10 Helpful Self-Care Tips For Young Black Women

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare”

~Andre lourde.

We hear the term “self-care” all the time, but it’s difficult to define exactly what it means. The Oxford Dictionary defines the term as, “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s well-being and happiness, particularly during periods of stress.” Self-care is a subversive act since it involves prioritizing your own needs, expectations, and well-being over those of others.

To be honest, we currently live in delicate times, especially for members of the black community and we owe it to ourselves to look after one another. Self-care is essentially needful for black women’s physical and mental excellence. We devote so much of our time to meeting the needs of others — family, friends, coworkers, and spouses — that we often neglect our own. In the long run, this can certainly be harmful to us.

On days where we decide to treat ourselves, we go on lavish vacations, spa days, and buy expensive gifts. But it’s important to remember that self–care is a daily practice, not a once-in-a-while event. Standing strong in this truth requires protecting your energy and prioritizing your mental health.

Self-care should never be viewed as a one-time event. Self-care requires discipline and consistency. You must reach a point where you love yourself so much that you resolve to put yourself first every day; you must allow this to happen naturally.

Every human being on this earth needs to practice self-care as it allows you to get more clarity, develop a deeper sense of purpose, and present yourself in your interactions in a healthier way.

Black women are smart individuals who must begin to care for themselves on the inside as much as the outside. Because we are concerned about everything that makes black women thrive at Afrolady, we’ve put together ten ways you can practice self-care regularly. It’s time for you to look after yourself, sis.

Self-Care Tip 1: Exercise Your Mind And Body Regularly

One of the core components of taking self-care into priority is exercise. Consistent exercise has been linked to higher productivity and mental attention, according to research. Exercise is useful not just physically but also mentally.

By doing 20 to 60 minutes of strenuous activity every week, which is characterized by heart racing and body sweating, you can boost your cardiovascular activity, burn extra calories and most importantly, produce endorphins in the brain which can aid in stress reduction and depression management, as well as lowering stress chemicals like cortisol in the body.

This means that exercising daily can assist you in becoming more focused and present with your partner, children, and yourself. Developing self-care through exercise includes letting go of self-inflicted guilt. As our stress levels rise, our bodies release stress hormones, which may trigger our “fight or flight” response. Stress causes a rise in heart rate, difficulty in breathing, and perspiration.

Exercise can aid in the reduction of overall stress levels. Researchers discovered that body exercise reorganizes the brain to promote stress resilience. Exercise has also been demonstrated to boost mood by raising endorphin levels as it helps you get better sleep.

Mental exercise, on the other hand, involves the care of your psychological well-being. Our mental health is strongly influenced by the way we think and the things we occupy our heads with. Doing things that keep your mind sharp, such as puzzles or learning about a subject that interests you, are examples of mental self-care. Reading books or viewing movies that inspire you may help to keep your thoughts going.

Self-Care Tip 2: Meditation

Meditation is a type of self-care that includes physical, emotional, psychological, and personal self-care.

In actuality, you may develop a high-quality, consistent self-care routine without spending any money on “self-care-specific” goods. Meditation is an excellent example of costless self-care. It’s something that everybody can do, and it’s something that everyone should try!

There are numerous physical and mental advantages of meditation. It lowers stress, regulates anxiety, lowers depression symptoms, connects you to your inner self, encourages self-discovery, boosts emotional intelligence, self-awareness, gratitude, and enhances sleep.

Over the last few years, meditation has grown in popularity, with more people becoming interested in and witnessing the many advantages of mindfulness in everyday life. Most of us appear to be hurrying around, attempting to accomplish too many things at once, and barely able to catch our breath.

Then there’s meditation. Because it puts you in the present, this ancient practice is ideal for modern life. Meditation has numerous advantages and can help you with more than just your mental health.

Being present with yourself is an excellent technique to reclaim your energy. You’re aware of every breath, movement, thought, and the entirety of your body.

This presence allows you to let go of stress, relax your body and remove any tension, fully experience your emotions and approach yourself with love. At any moment, meditation is a fantastic approach to reconnect with your inner self and create self-awareness of your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual states.

Self-care is an amazing approach to nurture, restore, and honor your mind, body and spirit when it comes to health and wellness. Incorporating meditation into your self-care practice is an excellent method to address all aspects of your well-being. As a result, there will be a greater sense of overall well-being.

Self-Care Tip 3: Listen To Your Favorite Podcasts

With the amount of time we spend at work, with our families, at home, and with other everyday duties, it’s relieving that more of us are fast turning to self-help podcasts to help us fine-tune our lives. They’re educational, entertaining, and relatable, and you can listen to them whenever you choose.

In these troubled times, listening to a meditation podcast can help you calm down. Because meditation can activate your brain stem, thalamus, and auditory cortex, it can help you relax. As a result, the hormone oxytocin is released by your brain. It’s known as the “love hormone” since it’s produced by your pituitary gland and is linked to empathy, trust, and the formation of relationships. Oxytocin has been shown in tests to lower tension and anxiety, according to Medical News Today. Meditation podcasts are ideal for unwinding, or even bedtime, because the soothing sounds of nature, music, or white noise can help blot out distracting surrounding noises.

According to a 2016 study out of UC Berkeley, listening to narrative storytelling (much like podcasts) can stimulate numerous sections of the brain – thus whether you’re looking for an adrenaline rush from true crime podcasts or a comedy podcast to enhance your endorphins, there’s something for everyone.

Work is easier when you multitask.

The best thing about listening to podcasts is that you can listen on the move! You can learn something new anytime and wherever you desire. This hands-free, eye-free kind of entertainment will make your morning commute and daily duties more enjoyable. Listening to music while folding laundry, cooking dinner, or doing the dishes will make your chores seem much easier. Podcasts bring a leisurely type of multitasking to your calendar in a world where we constantly seem to be busier and busier attempting to combine job and personal time.

Self-Care Tip 4: Moisturize Your Skin

Don’t forget the skin, ladies! Moisturizing keeps your skin healthy and refreshed at all times. When your skin looks and feels healthy, it contributes to your general self-esteem and productivity attitude.

Self-Care Tip 5: Drink Enough Water And Mind Your Business

Minding your business is the key to longevity and a good heart. “Water and self-care?” I know what you’re thinking. “How do you combine the two?” Drinking water is, in fact, one of the most important aspects of excellent self-care. Water is an essential component of maintaining a healthy and happy body, mind, and general state of being.

Self-care refers to the activities you do for yourself to help you contain stress and be happy. You are committing to love yourself when you commit to improving your self-care. Drinking water demonstrates that you are concerned about your mental and physical well-being.

Many individuals undervalue the importance of drinking water and the benefits it can provide to your complexion and overall health. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, protecting you, storing lipids and water, limiting fluid loss, and regulating your temperature. The most natural technique to achieve that gleaming, beautiful, and healthy skin we all desire is to drink more water.

Self-Care Tip 6 : Try Something New; Explore New Hobbies

Trying something new is the best approach to find a new hobby. Because we are all individuals, our hobbies and interests differ. Once we’ve discovered an activity that we enjoy, we can delve deeper into it. When you grow addicted to a hobby, you will realize that it has become an important part of your life. Hobbies allow you to improve your quality of life. Hobbies allow you to relax while still being mentally productive. Hobbies are beneficial to one’s health and may reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Taking part in a hobby for a few hours a week can help you avoid depression and stimulate self-care routines.

Hobbies can help you push the boundaries of your imagination, perceive the world in new ways, and create the mental space you need to come up with brilliant ideas. You take on new challenges when you devote yourself to a passion, which motivates you to learn new ways to develop.

Self-Care Tip 7: Be Intentional About Laughter

Laughter heals the body and the soul. The deep belly laugh is one of the nicest pleasures in the world. It can bring people together and form incredible bonds. The temperature of a room can alter from chilly unfamiliarity to a warm family-like vibe with anything from a modest giggle to a side-splitting guffaw. Laughter is the physical indication of finding something amusing, and it can assist to lower inflammation and stress hormones, as well as improve circulation and immune system function. Humor allows you to see things new and unexpectedly, not to render things tough, or to ignore sorrow and suffering, but to allow us to view the lighter side of life as a way of releasing tension more often. It is one of the best ways to improve self-care and mental health.

Self-Care Tip 8: Try Cooking A New Dish

Cooking is therapeutic. To Be frank, cooking has a bit of a terrible rep. It is commonly placed as a task and hence it is generally thought to be difficult, stressful, and timely. Watch every ad release on the television and you will see a woman wipe off perspiration, or smash a device while preparing to dine. It’s presented to us as if the job should be prevented and dreaded, but the fact is that it’s one of the best presents for your health.

You have to make cooking a fun part of your daily self-care regimen. You have to cook your food, not what you believe you should eat. Cooking or baking will boost your brain and make you feel warm and fluffy.

Self-Care Tip 9: Worship And Pray

Communicating our deepest fears, worries, and insecurities to someone else is said to lessen the grief and burden. When you do it to someone who is interested in your affairs and who would reciprocate every of your anxiety with love, you know you’re doing it right. Talking and communicating through prayers to God helps you genuinely purge yourself of toxic thoughts as it fills you with the assurance of God’s genuine promises and love.

We constantly hear about how important it is to take care of ourselves physically, psychologically, and emotionally, but as Christians, we must also take care of ourselves spiritually. Or, to put it another way, we should let God take care of our spiritual needs. Every day, he has so much to share with us, and we frequently miss it because we’re so preoccupied with setting and keeping our daily schedules. Letting God into your space is also one of the most effective ways to practice self-care at all times.

Self-Care Tip 10: Take A Break From Social Media

It cannot be denied that social media is an enormous element of contemporary life and it can be very beneficial and upsetting. Moreover, connecting is good, particularly with people we often do not see. But we know too that social media can be a narrow path to despair, soleness, fear, and low self-esteem.

If you take time off social media, it means you are free for other activities which are excellent for both the brain and the body: activities such as the possibility to learn about nature, more time to get to know oneself, restful periods of sleep, e.t.c. This would go a long way to culminating in your general self-care routines.

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