Reclaim Your Wellness: The Art of Self Care
By: Taylor Valentine, Marketing Specialist, The Channel Company
Let’s start this blog by ripping the band aid off…ready? One. Two. Three! Statistics show that less than half of Black women engage in regular physical activity, and the toll of this, paired with the additional stressors we face increases our risks for heart disease, diabetes, and other health challenges. I want to add to this:, I believe what also hurts us is not taking more time for ourselves. But this isn’t a story about what we’re not doing—because let’s be honest, the world asks too much of us already. This is about rewriting the narrative. It’s about giving ourselves permission to slow down, to breathe deeply, to prioritize joy over grind. I put forth this question for us to consider: What if being strong isn’t about how much we can carry, but how well we care for ourselves?
In my early 20’s, I thought I was having a heart attack. This was during college where I was stressed about handling a 40-hour work week, going to school full-time, and on top of this having a weekend job to help bridge the gap and having enough money for my bills. One day after stressing about a deadline for a paper I stopped to notice my heart was “fluttering” (which I now know was heart palpitations), my mind and heart were racing miles a minute and I quickly went to the ER to have myself checked. There were hours of tests, EKGs, and nurses coming through to ask “How are you?” and tell me my test results would be back shortly. During those hours I found myself worried SICK about what I was doing wrong. What could have led to this? Finally, I got my results…everything was normal? What I actually was experiencing was an anxiety attack. It was a shock to me because I never associated myself with having anxiety. Also, I was the self-care QUEEN! I had all the face masks from Sephora, I had the lavender lotions that promised to “help you relax” after the shower and the “relaxation” room sprays. How could I have anxiety?
At 27, I started to get more honest with myself. I realized after stressing all day at work on a miscellaneous project and worrying about whatever issue in my personal life in the mist of work, the only slither of wind down time I gave myself was plopping on the couch to watch TV or doomscroll until dinner... take a shower, go to bed and do it all again tomorrow. A loop of stress and being sedentary.
The most walking I would do in a day was going from the parking lot to the grocery store and back, or into the mall to buy another “self-care” item that I didn’t need and that wasn’t doing me as much good as I thought. I asked myself "Is this who you want to be at 40? Even 50?” This sedentary life with the added anxiety/stress was a recipe for disaster.
My entire life, I never played a sport, never was active, hated breaking a sweat because my hair would get wet. The moment I decided that wasn’t going to be me, my life changed. We tell ourselves “Black don’t crack” but it does when you’re not showing up as your best self. Many of us can name sisters, aunts, and grandmothers who are struggling every day with their health. Unfortunately, I know black women who have suddenly passed due to health issues. These are sad stories we hear too often, but we have the ability to rewrite the narrative.
At 29, 30 is now knocking right at my door. Instead of being afraid, I’ve been ushering in my 30’s with opening arms because I’ve been working to change my own narrative:
- I ran my first 5k last year (you would have thought I won the Olympics how proud of myself I was)
- Started acupuncture (very interesting stuff)
- Dived into the world of Pilates and all the apparatus equipment
- Began playing tennis for fun
- Began taking pottery seriously, learning the skill, and getting better all the time
Over these next few weeks in February, I will be sharing some of the things I’ve been doing to show up as the person I want to be in my 30’s in more detail. Even if you’re 40, 50, or 60+ it’s never too late to start! When was the last time you went on a walk, with no headphones and just enjoyed nature? When was the last time you got up to run around with your kids? When was the last time you took a day for yourself to just work on arts & crafts? Every Friday for Black History Month, I will be posting in the WOTC discussion board with ways we can progress as black women. It’s our time to inspire one another with real self-care.
