Emotional Self Care for Black Women
BOOK REVIEW
by Melinda Wheeler, MLIS
When you think of the term self-care for women, it’s not just about biweekly trips to the local hair and salon, or a night of binge-watching shows or movies on Netflix. Self-Care should not only be about the physical activities we do for ourselves, to disconnect, to relieve stress, or to feel good from the inside and out. Self-Care is also about how we can take better care of ourselves emotionally. Why is emotional self-care so important to Black women and the Black community? How does self-care help Black women from an emotional standpoint?
In Alicia Magoro’s book Emotional Self Care for Black Women, the author highlights, and drops major gems on how Black women should care for themselves emotionally, which can have a positive impact on their mental health, improving their emotional coping techniques, setting boundaries, and creating intentional daily routines. In this book, the reader will learn how to cope and manage their emotions, by understanding how to process each feeling, whether it is positive or negative. In the end, this benefits not only the individuals but their communities and families. Mental health is often a tabu subject in communities of color, and it is refreshing to see another supportive title that looks at the importance of this topic. In her chapter titled “Mindfulness,” Magoro notes that “there is so much noise in the world. Social media has given everyone a platform to share their opinion, even if that opinion is spewing hate. There are opinions on who is hot and who is not, opinions that may subtly oppress the black woman. If you can take the opportunity to be mindful, you can block out the things that bring you down and realign yourself to what is uplifting and motivating.”
This important and well-needed book is an amazing self-help resource which will help to equip the reader to improve their mental health awareness and does not shame readers for wanting to improve their quality of life.
This book helps to empower and encourage women to learn and understand how their feelings and emotions can help them combat the daily stressors of life. For centuries, this group of women have been the center of various stereotypes, like being viewed as strong, resilient, and having the ability to take on the challenges and problems of others around them. Written with Black Women specifically in mind, this is a book that should be in the selfcare library of anyone concerned about the state of mental health in our communities. Magoro encourages women to learn how to break-free, from the stereotypical challenges they may face daily, which can include discrimination, social biases, and past traumas.
Self-Care for Black Women is filled with many ideas about how women can rebound from the emotional weight of day-to-day life, giving the reader clarity on how to emote through different emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, shame, or excitement. Readers are given a roadmap of sorts by which they can also learn how to process small and big emotions, which is important for letting go and releasing negativity from one’s life. The author talks about how emotional self-care can present itself, in the forms journaling, meditating, connecting to one’s spirituality, seeking counselling/therapy, speaking daily affirmations, and so much more!
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This important and well-needed book is an amazing self-help resource which will help to equip the reader to improve their mental health awareness and does not shame readers for wanting to improve their quality of life. The author gives a substantial amount of information to the reader, with the necessary tools and knowledge, to balance their emotions, through the various self-care techniques she addresses. This book is written for women, with Black women as the primary target audience. This is a great gift, an easy read, for any woman navigating the large market on books about mental health and well-being. In an overcrowded market, this easy read is an easy place to start for women of any age. Pulling on the historical aspect of mental health in the Black community, Magoro says, “Black mothers and grandmothers” were not taught coping skills historically. She adds, “The black single mother is expected to provide and nurture without feeling the emotional strain. The black employee should work happily without feeling discriminated against, although there are clear biases against her. A black woman has little support and no healthy outlets to release her frustrations.”
The author, Alicia Magoro, is an Atlanta Georgia native, and business owner. Alicia is passionate about spreading awareness to women, on how to emotionally connect with themselves and others. Magoro’s inspiration for this book stemmed from her own upbringing with her mother and grandmother. Like many Black Women, Alicia saw firsthand the strength and struggles of womanhood through the lives of the women around her. This book is her message that black women should begin to put themselves first without always being in ‘survival’ mode. While this book won’t teach you how to have a soft life, or how to have a thousand-dollar beauty routine, it is a good starting place for women who are keen on nurturing their emotional well-being. There are some gems to take away from this, including understanding the importance of how emotions and stress can be related to mental and physical issues in the body if not addressed accordingly. Key Chapters to pay close attention to are Processing and Releasing Big Emotions, Thoughts and Feelings, and Managing Day by Day. One important note is that readers can scan through the “References” section for valuable information about scholarly information and resources, from mental health professionals, doctors, and psychologists, to support the context of how emotions/feelings can affect the lives of Black Women.
About the reviewer: Melinda Wheeler, MLIS is an advocate for selfcare for Black women. She writes and works in Brooklyn, New York. Ms. Wheeler loves fashion, cooking, writing, and anything about well-being.
