5 Simple Ways You Can Put Your Mental Health First Daily
Approximately 7.5 million African-Americans have a diagnosed mental illness, and up to 7.5 million more are potentially navigating life undiagnosed. African-American women are over-represented in these statistics, as a result of racism, sexism, microaggressions in the workplace, low-income jobs, predisposed health conditions, and multiple role responsibilities, all of which impact their overall mental health.
In recent years, the tide has shifted when discussing therapy and mental health. African-Americans are now more likely to seek out therapists, but not without difficulty in searching for Black/brown mental health clinicians. Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, Atlanta-based psychologist founded Therapy For Black Girls, a directory of resources and mental health professionals for Black women. What started as a Google doc is now a database of over 800 therapists, Therapy For Black Girls (the website, and podcast of the same name) has become the destination for Black women looking to find a therapist.
Recently, I spoke with Dr. Joy and asked ways that we can put our mental health first today and beyond. Here are the gems she dropped.
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Carving out some time for solitude.
"Make sure you're setting aside time daily for journaling, meditation, or prayer. We need to make sure that we're allowing ourselves that time to tune into our thoughts, and how we're feeling in order to access how we're showing up for ourselves, and others."
Get your body moving.
"Physical activity is paramount. You need to keep your body [active] with whatever exercise makes you feel good (cardio, dance class, yoga, etc.) so that you can release those feel-good hormones called endorphins."
Paying attention to sleep.
"Far too often, we don't take into account how rest is related to our mental health. Studies have shown that 6-8 hours of sleep every night improves brain functionality, your muscles have the opportunity to recover, and your memory is processed and stored for learning. Getting enough sleep also allows you to feel energized and helps enhance your concentration."
Stay off your phone at least an hour before bedtime.
"Allowing your brain time to shut down before you go to bed. When you're scrolling before bedtime, your mind stays active, and long after you've put your phone down to go to sleep"
When police brutality videos surface online, don’t watch them.
"I understand that we're posting in an attempt to bring awareness, I also want you to reconsider what's happening. Because many of us are desensitized to those videos, we don't realize how they can impact us mentally. I think people need to know that you can still show solidarity and advocate while not sharing those videos that can trigger you. Also, consider turning off the autoplay button on your social media channels so that they don't just appear on your feed."
For those in therapy, remember that your work is for you.
"As a community, we often want to help one another, especially as it relates to healing (and even exploring therapy) but you need to remember that your work, is for you. And while it can be great for you to share what you're learning with your loved ones, and how helpful it's been for you, we have to remember that we are ultimately only responsible for ourselves."
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Dubbed one of the "21 Black Women Wellness Influencers You Should Follow" by Black + Well, Yasmine Jameelah continues to leave her digital footprint across platforms ranging from Forever 21 Plus, Vaseline, and R29 Unbothered discussing all things healing and body positivity. As a journalist, her writing can be found on sites such as Blavity, Blacklove.com, and xoNecole. Jameelah is also known for her work shattering unconventional stigmas surrounding wellness through her various mediums, including her company Transparent Black Girl. Find Yasmine @YasmineJameelah across all platforms.
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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Tyler James Williams Explains Why His And Quinta Brunson 'Abbott Elementary' Characters Should Remain Friends
While Abbott Elementary fans are hoping that Janine and Gregory end up together, the show’s star has another take. Tyler James Williams plays Gregory on the Emmy award-winning sitcom, and he recently stopped by The Jennifer Hudson Show to share his point of view on his storyline with Janine, which Quinta Brunson plays.
“I hate to say it. I know that everybody’s always mad at me for this. I don’t necessarily want to see them together,” he revealed. “It’s partially an actor’s choice, but also somebody who, like, I read a lot of scripts all the time. I watch a lot of TV, a lot of film. I don’t think that we see displays of platonic love between two people often. I think it’s really easy to go right to they have feelings for each other, therefore they should be together. I like this dynamic of exploring withholding that and just actively loving each other where they are. That I like to see more.”
If you recall, they were co-workers who became friends but were secretly crushing on each other. They’ve had many awkward run-ins during and after school, like the unforgettable club scene where they were dancing nervously with each other in season one, and in season two, they finally kiss. However, it only made things even more awkward, and they decided to just be friends. Tyler further explained why he thinks it’s important to showcase that type of relationship on screen.
“I think it’s time for that. I think TV allows people to see things that could be their lives for the first time, and I think seeing a healthy friendship that is deeply caring about one another in a work atmosphere needs to be shown more than the relationship,” he concluded.
Abbott Elementary comes on every Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
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