It’s Mental Health Awareness Month and a great time to reflect on how you prioritize your mental wellness. It can be hard when you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of trying to survive under capitalism. For Black women who were raised to be strong and resilient, it can be especially difficult to pause and assess your current mental state.
While self-care has been a trend on social media for some time now, the growing visibility of Black women therapists is providing a more culturally relevant perspective to the conversation. They have been especially important when it comes to advocacy for improving Black women’s mental health. Women are twice as likely to experience depression, but Black women are only half as likely to seek treatment than their white counterparts. This may be in part due to mental health stigma in the Black community and lack of access to quality care.
Here are 5 pieces of encouragement from Black women mental health professionals on why mental health and wellness should be a priority in your everyday life.
You are more than your mental health
“Your joy is equally as important as your survival. Your joy is going to boost your survival. . . your depression, your anxiety, your diagnosis doesn’t define you. We can heal through joy.” — Niah Singletary
Pleasure is not a luxury, it’s a necessity
“We have long enough put pleasure in the department of just luxury, and it’s not. We deserve it. If you want me to live longer, to have less illnesses, to manage anxiety and depression, to soothe my nervous system and manage trauma, pleasure needs to be a part of my medicine.” — Dr. Joy Berkheimer
The revolution starts within you
“The inner revolution is connected to the outer revolution. Space is made for suffering so joy can also flourish. Healers remind activists of humanity and prevent burnout. Care for the spirit nurtures empathy, even for opponents.” — Candyce Anderson
Black sisterhood is healing
“In the sisterhood that Black women share, there is often a safety and an inherent feeling of support and acceptance that is affirming and, I believe, lifesaving.” — Dr. Joy Harden Bradford
Even when the seasons change, prioritize your self-care
“What made you happy at different points in the year. . . write them down often, so that way it becomes a consistent thing. If you like going to brunch with your friends, maybe you can make that a habit you can do twice a month or once a month. But also, be able to move those things that you do in the summertime and try to alter them for the winter.” — Iresha Picot