How Full-Time Freelancer Keyaira Kelly Finds Peace In Solitude
In xoNecole's Finding Balance, we profile boss women making boss moves in the world and in their respective industries. We talk to them about their business, their life, and most of all, what they do to find balance in their busy lives.
Growing up, I thought being loud meant being strong.
But with maturity, I've learned that the loudest person in the room is rarely the most successful and this is big facts. Just ask 30-year-old full-time freelancer, Keyaira Kelly, who wants you to know that silence is self-care. The Brooklyn-based creative recently sat down with xoNecole and gave us a whole word about solitude, which Keyaira she says is an essential part of her daily routine.
For those of us not at peace with ourselves, solitude may feel more like a burden than a blessing, but in our interview, Keyaira revealed that time alone is essential for any social media maven on her grind. She told xoNecole, "I wind down at night by not talking. People are always like, 'let's go to happy hour!' or, 'let's meet up!' and it may come off rude, but I don't relax by speaking to folks. I exhaust so much of my energy talking to people that my relaxation means complete and utter isolation from the world and anyone's needs and silence."
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Keyaira Kelly (@keyairakelly) on Jan 16, 2018 at 3:35pm PST
Keyaira says that it's during her time alone when she allows herself to feel all of the feelings, spiritually align, and find peace when she's feeling off-balance. The Talk To Your Mompodcast host explained, "I let my flesh be pissed or cloudy, but I always return to my spiritual wisdom which knows from a heavenly perspective, 'all things are working together for my good.'"
"I am learning I can't be ruled by emotions anymore or reactionary. Taking a pause, breathing, listening to chimes, burning sage, resin or charcoal, brings my concerns back to heaven height where they dissolve."
We sat down with Keyaira to talk more about making working from home work for you, the beauty of a good bubble bath, and why solitude is the gift you didn't know you needed.
Here's what we learned:
What is a typical day in your life? If no day is quite the same, give me a rundown of a typical work week and what that might consist of.
My typical week includes plugging numbers in and out of my spreadsheet of how many articles I need to complete this week, invoices I need to send, receipts I need to hold onto, etc. Working for yourself is… well, a lot of work! (Laughs) Sometimes I work at home, sometimes I grab a spot at a coffee shop. Where and when I work isn't monotonous right now, which I enjoy. It's nice to do the work when your brain is working the best, versus trying to cram it all into a 9-5.
What are your mornings like?
I wake up slowly. I really don't try to rush my way out of bed—as an independent contractor I have this privilege now. My best writing and best thinking happen in the morning—so I will often lay in bed, but I'm actually actively working out what the day is going to look like, what I'm grateful for, etc. I may throw some prayers in there. Sometimes I just cuddle in bed with my man and hold onto him as long as I can. Any morning that starts slowly is a good morning.
At what point in your life did you understand the importance of pressing pause and finding balance in both your personal and professional life?
Pressing pause is pretty much a necessity for me to be a good writer, so I would say I discovered its importance when I transitioned from marketing to writing full-time four years ago. My best writing happens in the stillness of my mind. I literally will delete Instagram for a few hours when I need to focus on an article.
"Pressing pause is pretty much a necessity for me to be a good writer, so I would say I discovered its importance when I transitioned from marketing to writing full-time four years ago. My best writing happens in the stillness of my mind."
When you have a busy week, what’s the most hectic part of it?
My most busy weeks are when I have a lot of travel and a lot of deadlines. It can be hard sometimes to manage writing on the road while also doing a work trip. So recently, I was in the Bahamas for one outlet doing a story (I know, poor me, right?), while also writing articles for another outlet I was on deadline for. Sometimes it's hard to sit and be in the moment when I have to work on the road. But it's a life I'm grateful for nonetheless.
Do you practice any type of self-care? What does that look like for you?
Exercise, baths, and silence are my self-care. Exercise helps to keep me sane. It's a way I advocate for my health and bodily strength that doesn't have to do with anyone or anything but me. I love giving myself that dedicated time. I am super healthy right now and I deserve to look and feel this good—so I invest in it. Baths, just being submerged in hot water, soothes my muscles and stills my mind. Silence is so good to just hear yourself in a silo--too many voices just become mental clutter.
"Exercise helps to keep me sane. It's a way I advocate for my health and bodily strength that doesn't have to do with anyone or anything but me. I love giving myself that dedicated time. I am super healthy right now and I deserve to look and feel this good—so I invest in it."
What advice do you have for busy women who feel like they don’t have time for self-care?
Honestly, when you're in a romantic relationship people say, "No one's too busy, it's just they don't want to make the time." Well, I think we need to think of ourselves that way too. When you don't make time for self-care, you're telling yourself you're not worth the effort.
How do you find balance with:
Friends?
Most of my best friends don't live in New York [and] the ones who do aren't very demanding. I am a very good text friend. I am not a good phone call/meet-up friend. My friends have adjusted to my boundaries, or have the same boundaries, so we all understand.
"I am a very good text friend. I am not a good phone call/meet-up friend. My friends have adjusted to my boundaries, or have the same boundaries, so we all understand."
Love/Relationships? Dating?
I am prioritizing my love life right now. I desire to start a family so investing in that and his needs are very important to me.
Exercise?
There's no easy way around this, I just do it. You got to do it when you don't feel like it. Commitment over feelings, always.
And honestly, what does success mean to you?
Peace. It's all peace.
For more of Keyaira, follow her on Instagram!
Featured image by Instagram/@keyairakelly.
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Why Do Millennials & Gen-Zers Still Feel Like Teenagers? The Pandemic Might Be The Reason.
There’s nothing quite as humbling as navigating adulthood with no instruction manual. Since the turn of the decade, it seems like everything in our society that could go wrong has, inevitably, gone wrong. From the global pandemic, our crippling student debt problem, the loneliness crisis, layoffs, global warming, recession, and not to mention figuring out what to eat for dinner every night. This constant state of uncertainty has many of us wondering, when are the grown-ups coming to fix all of this?
But the catch is, we are the new grown-ups.
As if it happened without our permission, we became the new adults. We are the members of society who are paying taxes, having children, getting married, and keeping our communities afloat, one iced latte at a time. Still, there’s something about doing all these grown-up duties that feel unnaturally grown-up. Enter the #teenagegirlinher20s.
If there’s one hashtag to give you the state of the next cohort of adults, it’s this one. Of the videos that have garnered over 3.9M views, you’ll find a collection of users who are overwhelmed by life’s pressing existential responsibilities, clung to nostalgia, and reminiscent of the days when their mom and dad took care of their insurance plans.
@charlies444ngel no like i cant explain to her why i had to buy multiple tank air dupes from aritzia #teenagegirlinher20s #fyp
The concept of being a 20-something or 30-something teenager is linked to the sentiment of not feeling “grown up enough” to do grown-up things while feeling underprepared and even nihilistic about whether that preparation even matters.
It’s our generation’s version of when we ask our grandmothers how old they are and they simply reply with, “I still feel 45,” all while being every bit of 76 years old. In this, we share a warped concept of time while clinging to a desire for infantilization.
Granted, the pandemic did a number on our concept of time. Many of us who started the pandemic in our early or mid-20s missed out on three fundamental years of socialization, career development, and personal milestones that traditionally help to mark our growth.
Our time to figure out and plan our next steps through fumbling yet active participation was put on pause indefinitely and then resumed provisionally. This in turn has left many of us hanging in the balance of uncertainty as we try to make sense of the disconnect between our minds and bodies in this missing gap of time.
Because we’re all still figuring out what the ramifications of being locked away and frozen in time by a global pandemic will have on us as a society, there really is no “right” way of making up for lost time. Feeling unprepared for any new chapter of life is a natural rite of passage, pandemic or not. However, it’s important to not stay stuck in the last age or period of life that made sense to us because self-growth is the truest evidence of personal progress.
So whether you’re leaning on your inner child, teenager, or 20-something for guidance as you fill the gap between your real age and pandemic age, know that it’s okay to grieve the person you thought you would be and the milestones you thought you’d hit before you ever knew what a pandemic was. If there’s anything that the pandemic taught us, it’s that we have the power to reimagine a better world and life for ourselves. And if we tap into our inner teenager as a compass, we can piece together our next chapter with a fresh outlook.
Sure, we’ve lost a couple of years, but there are still some really amazing ones ahead.
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