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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Real Self-Care summary
Pooja Lakshmin
A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included)
17 mins
Brief summary
'Real Self-Care' by Pooja Lakshmin offers a comprehensive guide to understanding and prioritizing self-care in the modern age. It provides practical techniques and tools to engage with oneself and improve mental health.
Table of Contents
Real Self-Care
Summary of 5 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 5
It’s the system that’s broken, not you.
If you’ve ever been drawn to a self-care program to help manage your stress, or burnout, or fatigue, you’re not alone. For many faced with overwhelming tasks like managing home and family life while working or attending school, quick fixes that promise more energy, or to end your messy home, are incredibly seductive. If you can just follow the plan, you could wake up refreshed, have that summer-ready body, get ahead at your jobs, or be a better parent. Whatever the goal, if you could just get it right, life would fall into place. Right?
But more often than not, it fails. Even if you follow it perfectly, you may feel just as burnt out and stressed as before. That’s because you have good reason to feel this way, especially if you aren’t one of the privileged few with access to great schools, high-paying jobs, low cost health and child care. Or perhaps all that self-care hasn’t addressed the real aftermath of an abusive childhood, or the ways you learned to survive in the past that are no longer serving you.
To be actually effective, self-care has to fit your individual needs. It has to account for what you’ve been through and what you’re going through right now. It must adapt to what you are able to accomplish despite the difficult circumstances that confront you.
Even more, it must start at your innermost core: the way you think and speak to yourself. For too many, particularly marginalized or traumatized individuals, the inner critical voice is overpowering. It may be the loudest inner voice there is, and dominate thinking to the point that they feel worthless, inadequate, or unlovable.
True self-care must also admit its own limits. It is not a substitute for medical or mental health intervention, so knowing when to seek professional help is key. We’ll explore this more in the last section.
To be transformative, real self-care is based on four core principles. The first is setting boundaries and confronting guilty feelings to help you feel less stress and more ease. Next, it’s about treating yourself with kindness and compassion. Life is too short to be bullied from within. The third is that it must connect you with your core values and bring you closer to your goals. Finally, to be real, self-care is an assertion of power. The power to take control of your life and your time, and take up space as someone whose needs, health and wellbeing matter.
For some, accepting that they deserve to take up space, time, and consideration might be a revolutionary notion. But when they embrace it, this notion has the power to change the world.
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What is Real Self-Care about?
Real Self-Care (2023) exposes the dark side of the global self-care industry by connecting the systemic inequality faced by marginalized groups like women and people of color, and the stress, burnout and chronic illness faced by so many. It offers a science-based alternative and cognitive strategies for living with ease and purpose.
Real Self-Care Review
Real Self-Care by Pooja Lakshmin (2022) is a compelling exploration of the importance of taking care of ourselves in a fast-paced world. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- With its in-depth analysis and expert insights, it provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of self-care and its impact on our well-being.
- Through personal stories and relatable examples, the book offers practical strategies for implementing self-care practices in our everyday lives.
- It goes beyond the surface-level ideas of self-care and delves into the intersection of mental health, feminism, and social justice, making it a thought-provoking and transformative read.
Who should read Real Self-Care?
- Frustrated self-carers who feel they’re somehow doing it wrong
- Tired life-optimizers who wonder why they still feel behind
- Those looking for kinder, gentler transformation from the inside-out
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Real Self-Care FAQs
What is the main message of Real Self-Care?
The main message of Real Self-Care is the importance of prioritizing our mental and emotional well-being.
How long does it take to read Real Self-Care?
The reading time for Real Self-Care varies, but it typically takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just a few minutes.
Is Real Self-Care a good book? Is it worth reading?
Real Self-Care is a valuable read for anyone looking to improve their self-care practices. It offers practical insights and actionable tips to enhance well-being.
Who is the author of Real Self-Care?
The author of Real Self-Care is Pooja Lakshmin.
What to read after Real Self-Care?
If you're wondering what to read next after Real Self-Care, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Let That Sh*t Go by Nina Purewal and Kate Petriw
- The Kindness Method by Shahroo Izadi
- Gut Feelings by Dr. Will Cole
- One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer
- The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aron
- Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks & Oprah Winfrey
- Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner
- Wabi Sabi by Beth Kempton
- Quiet by Susan Cain
- The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch