Ask Ayana Iman: I'm 28, Unemployed & Homeless - Am I Failing At Life?
Dear Ayana Iman: I am a 28-year-old woman who's unemployed and still being housed by friends. Does that mean I am failing at life?
I know this may feel like an isolated incident, but I need you to know you're not alone. There are plenty of smart, capable individuals who are unemployed. According to Forbes, there are more jobs than there are people… I hope this brings you some comfort to know that YOUR position has yet to be filled. However, they found people aren't bringing enough technical or soft skills to the job market. This information is your leg up.
Rejection is rarely personal and you have the power to change your circumstances.
Identify the position that you want by researching titles and companies, and then identify the skills you don't have. Next, create a list of those skills and research them. You may find basic tutorials online, as well as on YouTube. Spend an hour to two hours daily studying and increasing your knowledge so you can confidently add it to your resume. Also, libraries and your local unemployment office have free resources to help you. Did you attend college? If so, they have alumni services that can enhance your resume and network. I suggest using Canva's templates for a modern resume. Ask for help and have a professional review it. Documenting the right key terms on your resume is critical to get past the automated system and attract recruiters. Don't forget to enroll with a staffing agency to aid you in your job search.
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Unemployment can take a toll on your mental health. If you have health insurance, I suggest seeking a therapist to help you address any anxiety and negative self-talk. If that's not possible, start a group chat with a few of your close friends and set the rules of engagement: "This group chat is a safe space for transformative conversation, positivity, and inspiration."
You need to talk honestly about what you're going through – you need the human contact – and you've got the time. Also, treat everyday as an opportunity to greet the sun with a smile. Get up, brush your teeth, and get dressed. Even if the day is spent on applications, you must put in the effort to keep yourself together. I find it lifts your mood and is a part of self-care, which also helps keep you prepared. Remember, inactivity further devastates morale.
As inopportune as it may seem, you must find gratitude in your current situation. Start with your friends who have so graciously supported you and given you a place to stay. Hell, thank the person that held the door for you today. Ask how you can help out more around the house and offer to take the lead. Help isn't always in the monetary form, sometimes it's in the form of chores or administrative tasks; whatever it is, it will be appreciated. Be present and be conscious of the energy you put out into the universe.
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Staying positive will allow you to attract exactly what you need. Taking action will allow you to get results.
To go back to your original question, no, you are not failing at life. You are currently experiencing the valleys of life. We all have them. How you get through this is to just keep going. You may be unemployed right now, but that does not define you. It takes courage to ask tough questions, like you've done in this segment. It shows you are determined to be a better person and committed to finding the answers. You are who you've always been — smart, capable, and filled with potential. Give yourself some flowers.
With Love,
Ayana Iman xx
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Ayana Iman is a certified life coach, professional speaker, and mama of one based in New Jersey. She's also known for her love of big hair, travel, and cooking. Find her across social @AyanaIman.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Stress Awareness Month: Sneaky Workplace Triggers Affecting Black Women, And How To Cope
We all know about the major stress triggers of everyday life, from relationship woes to monthly bills to unexpected emergencies, but there are small, subtle triggers that impact Black women in a big way, especially when it comes to work. It’s good to be aware of these sneaky stressors in order to maximize your day and find ways to incorporate solutions into your self-care routines.
Since it’s Stress Awareness Month, we caught up with Keanne Owens, LCSW, founder of Journey To Harmony Therapy Center, to talk about these triggers and what Black women can do to manage and cope.
Owens is an experienced South Florida-based counselor and social worker who offers her services via Grow Therapy, a therapy and medication management platform. She has worked with Black women professionals to unpack issues related to workplace stressors. “One is the pressure to perform–having to meet deadlines and deliverables," she said. "And a lot of times, these subtle stressors from performance are put upon ourselves as Black women. We want to make sure we’re doing our best. We don’t want to be critiqued in certain ways.”
Excessive micromanagement leading to fear of overly critical bosses is another subtle trigger that can negatively impact Black women in the workplace.
“Whenever something is done wrong, or we experience some type of injustice and have to report it, it’s the fear of retaliation–[fear that] we won’t be taken seriously or [our words] will be taken out of context because of being deemed as the ‘angry Black woman,’” she said.
Black Women And Workplace Stress Triggers
Her sentiments are backed by research. A recent report by Coqual found that 28% of Black women (compared to 17% of White men) say their supervisor uses “excessive control or attention to detail” when managing them. There’s more: A survey by the National Employment Law Project found that Black workers were “more likely to have concerns (80 percent) and twice as likely as white workers (18 percent) to have unresolved concerns at work, with 39 percent reporting they were “not satisfied with the employer’s response or did not raise concerns for fear of retaliation.”
The survey also found that 14 percent of Black respondents said they “avoided raising concerns to their employer for fear of retaliation—more than twice the average rate of 6 percent for all survey respondents.”
Owens pointed to the fact that these subtle stress triggers can negatively impact our physical health and our career advancement. “A lot of time it’ll affect our productivity,” Owens added. “We start to have negative thoughts of ourselves. The stressors can also cause fatigue. We’re no longer meeting or working up to our desired potential.” Other challenges as a result include insomnia and increased insolation, withdrawal, and lack of motivation to apply for jobs or promotions even when qualified.
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How To Manage Subtle Stress Triggers
While there are systemic issues at play for Black women at work that has less to do with us and more to do with major overhauls that must be addressed by the powers that be, there are steps we can take for the betterment of ourselves and our mental health. Owens offered the following tips:
Tap into a support system, whether it’s a coworker you trust, a family member, an organization, or an outlet like a hobby.
Create a good work-life balance before burnout even starts. “Having certain boundaries [is the goal] such as, for example, if you get off at 5, you get off at 5. If your job description is this, you don’t go above and beyond because that brings you to a lot of burnout,” Owens said.
Prioritize self-care, whatever that means for you. “If you don’t have a routine, create one. Practice mindfulness and even some meditation,” she added.
Create structure in your life outside of work. “Even if you have a family, applying some structure in your routine helps relieve stress,” she said.
Get into grounding techniques. “Do a real quick square breathing exercise, that’s literally 30 seconds, or you can do a grounding technique that’s less than two minutes, right there where you are. You don’t need any other materials. That’s something you can do with just yourself and your body.”
Ask for help. “As Black women, we don’t ask for help enough,” she said. “Find where you need to ask for help. A lot of times, people think that’s indicative of weakness, but we need to rewrite that narrative. It’s okay to ask for help where you see fit. [If] you’re a mom, [it could be] every Wednesday from 5 to 6, your children are with the dad. You have to carve out that time.”
For more information on Grow Therapy, visit their website. You can also find out more about Keanne Owens, LCSW, via BeginYourJourneyToHarmony.com.
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