Why Holistic Wellness Matters for Black Women
by Anita Little, RUNGRL Contributor
The word “wellness” often brings to mind the image of lavender essential oils and filled-to-the-brim glasses of red wine. But true wellness encompasses so much more than that, especially when it comes to Black women and how we take care of ourselves.
It’s time to approach our well-being in a different way. Holistic wellness means looking at your health from a 360-degree vantage point, critically taking in all the habits, big and small, that impact your health and happiness. It can mean everything from keeping up with doctor checkups to firmly shutting your work computer at a set time each day.
Do you feel balanced and settled as you move through the world or do you feel pressed, stretched too thin? Black women are often put into positions where they’re expected to be everything for everyone, and frequently experience the latter.
If you’re feeling that you’ve lost sight of your holistic health, read on to discuss how to begin to find it again.
What is holistic wellness?
Holistic health is an approach to life that considers the intersecting aspects of wellness. It asks us to recognize and pay attention to the entire person: whether that's physical, social, emotional or spiritual. It’s about how one feels both inside and outside the context of the doctor’s office. Instead of only focusing on sickness or injury, following a holistic wellness practice means deeply considering a person’s life and their environment.
Why does holistic wellness matter for Black women?
Holistic wellness is associated with white women, but Black women stand to significantly gain from integrating wellness into their daily routes. The stakes are high. Due to the perfect storm of institutional racism and sexism Black women face as we navigate the world, we’re disproportionately at risk for potentially deadly health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, fibroids, on top of mental health challenges. We’re especially vulnerable in our interactions with the medical system as we’re less likely to be believed or given equitable treatment. Add that to the stress that comes with the disproportionate responsibility given to Black women within our families, and it results in major roadblocks to successfully prioritizing our own wellbeing.
The wellness movement is extremely whitewashed and not always welcoming to people from different backgrounds. By entering these spaces or just creating their own, black women can elevate not only their own wellness but that of their family and community.
How can Black women practice holistic wellness?
As with anything, it’s smart to start small. Living well doesn’t automatically mean a drastic life overhaul. No one expects you to go from your current habits to drinking green juice at the crack of dawn before going on a three-mile run. Show self-compassionate and change your day-to-day incrementally. Below are three areas where you infuse minor practices that have a major impact over time.
Get sleep. It’s something that we spend a third of our lives doing (the lucky ones anyways), and yet so many of us simply aren't good at it. Whether it's poor sleep hygiene or staying up too late, we don't prize a good night's sleep. Pulling all nighters and bouncing back the next day might have worked in high school but as we get older, getting adequate rest becomes more and more important to proper functioning.
Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night makes you more prone to mood swings and can impede your decision-making abilities or creativity. You won’t be able to concentrate or problem-solve as effectively. In addition it can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and weaken your immune system.
A few simple ways to get a more fulfilling snooze?
Control your environment. Is your bedroom a clean, quiet and relaxing place? Take steps to make your bedroom more of a refuge by removing clutter and distraction.
Clear your mind. Whether you spend five minutes doing some deep breathing or just reading a guilty pleasure novel, reset your brain for better sleep.
Don’t eat meals too late. Or drink alcohol. Consuming a large heavy meal before bed can disrupt your sleep hormones and drinking alcohol before bed can upset naturAL sleep patterns.
Don’t eat meals too late. Or drink alcohol. Consuming a large heavy meal before bed can disrupt your sleep hormones and drinking alcohol before bed can upset naturAL sleep patterns.
Get moving. Fitness can look different for everyone and no, you don't have to busting it up in the gym six nights a week to benefit from physical activity. Simple acts like going on a walk a few times a week or doing desk yoga as you clack away at your computer can pay dividends.
The pitfalls of a sedentary lifestyle are widely known. Not only does it increase the potential for unhealthy weight gain, it can lead to hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, depression, you name it.
The good news is there are easy ways to build more physical activity into your routine.
Go for a stroll. We mentioned this earlier but walking for just 30 minutes a day decreases body fat, increases endurance and improves cardiovascular health. (Can't’ do 30 minutes? Start with 15 minutes.)
Start your day with a stretch. When your alarm goes off in the morning, instead of leaping out of bed and rushing to get dressed, take 10 minutes to do some light stretching.
Try “deskercise.” Interrupt the hours you might spend sitting at your desk by grabbing some light hand weights. Do bicep curls or overhead extensions while you’re in between calls.
Get off. Whether it's with partners or yourself, sexual wellness can be a path to increased relaxation and self-confidence. It’s a newer concept than the other two practices listed above, but it factors into your wellbeing nonetheless.
Connecting with your intimate needs can and should be an important part of your life. Sexual pleasure can cut down on your stress levels, facilitate better bonding with your partner or deepen your own self-knowledge.
Experiment with new tools. Sex toys are great way to get to know yourself better on your own timelines and your own terms. It allows you to explore new sensations with less pressure and awkwardness.
Indulge in a CBD bath soak. There are few things more relaxing than sinking into a fragrant bubble bath. But you can kick it up a sensual notch by finding a CBD-infused one. It relaxes the muscles and creates a safe body high that can heighten self-pleasure.
Lose yourself in good erotic fiction. Sometimes sexual self-care can be as simple as turning the page. Steamy erotica can ignite your imagination and clear your head of nagging thoughts.
Lose yourself in good erotic fiction. Sometimes sexual self-care can be as simple as turning the page. Steamy erotica can ignite your imagination and clear your head of nagging thoughts.
Pursuing holistic wellness doesn't have to mean a huge life change. Tiny adjustments can carve out a meaningful difference that put you in a better state of being. In choosing to pursue our well-being, Black women are able to chart our own destinies and truly live our lives for us.
Disclaimer: Meal or product recommendations are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Before starting any new diet and exercise program please check with your doctor and clear any exercise and/or diet changes with them before beginning.
Anita Little
Contributor
Anita Little is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in Los Angeles. She has spent the past 10 years creating meaningful, human-centered storytelling for places like the ACLU, Playboy, Elle, Shopify and Salesforce.