Tia Mowry Reveals How She’s Been Able To Find Herself Again After Being Alone For The First Time In Years
Tia Mowry is in her independent woman era.
The actress and entrepreneur is basking in her new chapter as a single woman and opening up about the fundamental lessons she learned while enjoying the solitude. This instance comes at a point in Mowry's life as she goes through major changes, including the pending divorce from her estranged husband, Cory Hardrict.
Last October, Mowry filed for divorce from Hardrict after 14 years of marriage and over two decades together. Although details surrounding the couple's split were never made public, Mowry and Hardrict have remained civil as they co-parent their two children.
While attending Essence's Black Women in Hollywood celebration last month, Mowry expressed to E! News on the red carpet how the change has affected her and the power of self-love.
Tia on Being Alone and the Importance of Self-Love
In the discussion on March 14, the star revealed that since her breakup with Hardrict, this is the first time she has been alone professionally and personally in years.
Before making a name for herself by starring in various hit projects like The Gameand Family Reunion, Mowry rose to fame alongside her twin sister Tamera Mowry in the hit series Sister, Sister in the 1990s. The mother of two disclosed that the absence of her sister and a romantic partner caused her to focus on her self-love journey.
"I've always been next to someone. I've always had my sister [Tamera Mowry-Housley], side-by-side next to me and this is kind of the first time that I've ever been by myself," the 44-year-old said. "And so, I'm just really learning about myself, loving on myself and being optimistic and positive. Life is short, so just focus on the positive."
When the topic shifted to how an individual could overcome a breakup, Mowry advised others to love themselves and extend grace as they go through the process.
"I would say just love yourself. Self-love is the most important thing. Spend time with yourself, have grace with yourself," she stated.
Tia on Prioritizing Oneself Following a Breakup
This isn't the first time Mowry has opened up about her self-love journey. Last November, a month after filing for divorce from Hardrict, Mowry shared with fans in an Instagram video the three things she's holding onto as she started her new life.
The list included Mowry surrounding herself with those she loved, such as family and friends, practicing self-care mainly through exercise and meditation, and setting boundaries. In addition to the clip, Mowry also stated in the caption that it is essential for individuals to prioritize their needs because that is "where true self-love really begins."
"Through this journey of becoming my own, I don't have to be alone. Prioritize your needs with the same love and commitment you give to others because that's where true self-love really begins, " she wrote.
To this day, Mowry continues to shine her light and unapologetically live in her truth.
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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. 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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