"I got into wellness accidentally. In college, I started working for a Black-owned beauty brand and thought the job would be simple: schedule social media posts, write blog posts, clock out, and repeat. But unlike many brands at the time (circa 2017), this one was rooted in ritual. Without meaning to, I learned about wellness and self-care from a Black perspective for the first time. Imagine my surprise when I ventured deeper into the wellness industry and saw very few faces that looked like mine. I quickly realized that my early experience with wellness was unique. Most Black women don’t feel embraced by the wellness industry. Wellness can seem actively exclusive if you aren’t affluent, white, and thin.
When so much of wellness is about the intangible—and the most aspirational versions of ourselves—the lack of diversity makes self-care feel like a luxury that only a few are entitled to. But as a beauty and wellness writer, I’ve realized wellness is especially important for marginalized communities. As Black women, many of us are socialized to put everyone above ourselves. But as the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. I think of wellness as a replenishing set of rituals that helps me fill my cup so I can give back.
“Most Black women don’t feel embraced by the wellness industry. Wellness can seem actively exclusive if you aren’t affluent, white, and thin.”
Why Wellness is Important—Especially For Black Women
Wellness can feel exclusive partly because it is hard to define. When you think of wellness, you might think of Erewhon smoothies and expensive retreats. Maybe some vague supplements you don’t know how to pronounce. When something is nebulous and out of reach, it’s hard to connect with—especially when there is hardly anyone who looks like you anywhere in the wellness industry. So, why should you care about wellness when wellness doesn’t seem to care about you? Beyond the limited representation in the industry, wellness can offer Black women the tools to navigate stressors that impact us en masse. And the best part: Many wellness habits are free and easy to implement right now.
Wellness helps regulate stress
Fannie Lou Hamer said it best: “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” And turns out, I’m not the only one who relates. Studies have proven that Black women experience higher rates of chronic stress, in no small part due to social stressors such as racial discrimination. This stress often manifests physically as well as mentally. It can even be the cause of premature aging—so much for the adage “Black don’t crack.” Many of us feel forced to live up to the Strong Black Woman archetype, and research has shown that identifying too much with the Strong Black Woman Schema (SBWS) is linked to increased psychological distress, as it “normalizes adversity, intensifies caretaking responsibilities, and encourages the internalization of vulnerability to mask pain.” That’s where wellness comes in. Wellness can help manage the physical symptoms of stress while also teaching us how to regulate our nervous systems to better adapt and react to stress.
We deserve to have a relationship with our bodies too
Many Black women aren’t given the time to focus on our needs since we’re so busy supporting others. When you’re used to being strong for everyone else, you lose connection to your body. For me, wellness habits go a long way to help me reconnect with my body. Long-term solutions like therapy—especially modalities like EFT tapping and somatic therapy—can help release you from limiting beliefs and tap into your emotions through your physical body. It can also release you from a fight or flight response or from living in a functional freeze. Wellness habits can also help you self-regulate and soothe your nervous system in the short term. Wellness is holistic, so a wellness practice includes elements of moving your body, eating a balanced diet, and practicing self-care. All of these together can free you from physical manifestations of stress such as high cortisol and even chronic illnesses.
Self-prioritization also helps with community care
At its worst, the wellness industry can promote toxic individuality. I’m sure we’ve all heard the rhetoric of self-care used to excuse selfish behavior. I’ve been guilty of “protecting my peace” so hard and ending up with no one hitting me up. Moral of the story: Take care of yourself, but not at the expense of others. For Black women especially, this is a tricky balance to navigate. We’re often taught to be either completely self-sacrificing or hyper-individualist. This has consequences for our mental health, as Black women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder due to a sense of “selflessness and powerlessness.” But at its best, wellness can give us the tools to find balance and feel both connected and empowered.
Instead of using wellness practices to self-isolate, use them to connect. Think of therapy: You retreat into weekly sessions to self-evaluate, then go back out into the world better able to connect with it. Any wellness habit you try should have the same result. Learning to cultivate a relationship with yourself can give you the space to connect with others. From journaling to a movement routine that quiets the noisy mind, find something that makes you feel closer to yourself. Then use your increased capacity to bring you closer to your community.
The “Nutrition Gap” is real
Have you heard of the nutrition gap? Many Black women don’t get all the vitamins and essential nutrients they need to thrive. Due to emotional and even environmental factors, many Black women don’t get the right nutrients from their diets. Emotional eating and fast food intake, often due to lack of time or money, are cited as contributing factors to a host of health issues. For example, vitamin B3 and vitamin D are common deficiencies. These vitamins in particular play a huge role in everyday mood and vitality, and deficiencies may lead to health problems in the future.
Wellness means fueling your body with what it needs. That’s why brands like Trywell, a Black-owned supplement brand, aim to educate about and close the nutrition gap to address nutrition gaps disproportionately affecting Black people. Education is a major part of wellness. When the industry is diverse, it can promote awareness of other health disparities and provide avenues to address them.
Tips to Make Wellness More Inclusive
Wellness is not all Pilates and matcha—despite what my FYP might say. Wellness practices are integral to my wellness toolkit to help me connect to my body and leave fight or flight immediately. Quick, affordable routines (perfect for those of us with busy routines and responsibilities) prove that wellness doesn’t have to happen in $30 classes or exclusive wellness clubs. It can happen right now.
Some of my favorite practices you can try right now include:
- The physiological sigh: This 30-second breathing technique can help release stress instantly. Just take two consecutive deep breaths, then release the breath with an audible sigh. Repeat until you feel more centered.
- Legs up the wall: End each day by lying down with your legs on the wall to relieve physical and mental tension by increasing blood flow. Allow yourself to relax in this position and notice the difference in how your body feels.
- Humming: Humming isn’t just for songs you forgot the lyrics to. I try to incorporate a few minutes of deep humming into my day to help stimulate my vagus nerve, keeping me out of fight or flight. You know you’re doing it right if you can feel the vibration in your lips.
Hungry for more? More intensive wellness practices to promote mind-body connection include:
- Sauna and cold plunge
- Breathwork
- Sound baths
- Acupuncture
- Lymphatic drainage
Wellness doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It can also mean turning habits into intentional moments to relax and center yourself. Some low-lift daily wellness practices might include:
- Going on a walk: Sunlight exposure is ideal to regulate your circadian rhythm. If you have time, just a five-minute walk around the block can make a major difference. And getting your steps in throughout the day is a great way to fit in low-impact movement.
- Rethink your rituals: Everybody is always telling us to meditate, but who has the time? I try to incorporate mindfulness into errands, chores, and routines like washing dishes or even better, washing my hair. Wash day is no joke for Black women. But instead of dreading it and wrestling with my 4C hair like it’s my opp, I use the tactile sensation of brushing my hair to tap into myself. Then I think of the ritual of washing and getting clean as a metaphor to help me meditate. As I watch the water drain away, I imagine my stressors going with it. Meditation in the shower? Who says multitasking doesn’t work?
- Call a friend: Or text. Or even put pen to paper and write a letter. Sometimes, we can feel like we have to shoulder every responsibility alone. Breaking out of your bubble by talking to a loved one is an underappreciated form of promoting mental wellness.
- Self-care, for real: Self-care isn’t just a bubble bath and a face mask—though it can be. It’s any ritual you carve out for yourself, to take care of yourself, and remind yourself that you matter. So whether it’s five minutes or an hour, ask yourself every day how you can take care of yourself.
Langa Chinyoka, Contributing Writer
Langa is a Los Angeles-based writer and strategist. She is currently an editor and content strategist at a marketing agency. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, British Vogue, Highsnobiety, Eyeswoon, Camille Styles, The Good Trade, and more.