The Myths of Self-Care with Pooja Lakshmin, MD
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What announcements and upcoming events are introduced at the start of the episode?
Hey everyone, a couple of quick announcements before today's episode. First, tickets are going on sale very soon for our live storytelling show in New York City, which is going to take place on Saturday, November 4th. We're producing this event in collaboration with Bellevue Literary Review. And the theme of the show is taking care. We've got an amazing lineup of storytellers. We've got a doctor, a nurse, a doula, a family caregiver, and really should be exploring this theme from all angles. So I'm really excited about that show. I hope some of you are able to join us. And if you'd like to be kept in the loop so that you'll be the first to know when those tickets go on sale, please make sure you follow us on social media and check out our website where you can join our newsletter.
The second big announcement is that the Nocturnist's new podcast series, Post Row America, is launching in just a couple of weeks on September 21st. Over the past year, our team has been talking to abortion providers all across the United States, from Tennessee to Texas, from Ohio to Oklahoma. And really what we've wanted to understand is the clinical, logistical, and emotional ramifications of the Dobbs decision. That series will be hosted by The Nocturnist executive producer, Allie Block, who is a family medicine physician and abortion provider herself. So we hope that you'll tune into that series again on September 21st. Now on to today's episode. Support for The Nocturnist comes from the California Medical Association.
At The Nocturnist, we are careful to ensure that all stories comply with healthcare privacy laws. Details may have been changed to ensure patient confidentiality. All views expressed are those of the person speaking and not their employer.
You're listening to The Nocturnist Conversations. I'm Emily Silverman. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn't unusual for health care workers to hear the words self-care as if it were a quick and easy fix for burnout. But what does self-care actually mean? And how do these practices work alongside the larger forces that prevent us from having the time and space to care for ourselves? Today's guest, Dr. Pooja Lakshman, explores these questions in her book, Real Self- A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness. If you look at the book, next to the title in parentheses, you'll see the words, crystals, cleanses, and bubble baths not included, which I think is a really funny hint to the fact that not only does Pooja offer us a new framework for what self-care is, but she also deconstructs how we currently view self-care in a way that I found to be really novel and refreshing.
Pooja is a board-certified psychiatrist, a clinical assistant professor at George Washington University School of Medicine, and founder and CEO of the women's mental health community, GEMMA. She has spent thousands of hours taking care of women who struggle with anxiety, depression, and burnout in her clinical practice. And her book, Real Self-Care, came out in March of 2023. In my conversation with Pooja, we talk about her personal journey leaving clinical medicine and then coming back to clinical medicine. We talk about the questionable practices of the wellness world and the spiritual marketplace. And we talk about the four pillars of self-care, which for me serves as a very helpful framework that I can use to reflect on my own well-being.
But before we dive in, let's hear Pooja reading an excerpt from her book, Real Self Care. Here's Pooja.
Why listen to me? I've spent the better part of the past decade working as a psychiatrist specializing in women's mental health, in addition to 12 years of education to become a physician and a psychiatrist. In my clinical work, I've spent thousands of hours taking care of women struggling with burnout, despair, depression, and anxiety. In addition to treating patients and my academic endeavors, I've poured myself into gender and social justice advocacy. But perhaps more important than my professional accolades is for you to know that I've been there, right where you are.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What announcements and upcoming events are introduced at the start of the episode?
0:00–12:49
2
How does Dr. Pooja Lakshmin describe the problem with mainstream self‑care concepts?
12:49–22:06
3
What motivated Dr. Lakshmin to leave clinical medicine and join a wellness commune?
22:06–28:55
4
How did she return to medicine and what lessons did she learn from that transition?
28:55–36:53
5
What are the four pillars of Real Self‑Care and how can listeners apply them?
36:53–43:46
6
How does the book address self‑criticism and the internalized voices that women hear?
43:46–49:10
7
What does Dr. Lakshmin say about power, its role in the fourth pillar, and how to reclaim it?
49:10–51:35
8
How does storytelling shape personal narratives and support real self‑care at the end of the conversation?
51:35–53:01