Emotional Wellness
Dear Sista’s,
This is the year of OK!! Black women take off your cape take a TimeOUT and find yourself and your peace. Wellness by Le’Shun is a community that is a dedicated safe place for black women across the globe to come together and support each other. We need a safe space to learn and speak our truth and be heard. Each month we will dive into topics that are affecting us and provide resources for education and help. We are a non-profit that is focused on the primary health and well-being of black women. We want to create dialogue centered around tools to help you connect to yourself so that you can make better decisions about what you want in your life. This site is not about changing your faith or beliefs, but about aligning yourself with your truth and not some conditioned truth forced on you. Black women, we owe this world nothing, but we owe ourselves everything.
For the month of January, we will focus on emotional wellness. We will learn what emotional healing is and how it plays a part in our day-to-day lifestyles. I say we, ladies, because I will be on this journey with you, I have realized the truth, but still have a lot to learn. So, take a TimeOUT with me, and let’s all exhale.
What is Emotional Wellness?
Emotional healing is the process of acknowledging, allowing, accepting, integrating, and processing painful life experiences and strong emotions. It may involve empathy, self-regulation, self-compassion, self-acceptance, mindfulness, and integration (very well mind). I broke my arm when I was about 12 years old, and I was miserable until they put the cast on my arm that allowed my arm to hang free, and then it was like, ok, I got this. But when I lost my mom, there was no “hang-free cast” I had to endure that pain every day. Nothing really takes emotional pain away, not even time. When you are happy, you may flashback to another time when you were sad, and a bittersweetness may take over. Whenever I watch an episode of Chopped, I think of my mom and I am invaded by these emotions at once, but the difference now is that I don’t run from them. I allow the feelings to take over and embrace them, maybe even have a chat with mom. I will always miss her, which is ok, but instead of fighting those emotions, I put myself on TimeOUT and work through the emotions. That is what TimeOUT is about understanding your emotions so that you can focus on life.
My Journey to Emotional Wellness
2019 was a hellva year for me and my husband. We lost more than a 1/3 of our income, but the biggest heartbreak was the miscarriage. It hit me like a pound of bricks, but luckily, we had enough reserves that I was able to take most of 2020 off. I understand this is not possible for everyone, but in any situation, you must find a way to connect with your emotions. I sat outside on the balcony for days, even falling asleep out there sometimes. I was trying desperately to find answers to why my life was flipping upside down, what did I do? Nothing absolutely nothing sometimes life just gives you lemons and lemonade you must figure out on your own. I started meditating, reading, and journaling. These tools helped me to find me again, but I had to put the work in. I had to take a deep look at myself and face some hard choices. This world doesn’t owe us anything but guess what, we don’t owe this world anything either. I have been searching for myself for as long as I can remember, and I am still taking classes to help me discover me. Emotional wellbeing is a challenging journal, but it is worth the climb. My husband and I sold everything that we own and moved to south Texas for different experiences. My soul needed this move, and it may need a couple of more moves who knows. One thing I know for sure is that time doesn’t give you time and it is up to you to ground your emotions and go find your happiness.
Taking a TimeOUT for Your Emotional Wellness
I created the TimeOUT method because I was reading and listening to all this information, but nothing was telling me about myself. Nothing had me to the point of wanting to just sit down and be. I felt and still sometimes feel like a failure, like everything I have accomplished in my life doesn’t matter and I should still keep pushing for more. But what would happen if I just stopped pushing and started to appreciate what I had. Stop looking at other people’s lives and judging myself and just be. COVID is terrible, but it taught me the value of being and taking the time out to reflect on how fleeting life is, and sometimes ok is just that I am ok, but I am also good. We live in a society that emphasizes money, achievement, and greatness above truth, integrity, and kindness. I want to manipulate a peaceful environment that nourishes my holistic wellbeing and not just my physical. I encourage each of you to take a moment no matter how long and just tune into yourself and find that bit of peace that we all need.
Disclaimer:
There is no magic pill, potion, or drink that will eliminate taking accountability for yourself and putting in the work. Facing your emotions, and learning your triggers, and fears take time and effort from you. You can listen and read all the self-help books out there, but true happiness and peace come from within. I am also a work in process and sometimes I succumbed to my ego and forget to control my emotions and thoughts. The World Health Organization states that depression is a common illness worldwide and it is estimated that 280 million people in the world suffer from depression and over 700 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in people 15-29 years old. There are known effective treatments for mental disorders, but barriers to effective care include a lack of resources, trained healthcare providers, and social stigma associated with mental disorders. If you are anyone you know suffers from depression, please contact 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. Don’t suffer in silence because you are not alone.
