Last updated on March 8th, 2023 at 12:14 pm

Life has ebbs and flows, and challenges can sometimes be overwhelming. While it’s important to surrender to circumstances beyond our control, it can also be empowering to focus on what we can control. This includes our outlook, how we present ourselves to the world, how we respond to challenges, and, most importantly, self-care.

I recently experienced a revelation similar to one I had years ago: I need to surrender to external circumstances and prioritize taking care of myself. Establishing a routine and grounding myself, despite external factors, is critical for my well-being.

For me, self-care practices are essential for daily grounding, regardless of what’s going on outside of me. These 7 self-care practices can help you ground yourself everyday.

Catching up with friends

As we age, our free time gets filled with professional development, entrepreneurial ventures, household chores, errands, and other responsibilities. Because of this, I’ve come to realized the importance of connecting with my friends daily.

This practice serves as a form of self-care, keeping me grounded and giving me the chance to communicate with the people who know me best. True friendship is sacred and can bring tranquility to your life. I highly suggest setting aside time to connect with your friends and giving yourself space to have meaningful conversations as a way to re-center yourself.

Journaling 

This daily practice enables you to establish a connection with your inner self by asking introspective questions, delving deeper into your emotions, and introspecting.

Personally, I’ve struggled with neglecting to check in with myself at times. It’s tempting to suppress your emotions or discuss them with others instead of acknowledging them internally. But you can a safe space for yourself by dedicating time to journaling. This provides an opportunity to prioritize self-love, understand your mental state, and document personal growth.

Moving my body

There is power in moving your body, even if you don’t feel like it. I understand that sometimes you might not want to do anything at all, and at times, that’s all you can do. But, when you find the motivation to do so, try working out, dancing, or twerking!

My therapist suggested creating a playlist on Spotify consisting of African and Latin Music since their beats tend to be more pronounced. This technique has helped me get out of my head and into my body every day. If that’s not your thing, you might prefer working out or doing a morning yoga flow.

Having a morning and night routine

Your mind, body, and soul deserve to have a routine that can ground you no matter what’s happening in the external world. During trying times, it’s crucial to have reliable systems in place that provide comfort and allow you to take a breather.

Establishing a routine is a proactive measure that equips you to begin your day with all the necessary tools for a successful day. A nightly routine provides an opportunity to unwind, reflect on your day, and ensure a restful sleep.

Drinking water

It may seem obvious, but drinking water is a important aspect of self-care. It’s effortless to overlook or disregard the importance of hydration, but the advantages are significant. Proper hydration can provide the energy boost you require and improve brain function.

Taking time to do nothing

It’s essential to take a break from constantly scrolling through social media, being busy with tasks, and running around. Rest is productive and it should be prioritized. Completing tasks and socializing on social media are important activities, but being occupied all the time can result in burnout and unhappiness.

It’s necessary to take the time to relax and be present.

Setting boundaries for oneself is perfectly acceptable. Remember, everything will still be there tomorrow. Disconnecting provides an opportunity to focus on the most important person, YOU!

Tune into a podcast or an audio book

Listening to positive, relatable, motivating, and funny content can significantly impact our mood. It’s important to be mindful of the type of content we consume as it can affect our mental state.

Here are some podcasts to consider:

• The Read is a hip-hop culture podcast that addresses mental health and is LGBTQ+ friendly. Crissle and Kid Fury’s comments are witty, blunt, and empathetic.

• Therapy For Black Girls aims to de-stigmatize mental health by discussing various topics weekly. Dr. Joy Harden Bradford invites mental health professionals to weigh in on various issues that Black women face.

• Black Girls in Om focuses on healing Black women worldwide while highlighting unique wellness journeys.

• The Black Girl Bravado is a podcast for Black women everywhere, featuring conversations around self-care, self-love, mental health, and wellness.

• The Self Love Fix is a podcast that helps women of color delve deeper into self-love, self-worth, self-development, self-esteem, and self-care.

Also, Hoopla offers free rentals of audiobooks and ebooks with a library card. This platform allows you to learn new things and gain tools to cope with everyday life. Explore different topics on platforms such as Spotify, Apple, and Hoopla to learn, laugh and try something new.

Bonus:

These are additional self care resources for Black Women who are impacted by substance abuse.