How I Thrive takes an inside look at founders, entrepreneurs and leaders and the behind-the-scenes self-care work they do to in order to live balanced, happy lives. Today's edition is with Black Girls Breathing founder who successfully re-watched all of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" during the pandemic in the name of a self-care and skips when she needs an instant joy-booster.
Age: 30
City: Atlanta, Georgia
Company: Black Girls Breathing, a company that helps Black womxn manage their mental and emotional health through breathwork and community.
Morning routine:
Hah! What routine? I wake up and create space for reflection of some sort, and as I find myself in a new life chapter, morning routines change every day and I'm giving myself space to continue to explore what works best for me in this moment.
The first thing I do after work:
Eat. I love to eat! I'll also probably turn on a favorite show to help ease into my evening, or a podcast depending on what day it is.
Dinner ritual:
I've been doing a weekly meal plan service from a local chef here in Atlanta named Kelsey. It's been so good for me on long work days, and it isn't bad from a budget perspective either. I'm not eating out as much, and the meals are less expensive than they would be if I ordered in. It would be so easy to just work through a meal, but I love my body and want it to feel good. Eating consistently is so necessary for that.
Nighttime routine:
My skincare routine is my yummy daily pampering reminder. I hear the voice of some of my favorite K-beauty influencers reminding me to "be gentle to the skin" when I'm doing my multi-step regimen that signifies to my brain to wind down.
Also— candles! After a certain time, I only have the dim light on in my kitchen, candles in every corner of my apartment, and a candle lamp. My senses are extremely sensitive, so I have to be mindful.
Self-care guilty pleasure:
During the pandemic, I successfully re-watched all seasons of "Real Housewives of Atlanta," and honestly, I don't think it's a guilty pleasure. I don't feel guilty about consuming TV that makes me laugh and takes me out of the heaviness of my work.
Workday self-care hack:
Yelling! It's such a release. If I feel the pressure mounting, I grab a pillow, yell into it and get back at it.
How do you define self-care?
An ever-evolving process of doing the work to discover your fundamental needs and giving them to yourself.
Favorite childhood toy or hobby:
State of your (email) inbox:
Priorities only. Maybe zero inbox one day, but it honestly puts more pressure on me than I need. I skim, delegate, forward, etc. But at this point, our team has certain boundaries in place so that I'm only getting looped in if necessary.
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