

Whether you're working remotely, slowly trickling back into the office, or you've been an essential worker from day one of the pandemic, finding work-life balance is probably something that has become an elusive, frustrating goal. Nevertheless, it's an important one since Black households have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of COVID—financially, physically, and mentally—and many Black professionals fill the ranks of essential worker jobs. Protecting your sanity and putting a focus on wellness are important since you'll need to be your best self to thrive in the current environment, especially if you're in leadership positions.
Some of us have already done the basics of shifting priorities or setting both physical and mental boundaries between personal and business, but what's the new work-life balance for today's version of normal? Try these five steps to upgrade and find what works for you, your job, and your lifestyle.
1.Assess what work-life balance even looks like—and how it might change from day to day.
If I've only learned one major lesson from the hundreds of powerful executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs I've interviewed in my more than 15 years in journalism, it's that work-life balance doesn't always look the same for everyone. We can often hit a wall when we try to fit cookie-cutter efforts into lives that might not be so black-and-white. True, the main principle of it all is to be sure you're not overworking yourself into burnout, but there is a such thing as burning out due to trying to create the perfect version of balance. It's a good idea to take some time to consider your daily habits, your lifestyle, and your work day obligations, when trying to figure out what work-life balance realistically means for you.
2.Set micro-goals for areas where a balance shift is needed.
Some of us have productivity down pat or we've been delivered from the procrastination demons of the past, but we still struggle with saying yes to that new workout routine or we totally fall short with being fully present for bae or the kids. Instead of tackling overall work-life balance in a macro way, try setting small goals that will lead to big results. Let's say you can't commit to an hour per day of workouts. Experts recommend starting out with 15-30 minute high-intensity workouts or spacing workouts out to every other day. If you find yourself totally confident in closing deals but not being present for loved ones due to lack of sleep, etch out some time to talk to a therapist, write in a journal, or use a sleep meditation app. All work and no play? Try starting a new mood-boosting hobby like crafts, gardening, or photography and make a project of it.
3.Get a coach or accountability partner.
Listen, the proof is in the numbers. Research has shown that more than 70 percent of professionals who get help in the form of coaching benefit "from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills." If you're trying to make new moves in the realm of work-life balance, hire someone who will help you. They can create a plan of action based on a change such as a new job, a recent health issue, a relocation, or a change in finances (whether a decrease or increase). They can also be your support through the process. Research coaches via the Web or social media and make sure they have references and actual results.
You can also tap into your network or join a group to find a great accountability partner to ensure that you're following through on your goals to find balance.
4.Use technology to your advantage.
Simple actions like setting an alarm on your phone for stopping your work day, nap breaks, or meetings can really help you create habits that help make work-life balance a priority. Treat your time like a lawyer or therapist paid by the hour, and let the alarm be your way of reclaiming your time, as our good auntie Maxine Waters says. Also, don't overlook built-in extras in your favorite apps or on your phone like the Screen Time feature on the iPhone or the "Your Activity" tracker on Instagram. Once you're able to see how much time you're spending doing certain things and you're able to set limits, you can shift that time into doing something that ensures more work-life balance.
You can also invest in apps that are specifically for finding or protecting work-life balance. Try TimeTune (Android) and ATracker (iPhone) to monitor how you spend your time and create scheduled tasks. Apps like Cozi house your to-do lists, journals, and shopping lists all in one place, while apps like Weekly Planner (Android) or Week Plan (for iPhone) allow you to plan out your week. There are also so many apps that you can use to meditate, schedule affirmations notifications, or keep you accountable for fitness goals.
5.Incorporate new wellness trends into your work day.
We all love a good sale, but if you'd like to upgrade in the area of wellness, it might be time to unsubscribe to some of those retail newsletters and sign up for fitness or mental health lists. Check out platforms like Black Girl In Om, Heal Haus, or Ethel's Club. You can take a workday break to check in on the latest trends via email and connect with others who are balancing their lives through wellness. Or try something new for your lunch hour: a "walk and talk therapy," "touchless" spa service, or a "distant reiki session"—all trends set to become more and more popular this year.
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On her debut album,CTRL,SZA crooned about her desire to be a “Normal Girl.” Now, nearly eight years since its release, her Not Beauty line represents her commitment to existing outside of traditional beauty norms.
The singer whose real name is Solána Imani Rowe first teased the idea of a lip gloss line during Super Bowl LIX in February, noting that the release would be happening “very shortly.” Not Beauty debuted simultaneously with the Grand National Tour, which she co-headlines with Kendrick Lamar, in Minneapolis on April 19.
Each Not Beauty pop-up would offer fans the opportunity to purchase the glosses, learn more about the brand, and have the opportunity to meet the superstar in the flesh regardless of their ticket status.
During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
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So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
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What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
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Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
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Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
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Meet Kiara Walker: The Bold New Voice Giving Men A Safe Space To Be Real On ‘xoMAN’
Kiara Walker was born to entertain. Her childhood experiences helped shape her destiny as a media personality, and now she’s taking her talents to xoNecole.
A Dallas, Texas native and Atlanta transplant, Walker will host the newest Will Packer Media and xoNecole production, xoMAN podcast. This fresh podcast series provides a platform for authentic and transformative conversations that bridge the gap between the introspection men crave and their real-life experiences.
xoMAN started as an Instagram Live series and is now a full-cast production, with Walker as the host. Initially, she was skeptical about joining as the new host of xoMan. Not because she doesn’t have the chops to thrive in the role, but because coming in on something that wasn’t her original idea initially seemed daunting for the media personality.
However, since she loves a challenge, the CockTales: Dirty Discussionspodcast host embraced the task with an open heart and mind.
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“I was like, this is a cool concept, so I’m so glad that they decided to turn it into a podcast,” Walker tells xoNecole. “It’s been interesting to take somebody else’s idea and try to turn it into a thing, put it together, and bring it to fruition. I am anxious, nervous, and all things, but above all, I’m excited.”
When xoNecole's managing editor Sheriden Garrett approached Walker to take on the position, it felt like fate. She had previously attempted to get Garrett on her CockTales platform about six or seven years ago due to her expertise in the love and relationship space.
“I was like, wait, y’all listen to the show? And you want me to host a show where I’m only talking to men? And I’m listening to them and not giving them a hard time? I say that because sometimes I feel like, on my show, I may come off like I don’t even like men," she says.
"I love men, but it can be frustrating sometimes on that platform, social media, and other places when they continue to regurgitate the same rhetoric about what I like to call Twitter topics, like constantly talking about who’s paying as a man, as a woman. You should do this. You should do that…It’s been cool hearing the stories with the men we’ve spoken to so far at xoMAN, hearing these stories, and hearing them let their guards down.”
A Howard graduate, Walker almost didn’t enter the world of media after listening to advice from elders who said she would make a great lawyer because she loves to debate topics and sometimes argue (haha).
"It’s been cool hearing the stories with the men we’ve spoken to so far at xoMAN, hearing these stories, and hearing them let their guards down.”
After traveling to the nation’s capital to study political science, Walker soon discovered that her only motivation for becoming an attorney was the potential income and witnessing how boss women like Erika Alexander’s Maxine Shaw character on Living Single would look in their suits as career women.
“I realized that this was for real,” she says, studying law at Howard. “This is a lot of work, and when you think about what you do, I was like, this is not a performance, and I just wanted to talk. I wasn’t trying to defend anyone.”
A visit to a fair showcasing the different organizations on Howard’s campus, combined with her affinity for celebrity gossip and entertainment news, ultimately led Walker to explore a radio career. Soon, she auditioned for a show and landed the gig. By the spring semester, she was on the radio, ultimately leading her to switch her major to journalism with a concentration in broadcast news.
Soon after earning her degree in the field, Walker decided she didn’t want to do anything related to hard news. Instead, she became involved in lifestyle content. She used her friends' love of hearing her stories to motivate her to get into podcasting.
The rest is, as they say, history.
“Before podcasts became what they are, I was in a living room with a microphone before ultimately moving to a studio and refining the show. I loved it and knew people were listening because I monitored the analytics and everything," she explains.
"When we decided to do a live show, the show sold out in two weeks, and I was so nervous. I was like, 'Are we ready? Are we gonna be able to sell out this venue?' We didn’t have any sponsorship. We were still independent and had to front the money for everything.”
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“When they sold out in two weeks, not only did I price my tickets too low, but I thought, wow, we’ve got something. I was like, people spent money to hear me and my co-host talking about our shitty love lives. This is wild, all from an idea in my head. It made me feel like I was on the right path and encouraged me to stop doubting myself. I have imposter syndrome," she reveals.
"Even to this day, I’m constantly biased. But it’s like, if not me, then who? And, like, why not me? If people can do it with way less and way more. I’ve been trying to encourage myself and other people to eliminate the doubt that we have in ourselves so we can do whatever it is we want to do. I love it. No matter how many sleepless nights I have, I will continue to have bags under my eyes until the end of time because I’m enjoying it.”
"I have imposter syndrome. Even to this day, I’m constantly biased. But it’s like, if not me, then who? And, like, why not me? If people can do it with way less and way more. I’ve been trying to encourage myself and other people to eliminate the doubt that we have in ourselves so we can do whatever it is we want to do."
In between garnering a strong social media presence for her work as a podcast host, lifestyle influencer, and beyond, Walker has managed to use her many gifts and talents, like cooking, and most importantly, giving a strong opinion about the things she does (or doesn’t) believe in to carve out a lane of her own.
As she embarks on this chapter as the host of xoMAN, where she has already spoken with actors Devale Ellis and Skyh Black and Dear Future Wifey podcast host Laterras R. Whitfield, Walker hopes that it encourages people, especially women, to look at their male counterparts from a different perspective.
“I hope that anyone listening can listen to the first few episodes, hear how different each man is, and learn to let down whatever preconceived notions you have about me or a specific man, whoever it is in your life," she says. "Just listen, talk to them, ask them how they feel, and listen with an open mind, without thinking that you already know what the answer is.”
“I just hope that people learn to, again, not put people in boxes and make the other person, whoever it is, men specifically for this show, but sit down and talk with an open mind and listen to understand, not to respond. Help someone feel safe.”
xoMAN officially launches on Tuesday, June. 17.
Feature image courtesy