Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

April is Stress Management Month


April is stress awareness month! Stress is the silent killer and the root of all diseases. Our primary focus should be on our health and holistic well-being.



Here are some things to help manage stress:

- Do a daily body scan: Check in with yourself and evaluate how you feel physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Seek help if you're experiencing any discomfort, chronic fatigue, depression, or anxiety.

- Take preventive care measures: Schedule regular check-ups to check your health. Get blood panels done to check for hypertension, autoimmune disease, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses.

- Move your body: Engage in physical activities such as walking, dancing, stretching, weightlifting, yoga, or any other exercise you enjoy. Moving your body can significantly help reduce stress.

- Rest: Rest is not a luxury but a necessity. It helps your body recover from the daily wear and tear of life. Make sure you get enough rest to function at your best.

- Let go of hurt and pain: Holding onto pain and suffering can lead to unnecessary stress and shorten our lives. Try to let go of negative emotions and focus on the positive.

- Set boundaries: We can't do everything for everyone and remain healthy. Learn to say no and refer people to therapy if needed. Prioritize your own health and well-being.

- Take your PTO and sick leave: Be bold and take time off when needed. Overworking yourself will only lead to exhaustion and burnout.
 

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Guest Post: Empower Your Introverted Self: A Comprehensive Self-Care Guide by Kevin D. Ogle

 


Navigating the maze of daily life can be overwhelming for many, but it's particularly taxing for introverts who find solace in solitude. A well-structured self-care strategy is not just a luxury but a necessity for introverts to maintain a balanced emotional, physical, and mental state. In this article from Brown Girl from Boston, we outline a thoughtful and sustainable self-care regimen designed explicitly for introverted individuals.

Unleash Your Artistic Talents

Initiating a self-care journey can often start with the simplest yet most profound activities. For introverts, creative outlets like painting, sketching, or digital art offer a sanctuary for self-expression and emotional renewal. Tapping into your artistic abilities helps you introspect and understand your innermost thoughts and primes you for future self-care actions. Creativity aligns your emotional and intellectual faculties, making focusing on other aspects of your well-being and lifestyle easier.

Commit to Health through Movement

As your emotional well-being starts to find its footing through creative pursuits, extending this balance to your physical self is crucial. Physical activity has an undeniable impact on your health, be it jogging, practicing yoga, or even dancing to your favorite tunes at home. Beyond the endorphin rush that naturally lifts your mood, regular exercise lays the foundation for better sleep and mental clarity, critical components of self-care.

Seek Services for Rehab or Refresh

With your body in a healthier routine and your mind at ease, take a moment to examine your lifestyle and relationships. Most of us enter adulthood with baggage of some sort. Determine whether yours is getting in the way of your happiness, and connect with services that help.

Another option is connecting with your insurance provider to determine your coverage for talk therapy. Many plans offer free options, like Teledoc or some such. Talk about things if you are irritable, sad, anxious, or complacent about things that shouldn’t be triggering you. A therapist can provide you with tools to move forward and live a more fulfilling life.

Escape Through Literary Journeys

Now that your mind is less cluttered and more focused, it's the perfect time to indulge in the quiet joy of reading. Books serve as gateways to different worlds, offering a break from reality that many introverts cherish. You might even want to dedicate a space in your home as a reading room or book nook. A window seat with a built-in bench or even a full-blown library can provide hours on end of enjoyment. If you need further justification, it could even be an asset to your home’s market value when executed aesthetically pleasingly.

Engaging with diverse narratives and perspectives can be as refreshing as enlightening, and this mental escapade further solidifies your emotional grounding.

Harmonize Solitude and Social Engagement

While the joy of solitude is irreplaceable for introverts, balancing this need for isolation with measured social interactions is vital. Prioritize quality conversations and meaningful experiences over empty social obligations. A cup of coffee and a good friend can be the perfect combination. Bear in mind that if you tend to feel anxious about connecting, you might monitor how much caffeine you take in. High-powered coffee drinks can contribute to jitters.

This harmonious balance enriches your emotional palette and equips you to derive greater pleasure from your solitary pursuits.

Maintain a Journal of Thankfulness

Gratitude is a powerful force for emotional well-being. To help keep the positives at the forefront of your mind, consider jotting down aspects of your life you are grateful for. A thankfulness journal not only boosts your mood but also serves as a reflective tool. You can revisit your entries during challenging times as a reminder of your personal growth and successful strategies.

Curate a Haven for Personal Renewal

It's crucial to have a physical space that reflects your need for solitude and emotional replenishment. A dedicated corner furnished with calming elements—soft cushions, gentle lighting, or even a small library—can be your sanctuary. This intimate space enables you to recharge efficiently, ensuring you have the energy to continue your self-care routine over the long term.

Master Calming Techniques

To weave together the different aspects of your self-care routine, delve into calming practices like mindfulness, meditation, or even progressive muscle relaxation. These techniques not only reduce stress but also improve your mental stamina. A holistic approach to relaxation complements the other facets of your self-care plan, resulting in a well-rounded regimen for sustained well-being.

 

For introverts, mastering the art of self-care is a complex yet rewarding endeavor that necessitates attention to emotional, physical, and mental facets. By embracing the various strategies outlined here, you lay down a strong foundation for a resilient and fulfilling life, tailored to meet the unique demands of your introverted nature.

Blog Post Author

Kevin D. Ogle

Anxious.biz 

Friday, August 27, 2021

FRAGILE VESSEL.... BLACK WOMEN


Much love and light to my tribe for this amazing panel. It’s an emotional panel discussing the plight of Black Women from the auction block to our city blocks. Grab some tissues and start doing the healing work.


Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Day 8 of The Holistic FLYness Challenge




Day 8: Holistic Plan
Affirmation: I will face difficult situations with grace and courage. I will find solutions in these difficult times.
Activity: Create your holistic plan and blueprint. This will be your guide to navigate your new normalcy. This plan should include affirmations, spiritual self-care, a workout plan, healthy living, and healthy eating, healthy coping skills, a survivor kit, and more.
Introspective Questions: Did you have an existing plan for preparedness? Are you a planner or spontaneous person? How are you navigating your new normalcy personally and professionally?

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Black Pain|Black Rage

"Can't come around
They gon' wanna bring you down

No one knows just what's inside.

Doing dope and doing time

Why are they messing with your mind
Black maybe..."

-Common, U Black Maybe

About a month ago, on the BGFB FB Page and blog, I briefly discussed how stress kills us! We often forget how stress manifests into a Black rage and Black pain, which silently kills us slowly and daily. Anger, pain, and trauma all coincide with being Native Black in America, dealing with constant mistreatment, no upward mobility, unstable and unhealthy environments, and continuous lying that everybody is okay. Being Native Black in America consists of a complicated and unhealed journey of involuntarily inflicting pain, abuse, use, and mistreatment from others who inflicted pain and rage upon us.  

Black people are empathic, probably too empathic and forgiving when we shouldn't be. We extend our grace and mercy too often while others don't reciprocate it. As Native Black Americans/Descendant of Chattel Slavery, we often put aside our issues and, unfortunately, take on the problems of folks who don't care about us or acknowledge our horrible history of mistreatment here on the same soil our ancestors built, bleed farm, and died on.    

When we are in a state of rage, sometimes we tend to project that onto other Native Blacks through respectability politics. You know the pound cake speech:

"You should straighten your hair if you want to be respected by White Folks." 
"You should code-switch and talk this way to be accepted by the masses." "You should send your children to this school over there for better opportunities." 
"You should do this, that, and the third for acceptance."

Whose acceptance and at what cost? How is that acceptance working out for those who are assimilating and conforming or perhaps trying to escape Blackness? 

It doesn't work for us because we are always in internal rage. After all, you are trying to achieve this unrealistic and sabotaging perfection non-existence. (https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/4/4/17189310/martin-luther-king-anniversary-race-inequality-racism

Internalizing our rage is killing us and has been killing us since the beginning of time. Please let it out and not let internalized anger slowly kill you. Releasing rage is unpacking years of unlearning unhealthy coping mechanisms such as self-abuse, self-loathing, and self-sabotaging behaviors. Unfortunately, we can't unlearn and unpack centuries of trauma from slavery, disenfranchisement, broken families, no wealth, and injustice. It is okay to be mad AF because to be Black in America, you are already in a state of rage daily. Just don't stay angry; do something productive about it: 
  • Advocate for Black Americans through 1:1 and group therapy and healing modalities.
  • Support Black organizations, institutions, schools, and non-profits through volunteerism or donation or sending your children or family members to these institutions.
  • Get involved with local community politics and help your fellow family members and community members progress.  
Do something productive with that rage instead of suppressing and internalizing it. Internalizing pain and irritation develop incurable diseases. Rage is depression (inward anger), passive-aggressive, saying you are okay when you aren't. Please stop walking around with a fake smile, but you are a ticking time bomb. These behaviors are damaging and detrimental to your holistic health.

Masking our Black Pain and Rage is a daily coping mechanism that is vaguely discussed because we don't want to play into the stereotype of being an Angry Black Woman or Man. How can every other human unleash and unpack their hurt and pain, but we must internalize it all for the sake of looking pristine, holding onto a career or fragile self-image? When are we going to individually and collectively heal our rage and pain?

Saturday, May 6, 2017

25 Tips for Self-Care For Brown Girls



Sister-Woman, it is time to take care of yourself. Check out twenty-five ways, you can care for yourself everyday, all day. 


1.Self Nurturing Activities
2.Going for a walk in nature
3.Silent Tea Time
4. Taking a warm bath
5. Listening to relaxing music in stillness
6. Color in an Adult coloring book
7. Practice focus breathing
8. Practice tension release exercises
9. Practice Yoga
10. Take a Nap
11. Prepare and eat a nutrient dense meal
12. Take yourself out on a date
13. Buy yourself some flowers
14. Schedule a massage
15. Schedule a mani & pedi
16. Read a chapter in an inspirational book
17. Plan a staycation or vacation
18. Dance in the mirror
19. Enjoy some aromatherapy
20. Go to bed earlier
21. Get your laugh on
22. Meditate
23. Write a love letter to yourself
24. Explore a new hobby or pastime
25. Spend quality time with people that support you
For More Self-Care For Brown Girls, please check out the ebook: https://payhip.com/b/E6nA

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Part 1 of My Life With Fibroids: Pre- Laparoscopic Myomectomy Surgery





I am going through two major life transitions at the same damn time...1. I am packing up my entire home and relocating Down South, and I am finally getting my fibroids removed. Lawd have mercy on my uterus, vagina, and reproductive organs. I am one of millions of Black women who are of childbearing age who suffer from heavy menstrual cycles, unexplained weight gain, long and miserable periods, pelvic pressure, frequent urination, depression, anxiety, lowered self-esteem, and more. I am very thankful that these fibroids will be gone from my life.


According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 80-90% of African-American women will develop fibroids by age 50. Some may have no symptoms but hundreds of thousands like myself will deal with symptoms. If this is you, please seek immediate attention. If your gynecologist doesn't listen, fire him/her and get answers from another professional. I live in Providence and had to go all the way to Massachusetts General Hospital and hire Dr. Douglas Brown to help solve my issues, and he will be my surgeon. Check out the Fibroid Study at MGH. Also, don't allow any physician to tell you that you need a hysterectomy, especially if you don't have any children. They can remove fibroids and keep your uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. If you are a Black Woman, they will try to push that on you due to decreasing the number of Black Babies being born, take your cells like Henrietta Lacks, and do God knows what. You can get a myomectomy, a surgical procedure that removes the fibroids while leaving the uterus intact. It is a minimally invasive surgery with 4-5 incisions via your belly button and other areas of your stomach.


I will show you and explain more during Part 2 of my Post-Laparoscopic Myomectomy Surgery!


This is part 1 of my video about dealing with submucosal fibroids, which wreak havoc on your entire beautiful life. Come check out how I have coped for two years and what led me to finally say enough is enough.
I have been suffering from submucosal fibroids for about two years along with hypothyroidism. I am finally getting my laparoscopic myomectomy surgery at Mass General Hospital in Boston, MA. No more suffering with fibroids. If you are suffering from fibroids, this video is for you.


If you reside within the New England Area, please check out Dr. Brown at the 
MGH Fibroid Study: www.massgeneral.org/fibroids

Supplements Used during PMS and shrinking fibroids. 
Liquid Vitamin D
SSS Tonic/Geritol
Heating Pad with Castor Oil
Moon Cycle Tea by Yogi
Eliminate dairy
Red Raspberry
DIM
Pau d'Arco tea
Black Cohosh herbs
Mangosteen Juice 




Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Health, Wealth, and Beauty Bazaar


On behalf of the Rhode Island Young Professionals, Brown Girl From Boston, Holistic Roots Movement, Ambitious Black Feminist, and Bliss Salon, we cordially invite you to our 1st ever Health, Wealth and Beauty Bazaar. The purpose of our event is promote healthy living and shopping at the many local businesses we have in Rhode Island. There will be a yoga class (beginners/intermediate), soul line dancing (all levels welcome), natural hair care panel discussion and demonstration, and over 30 local vendors selling various items that people can have in time for the holidays.

Details are as follows:

What: Health, Wealth, and Beauty Bazaar
When: November 21st, 2015, 9am-3pm
Where: Salvation Army, 386 Broad Street Providence, RI
Agenda:

9-9:55 – Yoga w/ Satta (Gym)
10-10:55 – Soul Line dancing w/ Elanor (Gym)
11-12 – "How to Turn Your Dreams into Profit" Business Coaching seminar w/ Andrea (Chapel)
12-12:50 Hair care demo w/ Bliss Salon (Gym)*
1-2 Hair care panel various hairstylists (Chapel)*
* - NEW Hair Care Questionnaire
Have a question about hair? Submit them to the panelists ahead of time using the following link: http://bit.ly/1PjmSEv
Vendors include:
Felicia Love Beauty, Dr. Philip Chiropratic, Black Latina Bella Negra LLC, Herbalife, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and more vendors listed soon!
Questions or Inquries? Please contact the following:
General inquiries: Mary Gwann, mary.gwann@gmail.com
Hair Care: Satta Jallah, sjallah401@aol.com
Business Seminar: Andrea Imafidon, drea@browngirlfromboston.com

Hope to see you there!