For the Black woman who wakes up already tired…
There was a time when I used to wake up and immediately put on armor.
Before my feet hit the floor, I was already preparing for battle — emotional labor, unspoken expectations, the silence of being “the strong one.” I didn’t have time to feel. I had responsibilities. Kids to raise. Deadlines to meet. People to please. And somewhere buried beneath all that… a version of me who was aching to be seen.
I didn’t even know I was performing strength — because I had been doing it for so long, it just felt like survival.
But one day, my body told the truth my mouth refused to speak.
Tension in my shoulders. Exhaustion that sleep couldn’t fix. A heaviness in my chest that whispered:
“You’re tired of being who you had to become.”
That’s when I knew something had to shift.
🌞 The Shift: I Stopped Reaching for My Phone
My old mornings started with alerts, emails, messages, and mental chaos. My nervous system didn’t stand a chance.
So I made a small, sacred decision:
For the first 20 minutes of my day, I belong to myself.
Not to social media.
Not to work.
Not to who people expect me to be.
Just me. Raw. Quiet. Human.
✨ The Ritual: Returning to Myself
Here’s what my morning ritual looks like now — soft, sacred, and life-changing:
🧘🏾♀️ 1. Body Check-In (2 min)
Before anything else, I place one hand on my heart, the other on my belly, and ask:
“How do I feel today — really?”
No judgment. Just awareness. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I smile. But every time, I come home to myself.
📓 2. Journaling with No Rules (5–10 min)
I pour out my thoughts — messy, unfiltered, healing. I write what I’m afraid to say out loud. I also write what I need to hear.
That’s where the power is.
Prompts I return to often:
-
“What does my inner child need today?”
-
“What am I pretending not to feel?”
-
“Where can I be softer with myself?”
🎧 3. Voice Note Affirmation (3 min)
Yes, I literally speak life into myself.
“I am enough. I am worthy. I don’t have to prove anything to be loved.”
Hearing my own voice affirm me changed how I show up for the world.
💡 The Truth: Softness is a Discipline
At first, I felt guilty for taking this time. I felt lazy. Like I was falling behind.
But the more I honored my softness, the more powerful I became.
Not performative power — but peaceful power.
The kind that doesn’t need to beg, prove, or shrink.
🖤 For You, Sis
If you wake up and immediately feel like you're on, if your body is tired of being in defense mode, if you’re exhausted from being strong all the time — this is your sign.
Start small.
Start sacred.
Start with five minutes.
And know this: You’re allowed to begin again — gently.
✨ Want My Ritual Guide?
Download the Unbothered & Recentered Toolkit — includes journaling prompts, affirmation scripts, and soft life rituals to help you reset your energy each morning.
Add comment
Comments