Black Mental Health Matters: Wellness for Woke Girls

It's hard out here for woke girls.

The constant stream of police brutality, blatant racism, injustice, climate change, and overall bad news from around the nation and globe is enough to make you numb as protection from all of the heartbreaks they render.

As "woke" women, we surround ourselves with information, we are the first to volunteer, the first to extend ourselves, to engage in dialogue. We vote. We go to the neighborhood cleanups. We feed the hungry, we go to church, we host the events.

And we burn ourselves the hell out. All of that can and does leave us drained (speaking from personal experience).

But it doesn't have to be this way, sis. We can still be the woke and working women our community needs and the times demand that we are without self-destructing. By implementing intentional self-care, we can balance wokeness and wellness.

Here are some practical ways to self-care, stay sane, and even thrive as a woke girl:

Realize that you aren't superwoman
I know, I know. We were raised and have grown to believe that we were the answer to every problem and the solution to every need. And true, being actively engaged wonderful and admirable. It's also exhausting, yall.

You are a human being, not a human doing. You were meant to just be, and there are times that you only have to just be. You don't have to show up as organizer, minister, helper, all the time. The best way to self-care as a woke girl? Be woke enough to recognize your own needs, your own humanity, yourself.

Engage in your spiritual practice
We all have a spiritual practice or faith practice. Even the most staunch religious nonbeliever recognizes that there is something more than just skin and bones. I am a Christian. For me, prayer always helps. Taking time to connect to God, to call on Jesus, and I feel like I have returned to the deeper parts of myself.

Turn the TV off
I know and love people who have the news constantly on in the background, and while that is all well and good to be informed, what is the cost for being overloaded with opinion pieces, debates that sound more like arguments, and bad news disguised and breaking news that is shaped and formed to fearfully grab our attention? The current news cycle is designed to grab our attention with fear. The best way to mitigate this is by just turning it off.

Sure, it sounds counter-intuitive to us who want to stay abreast of all that is happening to shut off the very devices that do that for us. But the news will be there, injustice will still be there, but you must take care of you before you care for this world.

Log off of social media
Same as above, but with your laptop and phone. We really were not meant to digest the amount of information that comes to us on a weekly, daily, hourly rate. Stop scrolling, close the app, put your phone in another room.

Take a walk
I take a long walk every single day. It helps me to move my body and exercise my thoughts at the same time. It helps me connect with my bones and muscle but also discover something new, whether it be a new coffee shop opening up or that the flowers on my street are opening, its never exactly the same. And it takes my mind off of the crap happening in the world, even if it's just for a bit.

Go outside. There's real-life happening right here. There is fresh(er) air, flowers, trees, people walking with their friends or children or dogs, there is life. Get outside and be apart of it.

Get some sleep
Yes, yes, yes. You need sleep. More than 5 hours of it. You must make your rest priority. No excuses.

Eat a good (or not so good) meal
None of this is rocket science, yall. A good meal has a way of easing you out of the troubles of the day, like a hug on a plate.

Therapy. Seriously sis.
The benefits of a good therapy session are well known and well documented and yet so many of us completely avoid it for whatever reason. Let me tell you something; I don't think I would have healed as fully and quickly from some of the darkest parts of my life without some serious therapy sessions.

Think of therapy the same way as you think of your other health practices. If you see your dentist twice a year, and your doctor at least once a year, then, you should at least go talk to a licensed mental health professional at least once.

Go be with your people
Nothing like your friends to bring you back to yourself. Being around some good people is encouraging, inspiring, and downright fun. Grab the bestie, your siblings, call up your mama or pops, and have a good time.

Some other ideas:
Listen to some music
Do a guided breathing or meditation exercise
Have a cup of coffee or tea
Go for a run
Journalling

Be kind to yourself, sis. Even while staying woke, even while advocating for others, even while fighting for a better future, make sure you are restoring yourself. We cannot pour from an empty cup. Make sure you are restoring yourself.

What are some ways you unplug and self-care? Drop them below!