Self-care is critical for black women. We often juggle a million things at once and rarely take the time to focus on our own well-being. This can lead to burnout, stress, and other health problems.
30 Self-Care Practices for Black Women
These practices are simple, but they can make a big difference in your life.
Black women self-care, why is it important?
Self-care is important for black women for a number of reasons. First, a black woman realizing her needs can be met with self-care is radical in itself. As the late Audre Lorde famously said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
As black women, we are viewed as the backbone of society, the caretakers. We are told to put everyone and everything else before ourselves without a second thought.
Self-care is a way of saying “I matter too”. It is a way of honoring yourself and your needs. When you take care of yourself, you are also better able to take care of those around
Second, self-care can help to prevent burnout. When we take the time to care for ourselves, we are better able to meet the demands of our lives. It is imperative that the message changes around black women’s self-care. We should not view self-care as selfish, but rather as a necessity.
And lastly, self-care can improve your overall health. Black women and their health often go unnoticed until there is a problem. We often do not have the time or resources to focus on preventative care.
However, self-care can help to improve our physical, mental, and emotional health. Self-care should be an important part of every black woman’s life. It is a way to show yourself that you matter and that your needs are important.
5 Minute Self-Care Practices for Black Women
1. Wake up five minutes early and stretch or do some deep breathing exercises.
2. Make your bed as soon as you get out of it.
3. Drink a glass of water right when you wake up. Add lemon, cucumber, or mint to your water for an extra boost!
4. Take a quick five-minute walk around your neighborhood.
5. Do a quick meditation or visualization exercise. Check out apps like Headspace or Calm for guided meditation exercises.
6. Make a healthy breakfast for yourself. Something as simple as eggs and toast can make a big difference!
7. Play some of your favorite music and dance around your house for a few minutes.
8. Write down some self-love prompts in your journal
9. Drink some fresh cold-pressed juice or smoothie.
10. Read a self-help book or blog post like the one you are reading now.
30 Minute Self-Care Practices for Black Women
11. Make yourself a nutritious breakfast filled with proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
12. Go for a thirty-minute walk outside in nature.
13. Do a thirty-minute yoga or Pilates video at home.
14. Make a healthy lunch to take with you to work or school.
15. Give yourself a thirty-minute hand or foot massage with some lotion or oil.
16. Take a relaxing bath with some Epsom salts and essential oils.
17. Make a healthy dinner for yourself and eat mindfully.
18. Spend some time journaling about your day or week.
19. Read a black authored book for thirty minutes before bed.
20. Watch a black sitcom a tv show that makes you feel good while providing you with plenty of laughter.
One Hour Radical Self-Care Ideas For Black Women
21. Get your hair done at a salon or do your own hair at home.
22. Enjoy a brunch date with a friend and then plan to do another activity you both enjoy.
23. Go to your local library and check out some books on self-care or black history.
24. Attend a self-care workshop or retreat geared towards black women.
25. Spend an hour writing down your goals and plans for the future.
26. Give yourself an at-home facial using all-natural products.
27. Make a healthy meal plan for the week ahead.
28. Go on a solo date to your favorite restaurant or cafe and savor every bite of your meal.
29. Request PTO and plan a weekend trip or staycation to relax and recharge.
30. Take an exercise class like Zumba, kickboxing, or dance class.
Self-Care For Black Women
There are endless self-care practices that black women can do to improve their well-being. Offering self-care rituals that take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour, leaves you with plenty of options to choose from depending on your schedule.
Creating a reliable self-care routine is a way to show yourself that you matter and that your needs are important.
Pick one or two self-care practices from the list above and make them a part of your daily routine! Hopefully, this list has inspired you to start (or continue) your self-care journey!
Remember, self-care is an act of self-love and it is so important for black women to love themselves unconditionally.
The most important thing is to find what works for you and to make self-care a priority in your life.
Debunking the myth that black women can continue tirelessly working while neglecting their own needs is critical for our mental, emotional, and physical health.
Increasing messaging for black women to practice self-care can help to reduce stress and improve our overall quality of life.
When we take care of ourselves, we are modeling safe and healthy behaviors to those around us. And for the emphasis on black women taking care of themselves? We need to take care of ourselves so that we can be our best selves for ourselves, our families, and our communities
What black woman self-care practices will you be trying from this list?