‘Boundaries, Burnout, and the ‘Goopification’ of Self-Care’, The Ezra Klein Show, featuring Dr. Pooja Lakshmin

This podcast explores the transformation of self-care from a radical feminist concept into a multibillion-dollar wellness industry and examines why this cultural shift has failed to address rising burnout rates. Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, psychiatrist and author of ‘Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness’, challenges the superficial fixes promoted by wellness culture and advocates for a deeper, values-based approach to self-care. Key insights include:

1. The systemic roots of burnout: Lakshmin highlights how systemic failures—such as financial instability, inadequate social safety nets, and lack of paid family leave—drive burnout, making wellness culture’s individualistic solutions insufficient.
2. Redefining Self-Care: real self-care goes beyond products and quick fixes. Lakshmin outlines four transformative practices designed not only to support individual well-being but also to enable collective change.

• Setting boundaries.

• Practicing self-compassion.
• Aligning with your values.
• Exercising power to make intentional choices.

3. Faux self-care vs. real self-care:

• The allure of “faux self-care” lies in its convenience, but it often bypasses the uncomfortable yet necessary internal work required for true well-being.
• Real self-care involves making difficult decisions, like setting boundaries, which can initially feel uncomfortable but foster long-term resilience.

This conversation provides a critical lens on wellness culture, offering practical strategies for navigating burnout while addressing the broader systemic issues contributing to stress. By redefining self-care as a tool for personal and collective empowerment, this episode is a valuable resource for understanding how well-being practices can align with meaningful, sustainable change.