SHOWING UP FOR YOU
When we prioritize & vocalize our needs, it makes room for others to do the same.
Change Starts Within You.
More than half (56.2%) of BIPOC women believe that breaking the silence regarding their own mental health struggles will challenge cultural stigmas and open up the dialogue in their own communities. In fact, when we prioritize our own well-being, we inspire and make space for others around us to do the same for themselves.
That’s when we can impact positive change around us — and truly start living #HappyInsideOut.
When I Prioritize
Being Happy Inside Out, I…
01
Am breaking the cultures of silence that once held me back.
When we take the time to name and feel through our emotions, we’re able to process our reality. This is especially important for women of color who disproportionately experience adversity. By breaking the silence, we can be the generation that breaks the cycle of guilt, shame, and silence.
02
Recognize that my struggles are not a personal deficit.
Being aware of how and why we’re feeling things — be it emotionally or physically — is a powerful way to break the cycle of comparing ourselves to others and the belief that asking for help makes us “less qualified” or “weak”. We can give our emotions the space they need to breathe with less judgment, and more kindness.
03
Am able to cope with challenges and setbacks in a biased system.
When we take time to support and care for ourselves, we are better equipped to handle the challenges and setbacks that come with living in environments that lack inclusivity and equity. As Audre Lorde once said — “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
04
Am able to seek help to support my needs.
No matter how resilient a person is, community is essential in overcoming life’s challenges. Making space for ourselves to connect with others who get it too validates our lived experience, rather than feeling isolated and alone. It also makes it easier to see that it’s perfectly fine to reach out for help, whether a friend or mental health professional.
05
Make space for others to prioritize their happy, too.
Finally, when we prioritize being #HappyInsideOut, we’re better able to make space for others to do the same. When we’re no longer running on fumes, have community support, and have separated our self-worth from our struggles, we open up our own capacity for empathy and compassion to advocate for ourselves and our peers through their struggles too.
Do you need urgent help & someone to talk to?
Call National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988
Text Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
