Late Stage Capitalism and Self-Care

Underneath all of life's burdens, many of us experience the triple losses of time, freedom, and mental space. Self-care is generally touted as burnout's antidote, and advocates argue that regular self-care routines lower stress, anxiety, and frustration while simultaneously improving energy, concentration, and overall life satisfaction. Sounds wonderful, right? But there's a problem with #selfcare culture: In a capitalist society, anything and everything becomes a sellable product or service, self-care included. Indeed, these days the term 'self-care' is often used synonymously with spa days, last-minute getaways, and other actions that require a financial transaction. On today’s show we attempt to answer this very 2022 question: Is self-care a commodity that is best purchased, or is the idea that taking care of ourselves must be outsourced the epitome of late stage capitalism?   Here's a preview: [1:15] Differentiating between an expanded view of self-care versus a narrow, contorted one [4:33] Understanding the ways in which capitalism misconstrues our collective notion of self-care [8:15] Defining late stage capitalism (with real life examples!) [12:20] The 4 categories of self-care [18:30] Communal care is self-care: 3 benefits to thinking of others - not the self! - first   Resources mentioned: Why the Phrase 'Late Capitalism' Is Suddenly Everywhere (via The Atlantic) We Need To Move On From Self-Care To Something That Cannot Be Captured By Capitalism (via The Guardian)   -- Thank you to this week's sponsors! Ettitude: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 20% off bamboo bedding Thrive Market: Head to thrivemarket.com/sustainable for up to $80 in free groceries AprilAire: Check out their air purifying and filtration options at AprilAire.com -- * Join our (free!) community here. * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube. * Email me and say hello! [email protected].   Our Sponsors:* Thank you to LifeStraw! https://lifestraw.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content