
Minimize Burnout: This Is What Self-Care Looks Like For The xoNecole Staff

Self-care is more than a buzz word of the moment, it's a lifestyle. And it's a practice everyone should indulge in.
So often we prioritize our work, our families, and other assorted responsibilities ahead of prioritizing ourselves. Trust me, I've been there. As xoNecole's Managing Editor, I often find myself at the beck and call of emails, being pulled this way and that way for content edits, and of course, managing a team. I used to wake up and allow myself to be inundated with emails before I had time to even brush my teeth. But after months of feeling myself become more and more depleted from the hustle and flow of the daily rise and grind, I had to take ownership of how I approach my day. That began with upping the way I approached self-care.
And as our Editor In Chief, Necole Kane suggested in her post on the importance of having a morning ritual, there is nothing like the peace that comes with taking a couple of hours to pour into yourself before pouring into anything or anyone else. Self-care practices can differ from person to person, and today, we have gathered the different self-care routines that our xoNecole editorial team swears by. Check them out by clicking through the gallery below and get inspired!
Ashleigh
Ashleigh
As a Social Media Manager, you can just imagine how busy and chaotic my life can be. On any given day, either y'all President tweeted something ridiculous for the billionth time or Beyonce is breaking the internet and coming for everybody's wigs. Which is why taking time out for myself is critical; even though I feel like there's not enough hours in a day. Due to my hectic schedule, I've dedicated Sunday mornings to sort of unplug from the internet and truly enjoy me time.
I've started using Sundays to sleep in and get the rest that I need.
I make sure my phone alarms aren't set so that nothing is waking me up earlier that I want. This has reduced my stress levels so that I'm energized and I don't go into the new week still stressed out from the week before. Once I wake up, I take roughly 10 minutes to lay in silence and thank God for my blessings. I've found that this helps me get rid of any negative thoughts I've accumulated. Positive vibes only!
The last thing I do before kicking my Sunday off is log in to YouTube and listen to a church sermon, preferably by One LA. This is the highlight of my day because I can usually always relate to the message and it puts me in better spirits. I've recently re-started my spiritual journey and I've found that until I can find a church that I'm happy with; the word is still the word no matter how I receive it. My favorites lately have been from Toure Roberts. - Ashleigh Hardin-Jones, Social Media Manager
How do you do self-care? Let us know some of your favorite practices and products in the comments down below.
- 5 Beauty Products Perfect For Self-Care - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- How To Care For Stressed Out Skin - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- Daily Routine for Healthy Body and Mind for Successful Women - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- Signs Of Burnout, What To Do About It - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- 45 Simple Self-Care Practices for a Healthy Mind, Body & Soul ›
- 20 Self-Care Practices for the Mind, Body and Soul | HuffPost ›
- How Clinicians Practice Self-Care & 9 Tips for Readers | Psych Central ›
- 21 Of The Best Self Care Practices Ever ›
- 10 Simple Ways to Practice Self-Care ›
- 25 Science-Backed Ways to Change Your Life by Taking Better Care ›
- 15 Self-Care Practices for Well-Being - Daring to Live Fully ›
- 15 Little Ways To Practice Self-Care And Improve Your Mood ›
- Health education programmes to improve foot self-care practices ... ›
- 134 Activities to Add to Your Self-Care Plan ›
For Us, By Us: How HBCU Alumni Are Building Legacies Through Entrepreneurship
Homecoming season is here, and alumni are returning to the yard to celebrate with their friends and family at the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that have changed their lives forever.
No matter where their life journeys have taken them, for HBCU students from near and far, returning to where it all started can invoke feelings of nostalgia, appreciation for the past, and inspiration for the future.
The seeds for these entrepreneurs were planted during their time as students at schools like Spelman, North Carolina A&T, and more, which is why xoNecole caught up with Look Good Live Well’s Ariane Turner, HBCU Buzz’s Luke Lawal and Morehouse Senior Director of Marketing and Comms and Press Secretary Jasmine Gurley to highlight the role their HBCU roots play in their work as entrepreneurs, the legacy they aim to leave behind through the work that they do, and more as a part of Hyundai’s Best In Class initiative.
On Honoring HBCU Roots To Create Something That Is For Us, By Us
Ariane Turner
Courtesy
When Ariane Turner launched Look Good, Live Well, she created it with Black and brown people in mind, especially those with sensitive skin more prone to dryness and skin conditions like acne and eczema.
The Florida A&M University graduate launched her business to create something that addressed topical skin care needs and was intentional about its approach without negative terminology.
Turner shared that it is important to steer clear of language often adopted by more prominent brands, such as “banishing breakouts” or “correcting the skin,” because, in reality, Turner says there is nothing wrong with the way that our skin and bodies react to various life changes.
“I think what I have taken with me regarding my HBCU experience and translated to my entrepreneurial experience is the importance of not just networking,” Turner, the founder and CEO of Look Good, Live Well, tellls xoNecole.
“We hear that in business all the time, your network is your net worth, but family, there’s a thing at FAMU that we call FAMU-lee instead of family, and it’s very much a thing. What that taught me is the importance of not just making relationships and not just making that connection, but truly working on deepening them, and so being intentional about connecting with people initially, but staying connected and building and deepening those relationships, and that has served me tremendously in business, whether it’s being able to reach back to other classmates who I went to school with, or just networking in general.”
She adds, “I don’t come from a business background. As soon as I finished school, I continued with my entrepreneurial journey, and so there’s a lot of that traditional business act and the networking, those soft skills that I just don’t have, but I will say that just understanding how to leverage and network community and to build intentional relationships is something that has taken me far and I definitely got those roots while attending FAMU.”
On Solving A Very Specific Need For The Community
Luke Lawal Jr.
Courtesy
When Luke Lawal Jr. launched HBCU Buzz, his main focus was to represent his community, using the platform to lift as they climbed by creating an outlet dedicated to celebrating the achievements and positive news affecting the 107 historically HBCUs nationwide.
By spotlighting the wonderful things that come from the HBCU community and coupling it with what he learned during his time at Bowie State University, Lawal used that knowledge to propel himself as an entrepreneur while also providing his people with accurate representation across the internet.
“The specific problem in 2011 when I started HBCU Buzz was more so around the fact that mainstream media always depict HBCUs as negative,” Lawal says. “You would only see HBCUs in the mainstream media when someone died, or the university president or someone was stepping down. It was always bad news, but they never shed light on all the wonderful things from our community."
So, I started HBCU Buzz to ensure the world saw the good things that come from our space. And they knew that HBCUs grew some of the brightest people in the world, and just trying to figure out ways to make sure our platform was a pedestal for all the students that come through our institutions.”
“The biggest goal is to continue to solve problems, continue to create brands that solve the problems of our communities, and make sure that our products, our brands, our companies, and institutions are of value and they’re helping our community,” he continues. “That they’re solving problems that propel our space forward.”
On How Being An HBCU Alum Impacts The Way One Shows Up In The World
Jasmine Gurley
Courtesy
Jasmine Gurley is a proud North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alum. She is even more delighted with her current role, which enables her to give back to current HBCU students as the Senior Director of Brand Marketing and Communications and official press secretary at Morehouse College.
“It was a formative experience where I really was able to come into my own and say yes to all the opportunities that were presented to me, and because of that, it’s been able to open the doors later in life too,” says Gurley of her experience at North Carolina A&T. “One thing I love about many HBCUs is that we are required to learn way more about African American history than you do in your typical K through 12 or even at the higher ed level."
She adds, “It allowed us to have a better understanding of where we came from, and so for me, because I’m a storyteller, I’m a history person, I’m very sensitive to life in general, being able to listen to the stories and the trials that our ancestors overcame, put the battery pack in my back to say, ‘Oh nothing can stop me. Absolutely nothing can stop me. I know where I came from, so I can overcome something and try anything. And I have an obligation to be my ancestors’ wildest dreams. Simultaneously, I also have a responsibility to help others realize that greatness.
Gurley does not take her position at an HBCU, now as a leader, lightly.
“People think I’m joking when I say I’m living the dream, but I really am,” she notes. “So I wake up every day and know that the work that I do matters, no matter how hard it might be, how frustrating it may be, and challenging it. I know the ripple effect of my work, my team, and what this institution does also matter. The trajectory of Black male experiences, community, history, and then just American advancement just in general.”
On the other hand, through her business, Sankofa Public Relations, Gurley is also on a mission to uplift brands in their quest to help their respective communities. Since its inception in 2017, Sankofa PR has been on a mission to “reach back and reclaim local, national, and global communities by helping those actively working to move” various areas of the world, focusing on pushing things forward for the better.
“Through Sankofa, we’ve worked with all different types of organizational brands and individuals in several different industries, but I would think of them as mission-based,” says Gurley.
“So with that, it’s an opportunity to help people who are trying to do good in the world, and they are passionate about what they’re doing. They just need help with marketing issues, storytelling, and branding, and that’s when my expertise can come into play. Help them get to that moment where they can tell their story through me or another platform, and that’s been super fulfilling.”
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
Feature image courtesy
Keke Palmer Opens Up About Ending 'Unhealthy' Relationship With Darius Jackson
We don’t play about Miss Keke Palmer. We learned that more than ever over the past few years as we rallied around the former child star as she gave birth to her first child and experienced some trauma with her now ex.
For us, Keke Palmer has been a beloved figure in our lives ever since her breakout role in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. Her natural talent and captivating personality instantly drew us in, making us feel like she was a part of our extended family.
However, the familiarity and comfort that we've come to associate with Palmer over the years can sometimes create a false sense of intimacy. It's easy to forget that, despite the illusion of closeness we've cultivated through the media, Palmer remains a celebrity, and there are certain boundaries that tend to be blurred.
In a candid interview with PEOPLE magazine, the singer delved into her personal life, discussing her experiences with fame, family dynamics, and the true nature of her relationship with her son's father, Darius Jackson.
Palmer told People, “That’s always been the thing with me: I’m in a mature scenario, having these older experiences in the workplace and with my sense of purpose but then again, I’m just a regular 31-year-old with all of my immaturities."
And that’s never more apparent than when she started dating. When Keke was first linked to Jackson, we couldn’t have been happier for her. In August 2021, the personal trainer shared on Instagram, “You’ve been a blessing from above. Never would have expected summer 2021 to turn out the way it did, but here we are. I’m glad we were able to help each other throughout our lowest of times & show one another that what we are bringing to the table is everything that we got.”
In December 2022, the couple shared the exciting news of their first child's imminent arrival. A few months later, in February 2023, they welcomed their son, Leodis Andrellton Jackson, into the world.
However, a few months later, the couple's seemingly blissful relationship experienced a tumultuous turn. Jackson's infamous social media post, "It's the outfit tho.. you a mom," went viral and sparked controversy, criticizing a dress the award-winning actress wore to Usher's Las Vegas residency. Subsequently, allegations of domestic violence surfaced, and a custody battle ensued.
"It was the hardest thing I ever had to go through," she penned in her new book Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative, out Nov. 19. After smoothing things over with her ex and getting to a good place, she's ready to take some time to think about herself and what she wants.
In that reflection, Palmer said it felt “very spiritual” for the pair in the beginning. She said, “We had separate lonelinesses, and we created a space for us to exist in that loneliness together. And then we wanted to have a son. Leo was very planned.”
The Scream Queens alum was also transparent that social media is very much a highlight reel as she and Jackson seemed great online, but things were already “unhappy and unhealthy” even before the Usher of it all. The relationship had escalated to violence. In November, a court granted her a temporary restraining order due to several domestic violence allegations.
One incident, caught on video, involved Jackson breaking into her house and attempting to strangle her. During their custody dispute over Leo, he retaliated in court with counter-allegations and claimed she had also been abusive towards him.
“It got so out of control. The only way I knew how to bring order was through the court,” Palmer said. Like many couples, having a baby was a big stressor, along with the fame of it all. “Too many voices get in. It can make everybody else not trust you. It’s hard to explain.”
After six months of court-ordered mediation, Palmer and Jackson amicably reached a joint custody agreement. The actress emphasized that it wasn’t terrible the entire time with her baby’s father because it wasn’t that black-and-white, and that was the challenge. More than anything, she didn’t want her son to think his father was a monster, because she didn’t believe that to be true.
When sharing her advice to anyone dealing with a similar situation: “Walking away is the only way.” Forgiveness and peace are at the forefront of her healing journey, and it seems she wishes Jackson nothing but the best.
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Feature image by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images