Health and Wellness

  • Why Leaving A Dead-End Relationship Is Better For Your Health

    When you’re in an unhealthy dead-end relationship, it can often feel like a no-win situation. Staying with your partner may provide financial security or create convenience and familiarity. But, it also means sacrificing your own mental health and well-being. On the other hand, leaving may bring relief and freedom, but it could also mean financial instability or loneliness. Ultimately, the choice should come down to what is best for your own personal growth and happiness.

    What happens to us when we stay in a dead-end relationship

    When you’re stuck in a dead-end relationship, the toll it can take on your body and mind can be substantial.

    Physically:

    Staying in a dead-end relationship can take an immense physical toll on your body. The psychological and emotional stress of being stuck in a situation that you cannot get out of can manifest itself physically, leading to long-term health issues. Your body may start to show signs of fatigue, insomnia, headaches, muscle tension, increased blood pressure, or even stomach ulcers due to the high levels of distress it is experiencing. This can have serious consequences for your overall health and well-being if left unchecked. It’s important to be aware of the physical effects a negative relationship can have on you so that you are able to address them as soon as possible.

    Mentally:

    Staying in a dead-end relationship can have an incredibly detrimental effect on a person’s mental health. The longer the relationship continues, the more likely it is that feelings of loneliness and isolation will become even stronger. This is because these relationships often involve one partner feeling neglected or unappreciated, which can also lead to feelings of worthlessness and depression.

    Emotionally:

    Staying in a dead-end relationship can have a significant emotional toll on a person. One may feel isolated and helpless as if they are always on the losing end. Anger, sadness, and frustration can become all-consuming and can lead to depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues.

    Spiritually:

    It could cause one to lose faith in themselves and their relationships with others. A person’s belief system might become distorted as they come to terms with how they allowed themselves to stay in such an unhealthy relationship for so long. If faith was previously important to them, they might struggle to find meaning in life once they leave the marriage behind.

    Despite all of that, the choice to end such a relationship that you’ve outgrown can often be one of the most difficult and emotionally draining decisions you will ever make. And the Intense feelings of hurt or betrayal may linger long after the relationship has been finalized, thus making it a decision that requires great courage, self-reflection, and resilience. It also requires a significant amount of self-care.

    Why leaving a dead-end relationship is better for you

    Separating from an unfulfilling relationship allows us to prioritize our own needs instead of continually compromising them to try to keep things going. It’s an opportunity to rediscover ourselves outside of a relationship context; to rebuild our identity based on our individual goals and values rather than ones shared with another person. We can begin to acknowledge our own strengths and weaknesses without relying on someone else for support or validation. We start understanding what we need for fulfillment as individuals instead of always seeking guidance within the context of a partnership.

    Taking care of yourself during this process is essential. Maintaining healthy habits such as exercising regularly, eating nutritious meals, getting enough rest, practicing mindfulness meditation, and taking time away from people who might stress you out or remind you of hostile times in the past are all important aspects of self-care during this difficult period. It’s also important not to forget about your social life. Leaning on people who understand where you are coming from can be a great help while trying to navigate through this transition period alone. Reaching out for professional help such as therapy or counseling can be beneficial as well if needed.

    Going to therapy is quite possibly the best thing one can do when ending a dead-end relationship. Having a professional third party who can objectively give you advice on how to get through a difficult breakup. They can also help you to make sense of the emotions you are feeling. Therapists also provide a safe space where you can express yourself in confidence, allowing you to work through your feelings and gain more insight into why the relationship ended in the first place. Furthermore, going to therapy can help with setting healthy boundaries when it comes to future relationships.

    Benefits of leaving an unfulfilling relationship

    Improved Self-Confidence:

    Realizing that you can make important decisions for yourself and handle difficult, emotionally taxing challenges can increase your confidence in yourself and boost your self-esteem.

    Less Stress:

    When you’re in a bad relationship you often experience high levels of stress that can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Ending things can provide relief from the tension of an unhappy relationship, thus reducing stress levels significantly.

    More Happiness:

    Breaking up allows you to pursue relationships that will bring you more joy and satisfaction than you had previously known, leading to greater overall happiness in life.

    Opportunity for Growth:

    Freed from an unsatisfying relationship, you may find it easier to focus on your own individual needs and goals, giving you the chance to work on personal growth projects like developing hobbies or taking classes to improve skillsets – all things which benefit mental health greatly.

    Better Mental Health Outcomes:

    Through all these benefits combined newly single people are ultimately able to enjoy better overall mental states – feeling less stressed out without relationship commitments as well as happier with newfound opportunities for growth. This can lead to positive changes like improved relationships with family & friends, newfound career goals, and improved self-confidence.

    Financial Independence:

    Breaking up can also provide financial freedom. While you may have been financially dependent on your partner in the past after separating you’ll be financially independent. Meaning, you will have more control over your own finances and the ability to make decisions about how you wish to manage them.

    A Fresh Start:

    Last but certainly not least, leaving a dead-end relationship offers you a chance to start anew. Proving you the opportunity to move on with your life in ways you never thought possible. This includes everything from home relocation, new job opportunities, and traveling to different cities or countries. Whatever the case may be, separation gives you a new beginning that can make all the difference in supporting better mental health outcomes.

    In conclusion, no matter how difficult ending a relationship might be, there is no denying that it offers many benefits from which those seeking it can reap incredible amounts of emotional and physical relief. From improved self-confidence and less stress to better mental health outcomes and a fresh start, ending a dead-end relationship presents countless opportunities for personal growth and success. With these benefits in mind, it becomes clear why some relationships just don’t last – and why ending things isn’t always such a bad thing after all.

    Dead-End Relationship Black woman removing her wedding ring

  • Health and Wellness Books By Black Women That Will Improve Your Life

    *This post was originally published in February 2020 and has been updated to include additional titles.

    Here is a list of health and wellness books by Black women that are designed to uplift and restore you. In this listing, you’ll find titles related to overall health, spirituality, wellness, healthy eating, fitness, and self-care.

    Vibrate Higher Daily: Live Your Power – By Lalah Delia

    Every day, by making choices that help us feel good, we raise our vibration. This book is a guide to help us live our lives in a way that helps us grow and be happy. It has poems, chants, and affirmations that will help us feel more confident and powerful.

    Own Your Glow: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living and Crowning the Queen Within – By Latham Thomas

    Own Your Glow is an inspiring and helpful guide to living a healthy and successful life. Celebrity wellness and lifestyle guru, Latham Thomas provides soulful advice on how to examine life’s challenges and find your path to greatness while embracing your feminine qualities. This guide is perfect for anyone who wants to see their own life change for the better and contribute to the good in the world.

    Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats: Tasty Plant-Based Recipes for Every Day – By Rachel Ama

    Vegan Eats is a book that offers amazing plant-based dishes that make cooking and eating vegan food a breeze—and definitely fun! No boring or bland dishes here, and forget all-day cooking! Rachel takes inspiration from naturally vegan dishes and cuisines as well as her Caribbean and West African roots to create great full-flavor recipes that are easy to make and will inspire you to make vegan food part of your daily routine. Rachel’s recipes are quick and easy to follow, and often one-pot. Ingredients lists are short and supermarket-friendly, and dishes can be prepped ahead. Most importantly, Vegan Eats includes a song with each recipe so you can have a banging playlist to go alongside every plate of delicious food!

    Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body – By Jessamyn Stanley

    This book is a great source of inspiration for beginners of all shapes and sizes. If Jessamyn could achieve the same level of success as she does, so can you. This book is designed as a guide for readers who are already practicing yoga, who want to refresh their practice, or find new ways to stay motivated. This book is also a how-to book, with easy-to-follow directions to 50 basic yoga poses and 10 sequences that can be practiced at home. Finally, this book challenges the larger issues of body acceptance and the meaning of beauty, by illustrating that yoga isn’t limited to how one looks.

    Self-Care for Black Women: 150 Ways to Radically Accept & Prioritize Your Mind, Body, & Soul – By Oludara Adeeyo

    Between physical and mental health problems at school, at work, and everywhere else, it can be tough to prioritize your own well-being as a Black woman. With The Self-Care for Black Women, you’ll find more than 150 exercises that will help you radically put yourself first. Whether you need a quick boost in the middle of the day, you’re struggling with feelings of burnout, or you’re dealing with a microaggression, this book has everything you need to feel more at peace.

    Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay – By Cyndie Spiegel

    Microjoys are little joys that can be found anywhere. They’re small, but they mean a lot. By training our eyes to look for them, we can always find joy. There are many different kinds of microjoys, including things like pretty things, kind gestures, happy memories, and simple pleasures. They’re all around us, waiting to be discovered.

    Black Women’s Mental Health: Balancing Strength and Vulnerability – By Stephanie Y. Evans

    This book looks at the difficulties and strengths of Black women’s mental health, and how it has been studied in a variety of different fields. It brings together different authors to examine topics like stress, parenthood, sexual assault, self-care, and contemplative practice. The book creates a new paradigm for understanding Black women’s mental health and offers practical solutions by combining theory and practice with personal stories and public policy. Health professionals can use this book to recognize and care for Black women.

    Blessed Health: The African-American Woman’s Guide to Physical and Spiritual Well-being – By Angela T. Ebron

    Blessed Health is a personal health and spirituality manual for Black women at every stage of life, written by renowned OB/GYN and respected journalist Melody T. McCloud M.D. Important details about how your body functions and how to prevent or treat common health issues, including pelvic infections and fibroid tumors. How to deal with illness successfully from a religious standpoint. How to take care of your breasts and reproductive systems to lower your chance of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and a host of other diseases.

    Emotional Self-Care for Black Women: Discover How to Raise Your Self-Esteem, Eliminate Negative Thinking and Heal from Past Traumas Even if Your Life is Chaotic Right Now – By Alicia Magoro

    This book is about understanding and using your emotions. It will teach you how to use them to create a life you love, and the reasons why we sometimes feel the way we do. It will also show you how your body and brain create your emotions, and how to use this information to improve your mood. Finally, it will discuss some common thought distortions that can negatively affect your life, and how to stop them.

    The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health: Navigate an Unequal System, Learn Tools for Emotional Wellness, and Get the Help you Deserve – By Rheeda Walker PhD

    There is a Black mental health crisis happening in the world today, and it’s been made worse by racism and other problems. If you’re feeling bad, there’s a lot you can do to get help. In this guide, psychologist Rheeda Walker teaches you everything you need to know about Black mental health and how to get the mental health care you need. This book will help you understand your condition, find helpful resources, and fight for your rights. If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health, this book is a valuable resource.

    She’s Still There: Rescuing the Girl in You – By Chrystal Evans Hurst

    If you find yourself feeling like your life is different from how you wanted it to be, She’s Still There can help. Chrystal Evans Hurst shares practical advice on how to connect with God and renew your promises to yourself. She teaches you how to adjust your dreams and goals to match your current situation, and how to let go of things that no longer work for you. You can start living the life you want right now, no matter how bumpy it may be.

    The Strong Black Woman: How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women – By Marita Golden

    In this book, you’ll learn about the myth of the “Strong Black Woman” and how this type of thinking can have negative health impacts. It also discusses how a skewed culture can make it difficult for Black women to express their emotions and be themselves.

    Wellness Books By Black Women

  • How Puzzles Can Reduce Stress + Find Fun Puzzles To Assemble

    *This post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn that site a small commission at no cost to you that goes towards this site’s content creation.

    Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to relieve stress and improve your mental health. They provide an enjoyable, hands-on activity that can help you relax and forget about life’s troubles. The act of solving a puzzle can be calming and therapeutic. It’s the repetitive action of fitting pieces together that allows your mind to wander and take a break from its worries.

    How Puzzles Can Reduce Stress

    According to research by the University of Delaware, puzzles may have even more benefits than just providing stress relief. Studies have also found that puzzle completion can increase brain activity in areas related to problem-solving, such as concentration and focus. As you piece together the jigsaw puzzle, your brain is actively searching for patterns and solutions in order to figure out how all the pieces fit together. This type of cognitive exercise helps stimulate your brain, which can help with long-term health benefits such as improved memory, increased creativity, and higher levels of concentration.

    In addition to their potential mental health benefits, puzzles also provide social benefits since they often require two or more people to work together to complete them. Working together on a puzzle encourages teamwork, builds communication skills, increases bonding between players, and even heightens empathy for others’ experiences. Completing a puzzle gives you a feeling of accomplishment and pride when you finally finish it after hours—or even days—of patient work.

    What Makes Puzzles Relaxing?

    Furthermore, completing a jigsaw puzzle is relaxing because you know each piece fits into another. While mistakes are made when fitting pieces together, there is a calming sensation that comes from overcoming those challenges which finally gives way to the ultimate satisfaction when you’re finally done. This relief serves as an effective distraction from any stress you may be facing in your day-to-day life. With all these wonderful benefits combined with its overall low-cost nature, there’s no doubt why puzzles are favored by so many.

    Here Are Some Puzzles You’ll ABSOLUTELY Want Assemble

    Puzzles can reduce stress - Listing of puzzles to purchase

    1. Lost in The Garden (500 pieces) $13.99
    2. Wintry Cats (500 pieces) $14.11
    3. House of Astrology (500 pieces) $15.99
    4. How Rare and Beautiful You Are (500 pieces) $12.99
    5. Wonder and Bloom (500 pieces) $13.99
    6. Marrakech Riad (1000 pieces) $16.00
    7. Vintage Library (500 pieces) $16.38
    8. Quilts of Gee’s Blend (1000 pieces) $15.96
    9. Night Reef (1000 pieces) $25.00
    10. Full Bloom World Map (1000 pieces) $14.31

    *Prices shown were listed at the time of publishing. Pricing and availability are based on the seller and can change at any time.

    Puzzles can reduce stress - Woman assmebling puzzle on the floor

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  • Simple Morning Self-Care Routine Ideas To Help Get Your Day Started

    For most of my life, I’ve never been a morning person. As a mom, that’s changed. Getting up before the sun is all a part of parenthood. Despite the mental pains of rising early, I discovered some positives to it. I realized after school drop-off I fell into specific habits which ultimately became my morning self-care routine.

    This routine consisted of taking a slow walk around the neighborhood before heading back home, showering, having breakfast with a cup of tea, listening to meditative sounds, and putting on my diffuser to signify the start of my day.

    The thing about a morning self-care routine is that it doesn’t have to take all morning. It’s whatever you want it to be for however long you want it to last. It’s about ensuring you’ll be starting the day feeling at peace with yourself. Without my morning self-care routine, my day would seem incomplete.

     Morning Self-Care Routine Ideas To Get Your Day Started

    morning self-care routine

    Make breakfast / Hydrate

    You cannot start the day without breakfast. Make a little something to eat that will give you a morning energy boost that will last the morning. Don’t forget to remain hydrated throughout the day.

    Make bed / Tidy space

    When your space is tidy your mind and spirit will be clear as well. So make your bed, sweep the floors, fluff the pillows, remove dust from your furniture, and crack the window to let a little fresh air in. You’ll be shocked to discover that you won’t be tired but instead full of energy – enough to tackle the day.

    Exercise / Yoga

    Get your body moving with 20 to 30 minutes of exercise or yoga. Working out stimulates your body and gets you feeling in a better mood, boosts energy, and improves your body’s overall health.

    Meditate / Pray

    Meditation can help you clear your mind of stressors and organizes jumbled thoughts and ideas. It also allows you to really tap into your deepest thoughts and feelings.  You can meditate anywhere in your home or even outside. Choose a spot either on the floor sitting or laying the floor, whichever is comfortable, set a timer, play music or not, take note of your body and breath, let your mind wander letting thoughts come and go with ease. Praying works the same exact way instead you can read religious verses to gain wisdom and to connect further with the higher power above. Meditate and pray for as long as necessary.

    Spend time outdoors

    Going outside, especially in nature, has a number of benefits from improving your overall emotional mood, lowering stress, and helps you find inspiration. You can connect with yourself and the outdoor world around you by going on neighborhood walks, sitting in the park, going on a hike, and even sitting under a tree in the park. The possibilities for outdoor fun are endless.

    Play music that makes you feel good

    Aside from working out, music that makes you feel good is another way to get the body going. Dance around letting the music take hold of you. Use those happy vibes to release anything that’s pent up inside you.

    Take an indulgent shower or bath

    Showering is an ultimate act of privacy. Bathing is more than just washing away the dirt and sweat. It’s really about connecting with yourself and being fully present in the moment. Showers can alter our whole mood for the day. We start out feeling sluggish and unwilling to do anything but after showering we’re given an instant pick me up and are ready to face the day.

    Read / Journal / Update planner

    Read books that will feed your soul. Whatever topic or genre you feel compelled to read, dive into that. If you choose not to read then you can journal your thoughts and feelings. Oh, and don’t forget to keep your planner up to date for the day, week, and month so no appointments are forgotten.

    Unplug from social / Turn off ringer

    Unplugging from social and/or keeping your ringer off is a way to guarantee that your morning routine will not be disturbed. Social media timelines can be overwhelming at times and that’s not the first thing you want to look at in the morning.

    Set goals for the day

    Have things to do for the day? Now is your time to map them out so you can clearly see how your time will be spent for the day.

    Recite positive affirmations

    Reciting positive phrases to yourself in the mirror may sound silly but I assure you it’s not. Telling yourself these positive messages will empower you, help your focus on your goals, and most importantly, removes negative self-doubt from your mind.

    Spend time on a hobby or new activity

    Working on a hobby or discovering a new one is always fun. Work on a puzzle, learn to knit, or take up photography – the possibilities are endless on how you want to spend your time.

    morning self-care routine

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