Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself
And what's next for this newsletter.
Hi folks! It’s been a minute since I last wrote to you, and since then, there are hundreds of new subscribers here. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to reintroduce myself, my work, and the Real Self-Care newsletter.
If you’re new here, I’m Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a board-certified psychiatrist with a passion for helping women (and, men too) navigate the complexities of mental health. I wrote the best-selling book Real Self-Care (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included), which was named one of NPR’s Books We Love in 2023.
My work centers around redefining self-care beyond the surface-level practices society often promotes. My book is obviously an excellent tool for you to learn more about Real Self-Care, but this is a place you can keep learning about vital mental health topics, be in community with others, and read through the archives to find topics that hit home for you (I’ll be working on updating tags so you can more easily find what you’re looking for).
I’ve been writing an email newsletter on and off since 2019. Two years ago, I migrated my 5,000ish subscribers to Substack. Now there are nearly 15,000 of you here!! Thank you for allowing me to take up precious space in your inbox — I do not take that responsibility lightly.
This newsletter shares a name with my book because I want this to be a space where we can dive into the deeper, more sustainable practices that truly empower us to lead fulfilling lives — and talk about the ways in which structural inequity impacts our ability to put those practices in place. It’s my attempt at inspiring you (and myself) to be brave and forge ahead regardless of the challenges that we all face. I plan to publish every Wednesday moving forward.
Real Self-Care newsletter (and podcast) favorites
How this newsletter (and I) are changing with the seasons
Last year at this time, I found myself reflecting on how I was (or was not) taking care of myself. After launching a best-selling book, I landed myself in the hospital with acute cholecystitis and had to have my gallbladder removed, which was followed by a kidney stone attack. Being a previously physically healthy person (which I know is a privilege in itself), it hit me that though I have been practicing real self-care for the better part of a decade, something was not right. I was burned out, and I needed a change.
I decided to focus on an intentional Fall of Slow, which turned into the Year of Slow. I gave myself permission to STOP, PLAY, and GO INTERNAL, things I’m still working on integrating into my everyday life.
My aim is to always bring that same ethos to this newsletter. I want it to feel fun, energizing, and authentic to me — and when it doesn’t, I plan to Stop, Play, Go internal, and figure out the next steps. What’s working and what’s not will keep changing, and I want to have the freedom to move with the seasons.
Even though I’m a psychiatrist, a lesson I keep learning over and over (especially in the context of being an author) is that my mental health, energy, and well-being is what drives my creativity. If those things are off-kilter (or forgotten altogether), nothing else I create, including this newsletter, will be any good.
My work has changed so much since the success of Real Self-Care. My day-to-day professional work looks so different, I’m often on the road for public speaking gigs, and now I’m working on my second book (hooray!).
And an even bigger change happened two years ago, when I became a mom. My son, K, is a growing, very busy toddler now, and I’m enjoying motherhood in ways that I never imagined.
All of this is a very long-winded way of delivering some news:
Moving forward, all of the newsletter content is free and accessible to all readers. Any older content that was for paying subscribers only is now unlocked. There are a number of factors that went into this decision including the fact that I want my real self-care teachings to be available to those who cannot afford to buy a book. Instagram used to serve that purpose but it has become increasingly terrible to navigate and I have become more and more bored with it. Substack makes it possible for a searchable archive to exist online without me having to build out my own blog/website archive. All of this said, I’m not committing to Substack forever (as we all know, no social media platform is forever), but for right now, even with all of its flaws, Substack is doing what I need it to.
To my paying subscribers: I appreciate every one of you so very much. If you have the financial resources, I hope you will consider continuing supporting my work.
For now, to recognize your monetary support of the Real Self-Care newsletter, I’ll be listing the names/businesses of paid subscribers at the bottom of each email. This perk is opt-in to protect privacy: if you are a paying subscriber and would like to have your name included, please fill out this brief google form.
I am brainstorming more ways to bring exclusive content to paying subscribers in the future (if you have ideas, please send them my way!).
I’m also planning exciting new features for RSC. Here’s some of what you can expect to see here moving forward:
A deeper, more personal look into what I’m thinking, learning, and exploring as I make sense of the world.
Insights into how I develop my own practice of building a life, family, and career that is fulfilling and aligned with my truest sense of myself.
Dear Pooja — a monthly advice column where I’ll answer your questions about life, mental health, and navigating real self-care. To submit a question, reply to this email, or email me at pooja@poojalakshmin.com.
Here are a couple of past examples exploring self-care for caregivers and how to talk about intergenerational trauma.
A peek into the creative process of writing my second book, which I’m working on right now!
Conversations and insights with other experts and folks who are doing bold, powerful work.
Recommendations and thoughts on what I’m reading, listening to, watching, wearing, and more.
Finally, I want to thank you for being here. Some of you have been here since day one and stuck with me on this journey, and some of you are just discovering my work. I hope that you will find my words useful, and please know that I always love to hear from you. Just hit reply to this email, or share your thoughts with me at pooja@poojalakshmin.com. Send me your questions. Send me your feedback. I am all ears.
xo,
Pooja
“Caregiving” vs. “Parenting”: Do the words matter?
Join me & my colleagues for a free webinar on Thursday, September 19th from 1-2pm EST.
While words “caregiving” and “parenting” are often used interchangeably, the roles that they refer to can be quite distinct. Does this matter? When my friend, stress physiologist
of the , asked me if I would consider hosting this conversation on the Real Self-Care platform, I was an immediate YES.Join myself, Molly, Allison Applebaum PhD, clinical psychologist specializing in caregiver mental health, and Sehreen Noor Ali, co-founder of Sleuth and a parent caregiver, for this conversation. The recording will be available for those who cannot make it live. Register for free here.
glad you are back!