Self-care should be simple, like our website.
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WHY IS SELF CARE IMPORTANT?
NOT ANOTHER THINK PIECE PODCASTSelf-care is crucial because it promotes overall well-being, reduces stress, and enhances resilience, allowing individuals to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. We believe self-care is for everyone, even the busiest of individuals!
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SELF CARE TIPS
We are here to support your mental health journey! We firmly believe in challenging societal misconceptions surrounding mental health and creating an environment where open conversations about mental health are encouraged and valued.
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SELF CARE STRATEGIES
We know that although physical self-care is not a fix-all solution, we provide a powerful foundation for nourishing your overall well-being, and empowering you to navigate the challenges of life with renewed strength and vitality.
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Why do healthy relationships feel “boring”?
Within our article Dating the "medium-ugly" guy might be better for your mental health we address the possibility of dating the "medium-ugly" guy with hopes of finding a healthy partner, outside of physical appearance. Dating the "square" or "poindexter" can feel boring or unfulfilling, especially if this relationship follows a more toxic one. According to Psychology Today, here are three reasons why healthy relationships feel boring and bore some people. Relationships that feel like rollercoasters have become the norm for you You are accustomed to overextending yourself and ignore your needs Due to conditioning, you believe that healthy and consistent relationships are boring Safe and secure relationships can feel boring at times and it's important to consider are these feelings related to past experiences. Lean into the feelings of safety and security. Share your needs and insecurities often. You deserve a a love that feels safe! 3 Reasons Why Healthy Relationships Bore Some People | Psychology Today. (n.d.). Www.psychologytoday.com. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mindful-dating/202212/3-reasons-you-feel-bored-by-a-healthy-relationship
Why do healthy relationships feel “boring”?
Within our article Dating the "medium-ugly" guy might be better for your mental health we address the possibility of dating the "medium-ugly" guy with hopes of finding a healthy partner, outside of physical...
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3 Easy Steps To Start and Run A Book Club With Friends
Finding time to read can be a hassle and navigating adult friendships can be difficult, especially amidst such demanding schedules. How do you find time to spend time with friends, when time feels limited? A book club is a great start! If you're considering starting a book club with your friends or curious about how to find book clubs, here are three easy steps to get started. Don't worry the tips are introvert and busy schedule friendly. How to start a book club with friends? Step one: find friends who are willing to commit to the book club and who will be involved The Reese Witherspoon Book Club is most notable for bringing people together through their love for literature and reading. Find inspo. for book club ideas/activities on virtual platforms such as Pinterest, Goodreads, and Tik Tok. There’s something special about starting a book club, and building community through one's love for literature. Finding willing and able participants is a great start for those interested in learning how to start a book club at school or how to start a book club online. Step two: as a group select the book that you would like to read When engaging in a book club online and starting a book club with friends, deciding which book to select can be a challenge. Our favorite online book club platform is Goodreads. Here's your personal book club invite to our book club 'Pot Liquor For The Soul.' We typically add books to a list and peek at other user's reviews for inspiration in order to determine if a book selection is the right fit. We happened to stumble upon our most recent book selection, ‘The House of Eve’ simply by searching “books for black girls” on Tik Tok. Keep an open mind when selecting attempting to select a book. Step three: Start a group chat! As you transition through the book use emojis and texts to document your reactions by chapter and to signify which chapters you've completed to the members of your book club. This approach adds new meaning to online book clubs. Often times, having to recap full chapters and find the words for your reactions can be tiring and take away from the experience. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Let the emojis do the talking. Within ‘Not Another Think Piece’ episode two, we discuss how we managed to engage in our first summer book club, and offered a book review of the novel 'The House of Eve.' "38" signifies the chapter and the emojis are the person's reaction to the chapter. We found that utilizing text message reactions, gifs, and short responses worked best for our busy work and school schedules. This is by far the simplest book club guide and instruction to get started. Many people are now homebodies, simply because free third spaces are becoming obsolete, and most activities are expensive, involve drinking, or lack creativity. A book club via text is a great method to build and maintain community. Also, once we finished the book we hosted a book club picnic! We came together in person and debriefed about the novel overall. How to run a book club discussion? When attempting to engage in a book club discussion with your friends, KISS. Keep it simple silly. Less is more when engaging in a book club discussion, because most times the conversation will go in many directions. As you read note themes, reactions, and thoughts. What questions are coming up for you as you are reading the chapter? What are you thoughts on particular characters? As you begin to discuss the book, ask your friends open-ended questions. This will allow the conversation to expand. Also, make predictions, but no spoilers! Lavar Burton would be proud! Reading is amazing and it's important to find ways to build community. It's especially important to find affordable activities to engage friends and maintain healthy friendships. What friends are you willing to ask to join your book club? Which book would you want to read first and why? Happy reading!
3 Easy Steps To Start and Run A Book Club With Friends
Finding time to read can be a hassle and navigating adult friendships can be difficult, especially amidst such demanding schedules. How do you find time to spend time with friends, when...
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Are Traumatized Women “Less Feminine”?
What does it mean to be “traumatized” or have experienced trauma? According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), trauma is defined as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. This can include: Direct experience: Experiencing the traumatic event directly Witnessing: Witnessing the event in person as it happened to others Indirect exposure: Learning that a close friend or family member experienced the event Repeated exposure: Being repeatedly exposed to details of the event An individual that is traumatized may experience distress and significant impairment. Everyone reacts differently to trauma, however many women have found that they are often incapable of identifying with “soft life” and “demure” culture because they display more culturally masculine traits, as a result of their life experiences. While masculine characteristics and feminine characteristics are subjective, those that have expressed an inability to tap into their softer and gentler side fault their trauma and upbringing. Those that have experienced parentification within their development, express that allowing others to lead and asking for help are difficult tasks to overcome. Parentification or parent-child role reversal, is defined as a child or adolescent placed in inappropriate and often burdensome roles to support or maintain the family system. For children and adolescents that have been placed in the parent and caretaker role, they often struggle emotionally and socially within adulthood. Many often experience forms of burnout early because of the responsibilities and expectations of their childhood. Stress is also often a contributing factor in one’s feeling of presenting “less feminine.” Stress is not only a silent killer, but can throw your nervous system completely out of whack. Those that experience high levels of stress are often in a constant state of activation and urgency. Chronic stress, which is pervasive, in comparison to Acute Stress has the potential to increase health concerns, meath health symptoms, and has a detrimental impact on one’s overall functionality and quality of life. How might Chronic Stress present itself and impact you? Body aches and pains Energy decrease Loss or significant changes to appetite Sleep changes Nervousness or feelings of anxiousness Changes in social behavior Headaches and Migraines and much more Stress management is not only paramount, but a survival essential. Many have often shared that they feel “ugly” or undesirable due to an inability to engage in self-care and self maintenance. “I’m stressed and I’m ugly!” As the saying goes, when you look good, you feel good. Make intentional attempts at incorporating moments of self-care and stress management into your everyday schedule. Pay yourself first! You pay a job with your time every time you clock in. You pay an institution every time you show up! What’s holding you back from paying yourself? Femininity can be a feeling and a mindset. Your feminine presentation may differ drastically from someone else's, which is okay! So, you're not the coquette, pink bow wearing type, does that make you less of a woman if you don't and more if you do? Life is a learning curve, and it's important to identify what works best for you. In my own journey towards understanding my own femininity and feminine presentation, I utilized these tips to lean less on what society deems as more masculine traits in an attempt to define womanhood and what femininity looks like to me. Even the bible says "guard your heart", but it's important to identify the distinction between avoidance and protection. Both present similar, but one is often rooted in fear, requires a hardening of one's self, and appears more on the defensive side. Are you often hyper-independent? Do you display traits of reservation, distance, and those of an enigma? Are you hyper-critical of yourself or others? Do you struggle with trusting others and asking for help? If you related to any of the questions above, I think it's time to reconnect with yourself. Explore where these traits stem from and identify if they are helpful or harmful? Ways that we tap into our feminine side and feminine energy: Movement Finding a good fragrance that makes us feel feminine Engaging in identity reformation and exploring harmful and helpful beliefs and ideals surrounding femininity and womanhood that we hold Finding empowerment and inspiration from our Sheroes (combination of she and heroes.) That embody our definition of femininity and feminine energy Avoid comparing ourselves to others and making attempts at not falling victim to the latest trends providing new and unattainable standards of femininity Self expression Empowering and complimenting other woman Smiling, when we want to, rather than when we are told to Complimenting and praising unique aspects of ourselves Allowing others to help us and not shaming ourselves after Wearing clothes that allow us to feel feminine and countless other activities and practices that make us feel beautiful, seen, and safe Many of us are in survival mode and are unaware. You are not more or less feminine for not wearing bows or the faintest hue of pink. Femininity is strong, assertive, powerful, but also gentle, meticulous, and free-flowing. Yes, you may have experienced significant trauma and events that altered how you present within and navigate the world. However, one's trauma history does not make an individual less or more feminine. Somehow we have weaponized femininity, when it's truly an individual experience. In closing, here are a few prompts to help you understand and tap into your feminine energy. Feminine energy journal prompts: How do you define your feminine energy? What does it look like? What does it feel like? How do others react to it? When do you feel the most feminine? The contents of Sincerely Sanguine's (SS) Site, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the SS Site (“Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the SS Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 or local emergency number immediately. SS does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by SS, SS employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of SS, or other visitors to the Site is solely at your own risk. The Site and the Content are provided on an “as is” basis.
Are Traumatized Women “Less Feminine”?
What does it mean to be “traumatized” or have experienced trauma? According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), trauma is defined as exposure to actual or...
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Watch Review: Inside Out 2 Details Pros Of Having Anxiety?
Inside out 2 features new emotions, but the movie was a real snoozer! Nothing compares to Inside Out 1, due to its honest and unique approach at such complex topics, and use of emotion (no pun intended.) However, after watching Inside Out 2, the message is important and once you fight through the plot, the moral will hit you where it hurts. I am aware that the movie was intended for kids, yet it felt a bit too childish in comparison to the first movie. Many people are still recovering from the scene with Bing Bong. The jokes and comedic elements fell short and I felt disconnected from the overall storyline. Again, I am past the teeny bopper age, but connecting with and enjoying children's movies is not uncommon for me. Nonetheless, I held on strong and I would say the last 15-25 minutes of the movie shifted my rating from two stars to three. No spoilers, but here are five takeaways to keep near and dear to your heart from Inside Out 2! Anxiety is not 100% bad, but when left to it's own devises it can become dangerous and out of control The Inside out 2 Anxiety character was a tornado! As viewers, we identify that Anxiety's intention was to help Riley and one can argue that Anxiety wanted the best for Riley. Yet, to offer another perspective, one can also argue that Anxiety had its own best interest in mind. Was Anxiety pushing Riley to perfection for her, or to appease its own needs? Unfortunately, Anxiety utilized false beliefs and fear of the unknown to drive Riley over the edge. Similar to fear, anxiety worked within Riley's body to amplify worry, nervousness, and uneasiness. Anxiety thrived in thoughts of the past, fear of the future and unknown, hyper fixations, and hypotheticals. As the movie progresses, we watch Anxiety evolve to a point of uncontrollability, which forces Riley to abandon her core beliefs, abandon her friends, and lose complete control of her emotions. In the end, Anxiety remains within Riley, but through the assistance of Joy and the other emotions, Anxiety has the necessary tools to manage their feelings and beliefs. To truly work with Riley, instead of against her. Perfection is the thief of joy Riley was a star hockey player and enjoyed the sport. She loved playing with her friends, however once the stakes elevated and her anxiety began to peak she abandoned her love for the game, and replaced it with a love for approval and acceptance. With perfection, we see that we can’t completely blame Anxiety. Instead, we identify that Joy also contributes to Riley’s untimely breakdown. Which brings me to the next key takeaway! Joy and happiness are important, but when used as a form of manipulation both can become toxic Joy was inadvertently manipulating Riley’s core beliefs and memories to spotlight her more positive qualities and manipulate her account. To protect Riley, Joy believed that suppression and avoidance was necessary to maintain Riley’s self-image and sense of self. Joy eliminated moments of embarrassment, guilt, shame, and many others creating a pseudo image of perfection, similar to Anxiety. As Joy engages in toxic positivity while on the journey, eventually she cracks under the pressure, abandoning the toxic positivity and openly expressing her true feelings. Joy, like Anxiety, was attempting to transform Riley into who she wanted her to become, rather than who she was. Riley is a flawed and complex developing young girl. However, at her core and left to her own influence, her values remain true when they are not influenced by anxiety or false positivity. Be yourself and those who love you for you, will show up and remain true My favorite scene within the movie, was Riley's worst moment. As to not spoile the movie, I can share that as someone that has experienced panic or anxiety attacks, they're not fun. They're actually scary and invoke feelings of a lack of control of your own body. During Riley's darkest and loneliest moment, her friend saw her. Even after Riley dismissed her, amidst other things, Riley's friend showed up for her. Riley was attempting to impress a group of girls that did not know her (the real her), let alone like her. Riley's friends knew her, the real her, when she needed them the most they showed up and supported her. Remain true to yourself and the people that love you for you will stick around. The self-talk that we engage in and beliefs that we hold are important and powerful! "I am not enough" roared through the theater and I wept a bit. Riley went from having such high self-esteem and values, to not knowing who she was or what she was capable of. Been there! A pivotal moment in the movie is when Joy realizes that she must abandon the old core belief, the one rooted in her influence and allow Riley to foster her own core belief. Once Joy removed the original core belief, Riley's true beliefs begin to manifest. The good, bad, and ugly, however at the core of her core belief her true self shined through. In closing, your emotions are not fact, but they are important and impactful! Caring about the future and accessing the past is necessary, however avoid allowing these thoughts to consume you! "Be where your feet are." I will say, sadness really held it down within this movie and unfortunately we villainize negative emotions, but they are necessary components of the human experience. My sister fell asleep, but woke up once the movie started to pick up momentum. My God-mom did not fall a sleep which is a good sign, but the movie was indeed still a snoozer. Watch it for yourself and let us know your thoughts!
Watch Review: Inside Out 2 Details Pros Of Having Anxiety?
Inside out 2 features new emotions, but the movie was a real snoozer! Nothing compares to Inside Out 1, due to its honest and unique approach at such complex topics, and...
The first step to learning how to take care of yourself mentally and emotionally:
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Join our bookclub!
Welcome to Pot Liquor for the soul, a compassionate book club forum founded by Dasia (Dasiasaysso) dedicated to nurturing mental wellness through the power of literature. Here, we offer a supportive space for to explore books that inspire self-reflection, promote healing, and cultivate resilience.