Aspiring Mind Blog
Why Wellness Matters and How to Incorporate It into Your Daily Life
August is National Wellness Month, a time to slow down and intentionally care for ourselves in ways that help us thrive. For many of us, life moves at a pace that prioritizes productivity over rest, external demands over internal needs, and performance over peace. Wellness advocacy is about shifting that narrative—reminding ourselves and our communities that caring for our mind, body, and spirit is not optional. It’s necessary.
Why We Advocate for Wellness
Wellness is not just about self-care; it’s about sustainability. When we prioritize our mental, emotional, and physical health, we build resilience, clarity, and joy. We become better equipped to navigate challenges, show up authentically in our communities, and pursue our goals without burning out. For those in helping professions, leadership roles, or advocacy spaces, wellness is a cornerstone of long-term impact.
Benefits of Prioritizing Wellness
Improved focus and productivity
Enhanced emotional regulation and resilience
Stronger interpersonal relationships
Greater alignment with personal values and cultural identity
Increased capacity for joy and rest
Practical Ways to Incorporate Wellness, Daily
Start your morning with grounding. Try deep breathing, journaling, or affirmations that remind you of your worth and intention.
Schedule rest breaks. Take 5–10 minutes throughout the day for stretching, walking, or simply pausing.
Set boundaries. Protect your time and energy by limiting unnecessary commitments or digital overload.
Practice culturally responsive wellness. Your wellness should reflect you—whether that means engaging in ancestral rituals, enjoying culturally significant foods, practicing traditions of rest, or connecting with community that affirms your identity.
End your day with reflection. A gratitude practice can help you focus on what nourished you, even in difficult times.
The Importance of Culturally Responsive Wellness
Wellness should never be detached from culture and identity. Too often, wellness advice is offered as if it fits everyone equally. In reality, true wellness honors the traditions, values, and experiences that shape us. By weaving culturally responsive practices into your routine, you not only care for yourself, you affirm your identity and resist systems that tell you otherwise.
As a psychotherapist and mental health advocate, I help individuals and communities create sustainable, culturally aligned wellness strategies. If you’re ready to deepen your commitment to your wellness journey, I’d love to walk alongside you. Reach out today to explore therapeutic support and begin building a wellness plan that truly reflects you.
Black Maternal Health Week: Centering Mental Wellness and the Power of Equitable Care
When we talk about the importance of Black Maternal Health, we cannot forget to include the importance of mental health.
Each April, Black Maternal Health Week is a moment to pause and reflect—not just on the devastating statistics that too often define Black maternal outcomes—but on our resilience, our power, and the ways we can reclaim wellness for ourselves, our families, and our communities. As a psychotherapist and a Black woman deeply invested in building safety and healing spaces, I want to talk about something that is often overlooked in these conversations: the mental health of Black mothers.
Why Equitable Care Matters for Black Mothers
Black women in the U.S. are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and while much of this conversation focuses on physical outcomes, it’s imperative that we bring mental health into the center of this dialogue.
Equitable care isn’t just about access to hospitals or prenatal vitamins—it’s about being seen, believed, and treated with respect. When Black women don’t receive equitable care, the emotional toll can be immense: anxiety, trauma, depression, and even postpartum PTSD. This isn't a theoretical issue—it’s a lived reality for too many.
Imagine carrying a child while also carrying the weight of not being heard, of needing to self-advocate in spaces where your pain is minimized. That chronic stress, often referred to as weathering, compounds over time. It’s not just affecting their bodies—it’s impacting their minds and spirits.
Barriers to Mental Health Equity for Black Mothers
So what’s standing in the way? Here are some of the biggest barriers:
Racism and bias in healthcare: Many Black mothers report not feeling listened to or taken seriously when expressing pain or mental health concerns.
Lack of culturally competent providers: Finding a therapist or provider who understands the nuances of Black motherhood—without judgment or stereotype—is still too rare.
Stigma: Within many of our communities, seeking mental health support is still seen as taboo. There's strength in our survival, yes—but we also deserve support.
Access and affordability: Many Black mothers face financial barriers or live in areas with few quality mental health providers.
Ways to Support Black Maternal Mental Health
Healing starts with care—and care is collective. Here are a few ways we can show up:
Listen and affirm: Black mothers don’t need to be fixed—they need to be heard. Validation goes a long way.
Normalize therapy and mental wellness: Let’s shift the narrative from “strong Black woman” to supported Black woman. Strength doesn’t mean going it alone.
Advocate for policy change: Support initiatives that increase Black midwives and doulas, expand postpartum Medicaid coverage, and fund culturally aligned mental health services.
Support rest and recovery: Offer practical help—childcare, meals, emotional support. Rest is revolutionary for Black mothers.
Community Resources That Uplift and Empower
Here are a few organizations and tools that support Black maternal mental health:
The Shades of Blue Project – Offers mental health support for Black and Brown women before, during, and after childbirth.
Black Mamas Matter Alliance – A powerful advocacy organization pushing for respectful, holistic, and equitable care.
Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness – A Chicago-based organization providing affordable mental wellness services specifically for Black women.
Therapy for Black Girls – A directory and podcast that helps Black women connect to culturally competent therapists.
The Loveland Foundation – Offers financial assistance for therapy sessions to Black women and girls.
As we honor Black Maternal Health Week, let’s hold space for both the grief and the possibility. Let’s be intentional about caring for the mental and emotional wellbeing of Black mothers—because they deserve to thrive, not just survive.
To every Black mother reading this: I see you. You are not alone. Your story matters. Your wellness matters, and you are worthy of care—in all its forms. With deep love and solidarity,
Road Less Traveled Abroad
I have experienced two key transitions in my life to date...
Written by Jaime L. Roya
I have experienced two key transitions in my life to date. The first being the decision to pursue an international career when I accepted my first position in Doha, Qatar. That decision was a catalyst of change and transformed me professionally, personally and most importantly spiritually.
As someone that has never lived outside of my home state Texas, this was a huge leap of faith. I did not have any expectations because I honestly did not know what I was signing up for other than something new and a road less traveled amongst my immediate family and close friends.
The transition to Qatar was quite easy, in retrospect, and in comparison to some of the horror stories I have heard from colleagues and friends I have met on this international journey. One aspect I appreciated most about life in Qatar is I worked alongside people that not only looked like me (race/ethnicity), but we also shared lived experiences. (Side bar: If you have ever heard the phrase “all skinfolk ain’t kinfolk” you may understand why I added the emphasis on lived experiences.)
Having a solid core group of girlfriends from various backgrounds and career sectors allowed me to maintain a healthy work-life balance which helped me to feel psychological safe. My mental health in Qatar was at peak performance. I did not allow “aloneness” to be mistaken for “loneliness” but instead strengthened my personal relationship with God through regular prayer and devotion.
When I chose to accept my placement in Qatar, my friends working in Egypt (a married couple I worked alongside in Houston, Texas that influenced my decision to move abroad) warned that the ease of that transition might prove to make moving most places in the world difficult. Those words rang true when I decided to pivot to South Korea. I was stripped of a comfortable expat lifestyle (think “soft-life”) and sisterhood. The former I can adjust accordingly but I realized sisterhood or even access to a community that looks like me is a non-negotiable. I spent the past year walking through life in South Korea blindly trusting my Korean-speaking coworkers to navigate daily nuances, tuning out my environment 90% with AirPods since I do not understand any of the conversations around me and not seeing a single person of color more than 1-2 times a month (that’s being generous).
Culture shock is an understatement. And yes, my mental health suffered. But GOD! I leaned into a newly created group of Black Counseling Professionals I met at a conference and made intentional efforts to stay in contact with my Qatar sisterhood circle and family in The States.
This year, I am focusing on finding joy and stepping out of my comfort zone to explore this place that God strategically placed me. While the road less traveled can bring it’s fair share of anxiety and challenges, what you gain for the experience is one of a kind and possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
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You connect with Jaime and follow her journey via the following platforms:
Instagram- @JaimeLRoya
LinkedIN- Jaime LaDawn Roya
Email: jaimelroya@gmail.com