This Black Woman and Managing Stress Amidst a Pandemic

In the midst of this COVID-19 world pandemic, it has become evident to many of us that it is hard to be “okay” when we are finding ourselves more still and less busy than usual. I’d like to think that my life has not changed very much being a solopreneur that only worked part-time outside the home, but I was wrong. I also found myself immediately unprepared to deal with the heightened level of stress that we have all been subjected to in this time of uncertainty. Like many of us, I just melted into the delightful “avoidance-activities” like binge-watching and social media. I finally got to the point where these once enjoyable activities became just another source of anxiety. So in taking a step back, I was able to return to myself and a state of calm, closer to my usual demeanor, by reminding myself that there is always uncertainty when dealing with the future. I also reminded myself that stress is often just unprocessed energy or fear and decided to involve myself in activities that deal with it head on. Here are some activities and tools that have worked for me. Take what you will and tailor them to your own life and ability. 

1.     Exercise! Not just any old exercise-if you are healthy enough, do some HIIT (high intensity-interval training) exercises. Get your heart rate up and get the energy moving through your body it will help clear some of the thoughts from your head as well as of the restless, trapped energy in your body. Some examples of HIIT exercises are burpees, jumping rope, starbursts, and jumping jacks. Get your heart rate up and get that stress level down. (HIIT exercises can often be physically challenging, so choose modified versions of HIIT exercises based on your physical ability if needed, and always be careful when deciding on an exercise plan.)

2.     Meditate. The same as with exercise, this will not be your normal calm breath in-breathe out meditation. To counteract the high levels of fear and anxiety that you may be experiencing, try some Power Breaths. Power Breaths are short, controlled breaths made in and out through the nose, by expanding and contracting the lower belly. Take a deep breath in on the last breath and release it slowly. You will feel the stress melt away from your mind and the tension release from your shoulders. Repeat as necessary. Power Breaths are very powerful in sets. You can do 10, 20 or 100 at a time. Start small and work your way up to avoid hyperventilating. Power Breaths are a quick, effective way to reset your nervous system. Just take a moment, close your eyes (if safe to) and breath away the stress. 

3.     Express it! Write it out. It doesn’t have to be an official journal entry or even make sense to anyone, but you. Grab a pen and some paper and really write out the thoughts and fears you are having. It often helps to see them on paper. It makes them tangible, unlike when they are looming overwhelmingly in or racing rampantly through your mind. Write out the things that are causing you fear worry or stress and take the time to examine the validity of each thing. (If you are worried about someone else seeing your fears expressed in writing, simply destroy it after you’ve had time to process.) When you evaluate your fears, if you find one that is legitimate and you don’t know what to do about it, talk about it with a trusted friend or confidant. This is where coaches and therapists really shine (objective parties), by helping you work through it. Book a session.

4.     Plan out your day and week. If you are one of the thousands of people with additional time on your hands amidst this pandemic, it may feel unimportant to plan out what you will do daily because you have so much time to get things done. On the contrary, having too much time with no structure to it  makes it hard to decipher what is actually getting done. (Note: Avoiding structuring your time may  be a symptom of the stress or fear caused by the uncertainty we are facing in the world. It can be paralyzing.) Creating a structure for your daily activities that reflects your new circumstances can impact your mental health and stress levels in a positive way. It can restore a sense of control to this situation where it otherwise feels we have very little. Write out what needs to be done in your household, for yourself and your job or business over the next weekly period and decide which day and time you will be doing it. Even plan your binge-watching so that it has an end time. This will lead to productivity and a feeling of moving forward, even while you shelter-in-place.

5.     Talk with someone. In our world that includes such fabulous social media platforms as the centre for connection, it is easy to feel like we are talking to others all the time. However, in our world of constant visibility, there still remains a stigma concerning vulnerability. The “talking” I describe here is not the polished, methodical sharing we do on social media. It’s the raw, deep stuff that you only reserve for trusted parties like, confidants, coaches and therapists. Many coaches and therapists offer virtual services. (I do!) Talk with someone that will allow you to get it all out in a healthy, safe way. As for time with your friends, that can also be therapeutic, you may not get to meet for a coffee or a cocktail in person, but you can certainly do it over video chat and have great laughs and conversations. By the way, my Clarity Sessions are perfect for talking through issues. Book one now. 

6.     Pause. Practice mindfulness. Before you respond, “yes”- when Netflix asks if you are still watching or before you take another trip to the kitchen for anything other than water, or make another online purchase, ask yourself- “Is this what I need right now?” Need being the operative word. It’s so easy to let our wants rule our boredom, but taking a pause to be mindful and reflecting on how our seemingly minute, inconsequential decisions are affecting the big picture can save us from unnecessary stress, now and in the future.

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and stress is a known threat to both. Please choose a few of the tips that I have shared and start now implementing them to manage your stress levels. Take care of yourself, in these challenging times and everyday. There is only one wonderful you in this world and you are needed here in all of your brilliance. Love to you!

This Black Woman and Being “Stuck”

The idea comes. It lights up the darkness in my mind. I feel a surge of inspiration flutter through my veins. Butterflies in my stomach. Possibility! “I can do this.” “This will be great.” “It will be amazing.” Those precious moments before “reality” sets in. Before my programming sets in. Before the survival instincts of my brain that doesn’t want me to take any risks sets in. The idea, if it’s a really great one, often wants me to travel beyond the barriers of my comfort zone and before I know it, my mind takes over to convince me to stay in the realm of the familiar and comfortable. No one can discourage me, like I can discourage myself. I concede quietly, almost immediately, then, I find myself stuck.

 One of the most sinister things about being stuck is that it can be hard to detect. It happens gradually, and because it is most exclusively my own voice inside my head lulling me slowly back into comfort paralysis, I don’t even notice it. I have convinced myself that I am better off, as is, for the foreseeable future. “I’m fine.” “It’s not for me.” “It’s not worth the risk or the trouble.” Most of the time I can carry on with life using such trivial excuses to soothe my inaction, but when the “idea” is important to my Soul’s purpose, it doesn’t give up so easily. The synapses once firing through my brain and cells in the form of inspiration, unexpressed becomes anxiety. The idea seeks expression and inaction is not an option. Further disobedience just leads to greater anxiety for great ideas are blessings in the form of energy that has been entrusted to be expressed through you.

 I’m not always obedient because there is not enough convincing myself that I am enough, capable enough, to do all the things that have been entrusted to manifest through me. During those times my anxiety grows, and my self-esteem takes a hit. Other times when I can convince myself that I am capable enough, or the whisper from my Soul is much louder and clearer than the whispers of my fears, and that louder, clearer voice is demanding my obedience, I take small steps to bring the idea to life. Something as small as making a “to-do” list o writing out down what I need to learn is enough to make the anxiety if inaction dissipate. Initially, effective action is hardly leaps and bounds, but it is movement, idea-centered energy being expressed. Pits sweating, leaning into uncertainty, I continue to take strategic action toward result hoped for. If I am progressing, so do the actions I am taking and eventually I will accomplish what I set out to.

Being stuck is an interesting thing. It can show up in the form of inaction, never taking a step towards what you want to accomplish. We can also be stuck in being busy, filling our day and time with ineffective tasks that exhaust our restless need for expression, but never bring us to the full realization of our goal. Constantly researching and learning instead of applying the knowledge we have acquired is another form of stuck, and so is not knowing what the next step is and refusing to ask for help. The most detrimental form of being stuck is to ignore your own need to progress and convince yourself that you are okay with it. There is greatness inside of each of us and it is often dying to be expressed. Take a step. Take a chance. Get unstuck and allow that greatness to shine through as it was appointed to do. You must take the first step.

Here are a few tips on getting unstuck.

1. Get crystal clear on what you want to accomplish. Write it out.
2. Be honest with yourself about what you are doing that is not working. (I know I am not in alignment when I have time to watch copious amounts of Netflix.)
3. Determine what needs to be done in order to accomplish your goals. This includes figuring out what you know and what you don't.
4. Get help (seek out or hire) on what you do not know.
5. Get accountability to stay on task for your goals. Position yourself around like minds and invest in continued guidance.
6. Celebrate the small steps. Your large vision is comprised of several small, but significant steps.

I share my insights and tips to give your hope and direction in your journey. Best wishes.

This Black Woman and #Goals

Ah, the new year has already begun to settle in nicely around us. We may be still accidentally dating things 2018, in the rare instances that we hand write, but it’s gone and there’s no going back. I must admit I was pumped for this year to begin. The second half of 2018 suddenly brought me a great deal of momentum and confidence. I was on fire for creating content and expanding my vision for Empriss D. Bennett Coaching. I however, kept disregarding the urgent cry for me to address my diet and exercise routine, and slowly my health started to slow my roll. By New Year’s Day I was burned out and I had to take some serious downtime. Not to mention, the beautiful, magnificent, ambitious goals that I had set for the new year were already doing a number on my mind.

Goals are wonderful concepts, aren’t they? They are designed to help us stretch and grow and reach far past our perceived potential. At least good goals do anyway. My goals for 2019, because I have been diligently working to expand my mindset, being the great Mindset Coach that I am, are larger than I have ever aspired to. They are aligned, and purpose driven, and they provided me with a red-hot fire in my belly for immediate action. At least initially. After the initial high of being outside of my comfort zone, the reality set in that my goals were outside my comfort zone, and that’s when my mind turned on me.

Over the course of two weeks, fears, new and known, began to surface. Followed expectedly by self-doubt. Before I could recognize what was happening, I suddenly started to be bothered by what people thought. The thins is though, very little of it was really about what people thought, and the rest was what I thought people thought about me, my life choices, my career, all kinds of things. Crazy as it sounds, I was having mental conversations with snarky remarks and comebacks for scenarios that didn’t and would never actually playout in real life. It unfortunately took three weeks before I realized that I was bothered by my own insecurities, and it was my fault because no else was involved. It made me realize, that my lofty goals, left me feeling exposed and insecure. The things that I thought other people had opinions about, where just my limiting beliefs. I suddenly felt like Michael Keaton in Birdman. Stuck outside the dressing room in my underwear for everyone to see.

Because of this revelation, I have come to realize that confidence is relative to your comfort zone. A lack of confidence can be a sign of weakness, but neither lacking confidence or weakness are necessarily bad. If I aspire to move into a new era of life that requires me to grow and learn, it is possible that I will eventually be insecure, until I catch my stride and develop competence. Sometimes insecurity is a sign of growth and its okay. So, I have some kick-ass goals for 2019 and mostly no clue about how to get them accomplished. They are going to require me to ask for help and support, and learn all that I can, and that’s okay because that’s the goal of goals.

If in pursuing you goals this year you find yourself feeling discouraged or distracted by the obstacles, it’s likely that you need some additional support because you have set goals that are far outside your comfort zone. It doesn’t mean they aren’t reachable, it means that you have a larger vision. So, before you write off your ability to create and manifest beyond your current limitations and label yourself as defunct, consider what besides yourself it would take to make you desires a reality. It’s possible for you to have it and you certainly deserve it.

This Black Woman and her Ancestors

Today I am full, but not from the meal that is served in abundance. Today I am full of deep gratitude for my ancestors. I am grateful for the men and women who came before me and paved the way for my existence. Those who sacrificed and kept quiet so that I can be this outspoken black woman I am today. Those whose names I do not know because their history has been erased. My ancestors, whose art flows through my fingers and out through my paint brush. I am grateful to the theologians, like Cubie Kelly, that studied and practiced their craft masterfully, that I can speak a gospel that my heart knows to be true. I am grateful for the grace and poise, for the beauty and the presence that I know comes through me from strong, resilient women. So many amazing people made me possible. The poetry that forms in my mind, on pages and my tongue, is not just mine. This poetry is words that were thought to be dead and lost forever, and yet here they are living on through me.  I have spent a great deal of time, asking for more, and now I wonder, “how can I be a better conduit?”

“How can I form a better alliance and stay in alignment with that which I have been blessed?” I am guilty of always asking for more and ignoring the countless blessings in the numerous gifts that have been given to me naturally. I can create a recipe in my mind and execute it to perfection. I can transform the ambiance of a room with merely a vision and even on a budget if need be. I wish I could name the original ancestor that made this possible. I do know that Jewel gave it to Sylvia who gave it to me. I have been blessed with so much. How can I be a better expression of these blessings? That’s the new question that I am asking of God. For a long time, I always felt I was at a deficit. Looking out at the world, it is easy to identify with what is perceived to be missing. I have been searching for years for answers, for solutions, that would somehow make me whole. After all, I had a rough start, a start where so much was missing. I grew up in the projects. It was such a traumatic and brutal experience. The daily exposure to violence and scarcity will be forever seared into my mind. I felt alone quite often in those days, and most of my life. Imagine that. Being one of nine children and feeling alone always. That loneliness was derived from a lack of feeling seen and understood rather than physical presence though. I felt so far away from God. For all of the things that I experienced, I often thought, how could God have been present for that?

When I reflect though, I can see where God was always there. So were all of the amazing folks that came before me. I think of the times I was spared from trouble while hanging out in a trap house with drug dealers with no thought to the consequences, or by listening to internal directions that told me which way to run or just because something greater was watching over me. How I was spared from being beat to death in a fight where I was severely outnumbered. I was always being watched over because I am important. I am a treasure. I am the one that can bring so many unrealized dreams into this world. So many beautiful things that have waited for decades, even centuries, to be born. I have for so many years been searching for and seeking to achieve the things that would make me great. I can see now that I AM great in my existence. Not because of my ambition. Not because of my vision. Not because of me on my own. I am great because I am the culmination of gifts that have compounded over time to make me possible. I am great because of all those that have come before me to make my greatness plausible. I am great because of those who struggled in ways that I may never have to. I am great because of my ancestors, and I am grateful for all that of the possibilities that flow through me because of them. May I continue to be the greatest expression of these blessings that I can be, and may you recognize the gifts made possible for you by all of those who came before you. May you be thankful and rejoice in all that you are.

This Black Woman & Needing a Savior

As a self-proclaimed empowered woman who is ambitious, intelligent, brilliant and extremely tenacious, I initially shuddered at the realization that I secretly felt the need to be saved. I wasn’t looking for a man to save me. I wasn’t even looking for Jesus to save me. I was looking for money and wealth to save me. I was looking for mentors to save me, believing they knew better than I. I was looking for the ways of “whiteness” to save me.

After thirty-four years on this planet, I finally came to the realization that my need to succeed at life and any endeavor was being fueled by my deeply-rooted feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy. With that realization, I also came to know that this was ultimately, very disempowering. The thing about needing to be saved is that there is no shortage of persons with a savior complex, (especially a white savior complex) so you will undoubtedly find the “help” you need. I have personally had my fill of spiritual white women and their need to save women of color or bless us with their generosity. My inferiority complex led me right to situations where I found myself preyed upon and exploited. On the specific subject of spiritual white women, for now, I digress. More on that in another conversation another time. Like me, you will eventually find that true aide should be empowering, but when the foundation of a relationship is built on one person needing to be saved by the other, there is a power inequity in this dynamic usually in favor of the “savior.” Quite frankly, when you are needing to be saved by a man, woman, money, job, or Jesus, you are giving your power away.

As an extension of God/Source/Universe, whichever you prefer, you have been endowed with a great deal of power. Very important parts of that power are free will, causative living, and the ability to summon the answers and aid required for cognitive decision making. In short, you are powerful beyond measure. God is so magnificent and created you to with so much intention, she created you to be self-governing. Now what’s more dope than that?

Somewhere along the way, possibly lost in life experience, we forget that we have all of these amazing abilities intentionally bestowed upon us by this all mighty Universal force. We come to believe that being human is this small, insignificant experience that is far removed from the powerful Source that created us. We begin to believe that life is happening to us. In some ways, life does happen to us.

Take me for instance. I was born the seventh child, into a family of nine to single black mother with a high school education. Our neighborhood was saturated with drugs and violence. Our household was also a turbulent environment because amidst creating a family whose size would undoubtedly be challenging for two parents, my mom never had the opportunity to learn who she was or develop herself in any way past being a teenager. This made for a parent that had temper tantrums, was incapable of managing her emotions and stress, and perpetuated the generational traditions of physical abuse and emotional abuse as the primary form of discipline. My mom disciplined through humiliation and embarrassment quite often.

Now take me, this very sensitive child, who really needed a great more individual attention and love than the average child, or at least more than I received. My mother, based on a collection of decisions, was incapable of providing the environment and parenting that I needed. It would make for difficult teenage years and a rocky transition into adulthood for me. To be clear, I don’t hold any blame with my mother. I honestly believe that she did the best she could, considering the situation. Essentially none of this is my fault either, but it’s my responsibility to change the effects of the things that have happened to me over which I have no control.  It’s not my fault, but it’s my responsibility.

I grew up in impoverished and adverse conditions, with limited resources and limited exposure to the world at large. Though I have had the chance to transcend those circumstances, the many things I did not know became immediately evident. I realized that I had gaps where “normal” experiences should be. Coming from where I’m from, higher learning, properly managing finances or making large purchases are hallmarks that could be the first in many generations. Exposure to different groups of people with different backgrounds and conversations allowed me to immediately reflect on what I knew. It can be disheartening when you are constantly trying to play catch up to relate to your expanded peer group. I often experienced feelings of hopelessness, and those feelings in certain ways, not all, caused me to take on an attitude of victimhood. Now I would have never described myself as a victim of anything because I am resilient as fuck, but victimhood is disempowering in that you start looking for someone (or something) to save you from a situation that you actually have the power to change. As I have been diligently working to reframe my mindset and heal over the years I couldn’t ignore some of the more challenging areas of my life and my mindset towards them.

 The onset of feeling like a victim can be subtle, after all, your challenges are valid. For myself, it has shown up in the form of waiting, being hesitant to take risks or simply take action. Waiting on signs from God or superstition, perfecting timing, or the best advice, not in a way that empowered me to take a calculated risk, but in a way that I hoped I would be saved from any unfavorable outcomes. Waiting because I did not feel empowered enough to trust my own intuition and my ability to overcome circumstances.

Victimhood can also show up in perceived deficits. I would (and can) go into overdrive because I believed that I am at a disadvantage, in many ways, instead of simply embracing my starting point. Everything I did was fueled by making up for what I didn’t have, (i.e. the right education, financial structure, family, inheritance, gender, race, physique, geographical position, etc.) There was so much for me to feel disadvantaged about, and it proved to be toxic fuel, because perceived deficits are often rooted in feelings of inferiority. Feelings of inferiority often bring about a drive to be superior, when the best prescription really was for me to discover that I am enough. Embracing my “enough-ness” is not something that I did through external achievements and acquisitions, it is constantly being achieved through identifying the beliefs behind my feelings of inferiority, transforming them and learning from where my sense of worth (all of ours really) is actually derived. (Hint: Your self-worth comes from God.)

Realizing that my self-worth comes from being a creation and extension of God, and that it is static, meaning it doesn’t increase or decrease, helped me put everything else into perspective. What I had been trying to prove, could only be realized. Like everyone else, I am here in this life to express my Soul. I am much freer to do that without the burdens of inferiority, the limitations of waiting on the perfect timing, favorable circumstances, or someone (or something) to save me from the blessing that is my life.

Self-Reflection:

I invite to explore your own life and empower yourself by asking yourself these questions:

Which parts of my life do I want to see growth, change, or improvement? Reflecting on the different areas of my life, where are am I not stepping up to the challenge? Why?

Am I wanting and waiting to be saved in those areas my life? Why?

How would taking action to get help, learn, or actively manage this area of my life, change my life overall? Would it improve? Would it get worse?

How does the idea stepping up to change this part of my life make me feel? (Afraid, intimidated, uneasy, hopeless, empowered, excited?) Why?

Do I feel worthy of the things, feelings, and outcomes I desire? Why or why not?

What have your answers revealed to you about how you play an active role in creating your life? Are you creating or are you waiting?

Need to discuss your reflections? Book a free 30 minute 1:1 coaching consult with me to take a deeper look into what you have discovered about yourself. 

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This Black Woman

Hello there. I am Empriss D. Bennett. The Empriss of Empowerment. Mindset Coach. Writer. Speaker. Activist. At my core though, I am still the little black girl from the West Dallas projects. Instead of sitting on green boxes shooting the shit, fighting, and dreaming of a better future, now I'm legacy building, leading and empowering women like me, and disrupting paradigms. I am healing the effects of hood ptsd. I am a beacon for those that will come after me. I am learning and growing and evolving and becoming. Won't you join me on this journey?