so many of us feel. But they fall short, according to psychiatrist and women’s mental health specialist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, because they do nothing to address underlying causes. In her new book “Real Self Care,” Lakshmin says that authentic self-care lies in agency, which she says means setting boundaries and choosing our paths forward — so we can help others have the agency to choose theirs. We’ll talk about what meaningful self-care actually looks like, how to take actionable steps and how to challenge systemic barriers to wellness. Guests: Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, psychiatrist; author, "Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included)" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Support for Key QBD Podcasts comes from San Francisco International Airport.
0:05.1	At SFO, you can shop, dine, and unwind before your flight.
0:09.2	Go ahead, treat yourself.
0:10.6	Learn more about SFO restaurants and shops at flysfo.com.
0:15.8	Greetings, boomtown.
0:17.3	The Xfinity Wi-Fi is booming!
0:19.5	Xfinity combines the power of internet and mobile.
0:22.7	So we've all got lightning fast speeds at home and on the go!
0:26.3	Learn more at Xfinity.com. Restrictions apply. Xfinity internet required. Actual speeds vary.
0:32.2	From KQED in San Francisco. I'm Leslie McClure. I'm in today for Mina Kim. Coming up on forum, as we rush
0:55.8	through our busy lives, self-care is marketed to us as a cure for all that stress. Yoga retreats,
1:02.1	bath salts, and meditation apps all claim to offer the relief we need. But do they really? We'll find out
1:08.4	what does work with Dr. Puja Lachshman.
1:11.0	She's the author of Real Self-Care, and she's a psychiatrist and women's mental health specialist.
1:16.4	She'll offer actionable steps that lead to wellness.
1:19.6	That's coming up Welcome to Forum. I'm Leslie McClurg. I'm in today for Let Mina Kim. I'm all about self-care. I was a yoga teacher for years. I love massages.
1:46.6	I absolutely love hot springs. And all of these things are really great. But I'll admit that they
1:52.4	don't really last that long and they don't really help me or anyone really face climate change or
1:58.1	war or abuses of power. So maybe there are some better solutions for
2:02.7	self-care. That's what Dr. Pugha Lakshman believes. She joins us to talk about real self-care,
2:08.1	the kind that matters. And she's a psychiatrist and the author of the new book,
2:12.5	Real Self-Care, a transformative program for redefining wellness, crystals, cleanses, and bubble baths, not included.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from KQED, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of KQED and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.