Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Your mental health, much like your physical health, will deteriorate if not prioritized. Habits to maintain your mental health should begin as early as possible. We learn to eat our veggies and exercise for at least 30 minutes a day from childhood, but we aren’t given the same tools for our mental health. Some quick facts regarding mental health:
50% of mental illness begins by age 14 years old
75% begins by age 24 years old
Source: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/warning-signs-of-mental-illness
Let’s think about that for a second. If you have some form of mental health issue there is a 50% chance that it began before you were even 14 years old. If you sprained your ankle at 14 and finally decided to do something about it at 30 years old that ankle is going to be in bad shape.
WOC in particular are at increased risk for mental health problems that result in long-lasting effects. Despite facing these rates, WOC are less likely to seek mental health support. In fact white women are almost twice as likely (21.5%) as Asian (5.3%), Black (10.3%), and Hispanic (9.2%) women to seek mental health care services (source: samhsa.org).
If prioritizing your mental health is high on your to-do list, here are some options to consider:
Therapy
Therapy provides a safe space to unpack personal, societal, and cultural challenges. For women of color, finding a therapist who understands and respects your cultural background is vital. It helps address issues like microaggressions, racial trauma, and the unique pressures faced in professional and personal life.
Medication
Medication can help manage mental health conditions like anxiety or depression, which may arise from compounded stressors such as systemic racism or societal pressures. Consulting a doctor ensures you're receiving safe, effective treatment personalized to your needs.
Important Note: Medication does not imply weakness. If you can take Advil for a headache, you can take Zoloft for anxiety. Medication has been stigmatized in our communities for far too long. This does not have to be your first resort. Give mindfulness a try, give prayer a try, give naturopathic alternatives a try. All of these options are amazing and for some they’ll do the trick, but if the time does come that you realize you need further assistance by way of medication- TAKE THE MEDICATION.
Journaling
Journaling offers an outlet for expressing feelings, especially those difficult to vocalize. It's a tool to process experiences, recognize patterns in emotions, and practice gratitude, which is linked to improved mental well-being. If you’re new to journaling try once a week. Maybe Sunday night to review your last week or Monday morning to prepare for the week to come. Journal two pages or two lines. Just give it a try.
Meditation and Mindfulness Practices
Meditation helps manage stress and anxiety by fostering mindfulness and emotional regulation. For women of color, it can be a way to center oneself amidst the complexities of navigating societal challenges, promoting grounding and inner peace.
Building a Support Network (Friends, Family, Mentors)
Having a strong support system can shield against stress and provide emotional security. For WOC, cultivating relationships with others who share similar experiences can help reduce feelings of isolation and reinforce resilience. Easier said than done, but you have to be very deliberate if you want to expand your social circle. After you finish formal education, whether that’s at the high school level or the PhD level, it can be challenging to find peers to hang out with. We recommend starting with your interests. If you like art, maybe take a painting class or join a local museum (yes, museum memberships are a thing!). Exercise your thing? Sign up for a class. There’s boxing, pilates, crossfit, as well as dance, soccer, and running clubs. Finding people with shared interests is an easy way to break the ice and points to other possible shared values. Note: this can’t be a one off kind of activity. Show up. Weekly. Get to know the other members. Again, be deliberate with your time.
Boundary Setting (Work, Relationships, Community)
Setting healthy boundaries is essential to prevent burnout, especially when faced with the expectations placed on WOC in both personal and professional contexts. Learning to say "no" is an act of self-preservation and prioritizing well-being. This especially pertains to work. Hustle culture is canceled. That’s no way to live and no way to thrive. Do not glamorize exhaustion. Do not normalize stretching yourself thin.
Practice Self-Compassion
WOC often face pressure to "be strong" or "push through" adversity. Practicing self-compassion allows space for vulnerability and emotional healing. It helps you be kinder to yourself, especially in a world that may not always affirm your worth. Start by replacing self-critical thoughts with supportive ones. Acknowledge your efforts and validate your feelings, especially during difficult moments. Hot Tip: Make a brain safe word. Mine is Purple Pineapple :) Whenever you find yourself being hypercritical or self-deprecating, use your brain safe word as a switch that alerts your mind that it’s time to move on. Next subject please!
Emotional Wellness
This is a slippery one. Let’s start by saying that all emotions are valid. However, not all emotions are helpful, healthy, or warranted. Validity is a matter of truth. If you are sad, that is a fact. No one can tell you that you are not sad. How you act on that sadness makes all the difference.
Tools learned in therapy can sometimes be weaponized to validate feelings in a way that is unsafe. Helpful phrases such as “these are my boundaries” and “well, that’s just how I feel” have been contorted to lessen accountability. Boundary setting is critical. Feeling your feelings is essential. We just have to do so in a way that doesn’t cause harm to ourselves or anyone else.
This is a conversation that we will continue to have. In our next article we’ll discuss actionable steps to take so that your mental health is a top priority
