4 Lessons Learnt from The Black Wellness Community W/ @Ashalvesblog

I have collaborated with one of my favourite bloggers, to disuss a few of the things that we have learnt since writing about wellness.

Which leads me to introduce Ash, the talented writer behind Ashalvesblog. Ash’s blog features a variety of encouraging and helpful pieces; on self care, gratitude and managing everyday struggles. A few of my personal favorites; Lack of Self Belief: Personal Confessional and Tips to Help & How to Overcome Feelings of Jealousy: Tips & Practical Steps.

I was new to understanding my own mental health and honestly didn’t know where to look for some kind of confirmation that I am not in this alone. Which lead me to spend a lot of my time attending self care and mental health focused events, specifically run by black people.

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A few things I have learnt from the black wellness community:

The right people around you changes everything

I have spoken about finding your tribe earlier on in my blogging journey in relation to finding other black writers, creatives, bloggers etc. Being part of a community and connecting with people who have something to add to your growth is a true blessing.

I would shy away from socializing due to fear that is attached to some emotional triggers. I wasn’t sure how to set boundaries, I also didn’t even believe I deserved the pleasure of setting boundaries and protecting my peace. Now with a little more knowledge and a lot more respect for myself and my peace, I choose my company wisely. It’s so important to be around people who add without only taking.

Choosing yourself is a must

Along this journey I have had to make the choice to choose myself over and over again. Which should really be a basic, but when you put little value yourself, choosing yourself is an uncomfortable thing to do. I have learnt that choosing myself, choosing my happiness, my peace and my needs is essential and a huge part of my healing journey.

Hair style was created using Big hair, No Care clip in’s, you can read my thoughts on them here.

A few things Ash has learnt from the black wellness community:

Don’t be Afraid to be the Teacher and Student

I’ve learnt not to be ashamed of being on a self-love journey whilst advocating wellness to others. I believe that self-love is a constant process of unlearning and relearning, which is never ending. It’s important that we are doing the work within ourselves at the same time as talking about it.  We can be both the teacher and the student! I believe this is our life work to continuously learn and develop ourselves. I’ve learnt that people are drawn to the realness of another person’s journey because they can identify with it.

Don’t be Afraid to Try something New

I’ve had plenty of moments when I tried something new and it did not work. You never know what will work for you until you try. It’s better to try knowing that you’ve given it your best shot than live with the regret of not knowing what could have happened. I’ve found that within the blogging sphere there’s so much information about how to improve your blog etc, yet the large volume of information can be confusing. I have learnt not to limit myself from trying something that sparks my interest even if I’m not entirely sure whether I’m doing it correctly or not. I believe some things we figure out along the way. Nowadays I am learning to perceive doing something different as an experiment and as a “oh why not see where it takes me”.

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It is a pleasure to be able to collaborate with one of my favs. Thank you again for doing this with me Ash. Be sure to head to Ash’s blog to read more on our lessons from the black wellness community.

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