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Self-compassion is the key to overcoming the Superwoman syndrome

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July is BIPOC (Bipoc, Indigenous and People of Color) Mental Health Awareness Month. While any day is an awesome time to concentrate on the unique challenges that impact the well-being of individuals of color, this is the time of 12 months when these conversations are led by people outside of those communities.

One of the themes for this 12 months’s celebrations is “supporting intergenerational conversations,” and when I believed of topics that would fit under that theme, I believed of the superwoman syndrome. According to experts, black women are hit hard by burnout and stress, but they’re less likely to have access to mental health care.

I’m someone who has unconsciously placed on an imaginary cape and, knowing that I’m more exhausted than not, I even have often pushed myself to be the best mother, the best wife, the best homemaker, the best editor, the best pastoral employee, and other time-consuming roles . I even have perpetuated this because in some ways it is all I even have seen as a toddler and in the messages I even have received online and in my every day life.

But it’s exhausting, each mentally and physically, to try to do every little thing for everybody else while still dedicating the little time I even have left to myself. This leads to stress, extreme fatigue, and ultimately burnout. If left unchecked, it starts a cycle I do know all too well. But focusing a lot on self-care can often be criticized in the event you’re someone who grew up in the church and heard the message that it’s more necessary to do things for others than for yourself. It’s also met with mixed reactions as a parent.

So where is the middle ground?

According to Danielle Coke Balfour, illustrator, social justice activist and founding father of lifestyle brand Oh Happy Dani, a technique to shed that suffocating cloak for good is to practice self-compassion. The idea of ​​self-compassion is at the heart of her latest work,

Self-compassion is the key to overcoming toxic superwoman syndrome
Rebecca Talbot

The book’s inspiring prompts are designed to eliminate the negative self-talk that makes busy black women feel like they’re not doing enough or that they need to appear as strong as possible even after they’re feeling broken. The workbook helps users find their current purpose, discover what brings them joy of their every day lives, and even create art to give themselves a moment to unleash pent-up creativity.

We spoke with Coke Balfour about what inspired her to write this handbook, why superwoman syndrome is so common, even amongst activists like her, and the power of practicing self-compassion to maintain peace of mind.

THE ESSENCE: What is behind the tendency of black women to play the superhero role and put themselves last, which negatively affects their psyche?

Danielle Coke Balfour: I imagine that the foundation of all of this is the “strong black woman” stereotype that has been around for generations. It fuels the concept that we’re by some means divinely able to withstanding greater pain, trauma, and disrespect, and that is why we’re treated that way. In order to survive, we have now had to dig deep inside ourselves and find the determination to keep going, for the good of our families and our collective well-being as a society.

We often hear conflicting comments. Some say that folks shouldn’t think a lot about themselves and concentrate on how to help others, but we also hear about the importance of self-care. Is self-compassion the solution? And if that’s the case, how can we practice it?

As a pastor’s daughter, I even have struggled with this message more times than I can count. In the book, I explore this tension as I consider how we live in a world where self-love is either demonized or the sum of our attention. The church often describes self-love as a mere distraction—an idolatrous concentrate on our own life and gain. Others take refuge in self-care, seeing it as the only necessity since it seems to offer a type of protection and insulation from the difficulties and attacks of the world.

To fully experience love, I imagine we’d like to discover a balance between healthy self-worth and caring for others. It’s giving of ourselves while also being attentive to when our cups are empty. It’s caring for ourselves while also taking the effort and time to be there for others. These two areas don’t compete; they complement and feed off one another, creating the obligatory balance for a lifetime of love and impact. We are worthy of the love we give. Self-compassion says that even in our love for others, it’s okay to select ourselves.

What inspired you to create?

was born out of an intense season of burnout and hopelessness. As a society, we were grappling with successive political unrest, humanitarian crises, a pandemic, and so many other issues, and I wanted to turn into cold and numb to the world around me in order that I wouldn’t still feel a lot pain. It was in the strategy of processing through art that I noticed that in these moments of devastation, the world needs warm, beating hearts of compassion, not cold hearts that turn away. When the tragedies of the world pierce our hearts like ice, it is our motion—our love in motion—that makes the difference: our voices, our prayers, our empathy, and so far more. seeks to be a companion and guide for many who want to discover how to use their unique gifts to show up and live lives of empathy, justice, and motion, while also caring for ourselves and being grateful for imperfection.

Self-compassion is the key to overcoming the toxic superwoman syndrome
Rebecca Talbot

Where did you get the following tips? Did you’re employed with mental health experts and therapists?

These prompts are less like an handbook and more like a set of illustrated, guided activities that anyone can explore. They mix engaging and interesting exercises, encouragement I’ve drawn from a few of my heroines, like Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, and reflection questions inspired by contemporary injustices. Rather than providing an inventory of answers, the workbook allows readers to explore and discover their very own ways of perceiving and embodying values ​​like love, community, empathy, hope, redemption, justice, and more. Activities include creating art, discovering our unique gifts for change, exploring real-life scenarios of injustice, and fascinated by ways to be more kind and compassionate toward ourselves in an effort to positively impact the world around us.

As a social justice activist, how necessary is it to you to practice self-compassion?

Self-compassion is key to this work. Every day we see activists shutting one another down for making mistakes, burning out from maintaining a grueling pace, and giving up because they feel they’ve to be perfect. Self-compassion helps me understand that I’m not the end in myself on this work. There will all the time be more to do, and it can proceed with or without me, because I’m only one person. It is in recognizing that I cannot save the world that I free myself to concentrate on doing what I can, where I’m, with what I even have—and that may all the time be enough.

Give some examples of the way we could be higher to ourselves in our on a regular basis lives.

One of the best ways to show yourself more grace and empathy is to let go of perfectionism. Allowing yourself to be imperfect helps free yourself from the pressure to be strong and as a substitute gives you the grace to just… Another way is to relentlessly pursue what makes you come alive. By selecting joy, we decide resistance, hope, and strength of spirit, and we remind others that we’re free to be our full selves.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Willow Smith’s debut collection with Moncler is now available – Essence

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Moncler

Willow Smith’s debut collection with Moncler has been launched. The capsule is a mixture of the inside of a musician, actress, writer and creator. In it, a futuristic and unbelievable world is explored through clothes. Smith’s personal style was also showcased. The lineup was originally revealed in Shanghai.

Willow Smith's debut collection with Moncler is now available
Moncler

“Minimalism and utilitarianism. Femininity and masculinity. Black and white. “Putting ideas together in an elegant way is something that really excites me and I wanted to explore that with this collection,” Willow shared.

“Willow’s magnetic energy is captured in a series of images exploring the primary themes of the collection: clashing contrasts, rebirth and renewal, yin and yang, recent beginnings – inspired by Moncler’s mountain origins and love of nature. “Willow’s creativity influences every aspect of the videos and photos accompanying the collection: she not only drives the concept, but also models her designs, narrates the short film and provides the soundtrack,” the brand said in a press release. The launch is accompanied by black and white campaign photos – the dramatization of those photos ushers in an exciting era for Smith.

Willow Smith's debut collection with Moncler is now available
Moncler

The collection is dominated by knitwear perfect for layering, a down jacket and heavy sweatshirts created in shrunken proportions. The capsule is accomplished with extensive outerwear options and a brief-sleeved T-shirt with silver eyelet. The T-shirt is also available in an extended-sleeved version. The collection includes cream and black shades. The down vest with a hood and a brief cut stands out.

Salix leather boots are characterised by an interesting design. In addition to nodding to punk influences, this footwear option is designed with a Moncler logo on the toe, elastic panels on the front and a rubber sole.

Willow Smith's debut collection with Moncler is now available
Moncler

“I am incredibly passionate about the outdoors and exploring this wonderful land. I imagine these pieces can easily transition from overnight camping to fashionable evening wear,” Willow added, emphasizing the natural duality of the collection.

Moncler X Willow Smith is currently available in chosen Moncler stores and more moncler.com .

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Women are less likely to undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation than men. Training on breast mannequins could be helpful

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If someone’s heart suddenly stops beating, this may increasingly have happened minutes of life. Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation may increase their probabilities of survival. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation keeps blood pumping, delivering oxygen to the brain and vital organs until specialized treatment arrives.

However, research shows that bystanders are less likely to intervene to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the person is a girl. AND latest Australian study analyzed 4,491 cardiac arrest cases between 2017 and 2019 and located that bystanders were more likely to perform CPR on men (74%) than on women (65%).

Could this be partly because CPR training mannequins (so-called dummies) shouldn’t have breasts? Our recent research we checked out mannequins available all over the world to train people to perform CPR and located that 95% of them were flat-chested.

Anatomically, breasts don’t change the cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique. However, they’ll influence whether people try to accomplish that – and hesitation at these key moments could mean the difference between life and death.

Differences in heart health

Cardiovascular diseases – including heart disease, stroke and cardiac arrest – are probably the most common diseases important reason behind death for ladies all over the world.

But if a girl goes into cardiac arrest outside the hospital (meaning her heart stops pumping air properly), that is actually what happens. 10% less likely receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation than a person. Women too less likely survive cardiopulmonary resuscitation and are at greater risk of brain damage following cardiac arrest.

Bystanders are less likely to intervene if a girl needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to a person.
Doublelee/Shutterstock

These are just among the many health inequalities experienced by women, in addition to transgender and non-binary people. Compared to men, their symptoms they are more likely to be rejected or misdiagnosed, or it could take longer to receive a diagnosis.

Reluctance of the witness

There can also be growth evidence women are less likely to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to men.

This may be partly due to the concerns of those being accused of sexual harassmentworry may cause damage (in some cases based on the assumption that ladies are more “fragile”) and discomfort related to touching women’s breasts.

Bystanders may also get into trouble recognition the lady has a cardiac arrest.

Even in simulated scenarios, researchers found that interveners were less likely to remove women’s clothing prepare for resuscitationcompared to men. And there have been women less likely to receive Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation (an electrical charge to restart the center) – even when the training was in the shape of a web based game that didn’t require touching anyone.

There is evidence of how people behave in resuscitation training scenarios reflects what they do in real emergency situations. This means it is amazingly vital to train people to recognize cardiac arrest and prepare for intervention, no matter gender or body type.

Attached to men’s bodies

Very Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training resources depict male bodies or don’t specify gender. If bodies shouldn’t have breasts, it’s a male default.

For example, the 12 months 2022 test taking a look at CPR training in North, Central, and South America, it was found that nearly all of available mannequins were white (88%), male (94%), and slim (99%).

The woman's hands press the torso of a mannequin wearing a blue jacket.
It is amazingly rare for a mannequin to have breasts or a bigger body.
M Isolation photo/Shutterstock

This research reflects what we see in our work once we train other healthcare professionals to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We noticed that every one the mannequins available for training are flat chested. One of us (Rebecca) had difficulty finding training mannequins with breasts.

Single mannequin with breasts

Our recent research we checked what cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins are available and the way diverse they are. In 2023, we identified 20 cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins in the worldwide market. Mannequins are often torsos with no head and without arms.

Of the 20 available, five (25%) were sold as “female”, but only considered one of them had breasts. This implies that 95% of obtainable CPR training mannequins were flat-chested.

We also checked out other diversity characteristics, including skin tone and bigger bodies. We found that 65% had more than one skin tone available, but just one had a bigger body. Further research is required on the impact of those elements on bystanders when performing CPR.

Breasts don’t change cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique doesn’t change when someone has breasts. The barriers are cultural. And although you could feel uncomfortable, starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation as soon as possible can save your life.

Signs that somebody may have cardiopulmonary resuscitation include not respiration properly or completely or not responding to you.

Perform effective cardiopulmonary resuscitationit’s best to:

  • place the heel of your hand in the middle of your chest

  • place your second hand on top of the primary and interlace your fingers (keep your arms straight)

  • press firmly to a depth of about 5 cm before releasing

  • press your chest with a frequency of 100-120 beats per minute (you may sing a song) in your head to show you how to keep time!)

An example of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation – using a flat-chest manikin.

What a couple of defibrillator?

You haven’t got to remove someone’s bra to perform CPR. But you could need to accomplish that if a defibrillator is required.

AND defibrillator is a tool that uses an electrical charge to restart the center. An underwired bra may cause minor skin burns when the debrillator pads apply an electrical charge. However, in case you cannot take your bra off, don’t let it delay your care.

What should change?

Our research highlights the necessity for a big selection of breast CPR training mannequins, in addition to a wide range of body sizes.

Training resources need to higher prepare people to intervene and perform CPR on individuals with breasts. We also need greater education on the chance of developing and dying from heart disease in women.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Ant stings can be painful. Here’s how to avoid getting stung this summer (and what to do if it happens)

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The starting of summer is just a couple of days away, and plenty of of us will be looking forward to long, sunny days spent on the beach, by the pool, camping or having a picnic within the park.

Insects love summer too. Most of them right then grow and feed. However, this shared appreciation of the season can sometimes lead to conflict.

Insects have long been preyed upon by many species, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and other insects. Accordingly, quite a lot of defense mechanisms have evolved – perhaps none more familiar to humans than the sting.

Many ants have a stinger on their rear end which they use to deliver venom. It will not be the sting itself that causes pain, but relatively venom. Ant venom accommodates a mix of various chemicals, a few of which have evolved specifically to manipulate the nerve endings in our skin to cause pain.

Let’s take a have a look at the several ant stings chances are you’ll experience this summer in Australia and how to respond.

Bull ants

Bull ants (also often called bulldog ants, jumper ants, or jumper ants) are large for an ant. Some species can grow to length 4 centimeters. They are easily identified by their large eyes, long mandibles (jaws), and aggressive nature.

Their sting is immediate, hot, sharp and unambiguous, similar to that of a honey bee. The intense pain will only last a couple of minutes before being replaced by redness and swelling across the sting site.

There are many differing kinds of bull ants in Australia.
Sam Robinson

Green-headed ants

Green-headed ants are also called green ants (but not to be confused with green ants). green tree ants northern Australia, which do not sting). Green-headed ants are common and love our lawns.

About Length 6 millimetersthey’re much smaller than bull ants. They can be recognized by their shiny green-purple exoskeleton.

Green-headed ants are frequently less aggressive than bull ants, but they can still deliver a big sting. The pain from a green ant sting can construct up step by step and cause intense, sticky pain.

Green-headed ant.
Green-headed ants can be identified by their color.
Sam Robinson

Fire ants

Fire ants (or imported red fire ants) are native to South America. They were detected first in Brisbane in 2001it probably moved in containers and has since spread across south-east Queensland.

Fire ants are reddish brown and black and range in size from Length 2–6 millimeters.

You will almost certainly encounter fire ants of their nests, which appear like a pile of loose dirt. A hearth ant nest has no obvious entrance, which is way to distinguish it from other similar ant nests.

Disturbing a hearth ant nest will awaken an offended mass of a whole bunch of ants and expose you to being stung.

The initial pain from a single sting seems like an intense, hot itch, although it can be controlled. However, fire ant stings rarely occur in the only digits. One ant can sting multiple times, and plenty of ants can sting one person, which can lead to a whole bunch of stings. A hearth ant sting can cause pus-filled ulcers and scarring in the next days.

If you reside in an area where fire ants are present, it’s price taking a couple of minutes to learn how to do this recognize and report their.

Electric ants

Electric ants is one other nasty random import, coming from Central and South America. Currently limited to Cairns and surroundingsthese are tiny (1.5 millimeters long) yellow ants.

Like fire ants, these ants are frequently defensive, so lots of them will sting without delay. Their sting is more painful than you’ll expect from such a tiny creature. I compare it to being showered with red, hot sparks.

If you think that you see electric ants, please report it Biosecurity in Queensland.

Australian ants should not the worst

You may be surprised to hear that Australian ants don’t even make it to the rostrum when it comes to essentially the most painful ant stings. The winners include: harvester ants (North and South America), which cause severe, sticky pain, comparable to a drill slowly rotating in a muscle – for up to 12 hours.

The gold medal goes to the sting of the South and Central American bullet ant, which has been described How:

Pure, intense, sensible pain. It’s like walking on burning charcoal with a 3-inch nail stuck in your heel.

How to avoid getting stung (and what to do if you do)

Fortunately, the answer is frequently quite simple. Look around before you sit on the bottom or unfolded a picnic blanket, avoiding places where you see ant nests or a lot of foraging ants.

The selection of footwear might also be necessary. In my experience, most stings occur on the feet of those wearing thongs.

If you get stung, generally the situation will improve by itself. The pain often subsides after a couple of minutes (sometimes slightly longer within the case of a green ant sting). The redness, swelling and itching that sometimes follows may last for several days.

In the meantime, if mandatory, ice pack it will help with the pain. If it’s particularly bad, a topical numbing cream containing lidocaine may provide temporary relief. You can get it over-the-counter at a pharmacy.

A small proportion of individuals may experience an allergic response to ant stings. In very severe cases this may include respiratory problems or ingestion. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms after an ant sting, you need to seek urgent medical attention.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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