In today’s fast-paced world, prioritizing mental health can often feel like a luxury rather than a necessity. Couple this with the social stigma surrounding therapy often present in communities of color, and it can feel like an uphill battle. However, for men of color, managing emotional wellness is crucial for navigating the dual worlds they find themselves in. This blog post aims to provide practical and effective activities that can boost emotional well-being while fostering a sense of community and self-awareness.
Meditation & Mindfulness
Why It’s Unique:
Mindfulness and meditation are ancient practices that have been embraced by various cultures worldwide. These practices offer a unique way to connect with their heritage while promoting inner peace and emotional stability. The beauty of mindfulness lies in its simplicity and accessibility; it doesn’t require any special equipment or extensive time commitments. In fact, just 10 minutes in the morning on a chair in your living room before work or before bed can do the trick.
How to Start:
- Find a Quiet Space: Begin by finding a quiet, comfortable space where you won’t be disturbed.
- Start Small: Dedicate just 5-10 minutes a day to sit quietly and focus on your breathing.
- Guided Meditation: Use apps like Headspace or Insight Timer, which offer guided sessions specifically tailored to beginners.
- Consistency is Key: Incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine, even if it’s just a few minutes each morning or evening.
Community & Cause
Why It’s Unique:
There is no shortage of issues facing communities of color. From immigration to access to healthcare to economic disparities. There is also no shortage of volunteer opportunities to lend a hand to these causes. Helping others with no quid pro quo is often considered the most emotionally and spiritually fulfilling of activities. Such activities serve a dual purpose of positively contributing to a cause or community, while leaving oneself more emotionally fulfilled. For men of color, volunteering can serve as a powerful tool to explore identity, culture, and personal experiences in deeply meaningful way.
How to Start:
- Find the Opportunities: Services such as Volunteer.gov allows users to search for opportunities by state, project, or date, and no specific experience is required.
- Set Aside Time: Allocate specific time each week, month or year to dedicate to your volunteer activity.
Don’t take our word for it. One reader, who asked to be called Kevin, shared his experience. Kevin told us that as he got older, he dreaded Thanksgiving dinners with his immediate family. As the family had gotten considerably older, less people attended and those that did engaged in your typical chisme and complaining about things big and small. So rather than shlep it out to the burbs, one year he decided to volunteer at Gods Love We Deliver. Helping to feed the homeless and elderly for a part of the day and then circling back to the fam in the later part of the day. He said, “it was one of the more fulfilling Thanksgivings I have had in a really long time and helped me as much as it did those who it intended to help.”
Cooking
Why It’s Unique:
Physical activity is not the only activity that is beneficial for emotional well-being. Nowadays you find more and more men putting the apron on and firing up the stove.
Research supports the idea that cooking, in general, improves positive mood, self-esteem, socialization, and other mental health outcomes. Cooking interventions have been implemented in therapeutic and rehabilitative settings. For men of color, learning to cook can be an empowering experience that not only enriches your lifestyle but also honors your cultural roots. Whether it’s your abuela’s tamale recipe or mom’s pasteles or auntie’s hushpuppies. Each dish tells a story, carries history, and brings people together. This connection to food can be a powerful way to maintain cultural authenticity and pass down traditions.
Plus, you end up with a definitive tangible result you, friends and family can enjoy.
How to Start:
- Find Inspiration: Investigate traditional recipes from your culture. Books, family members, and online resources can provide a treasure trove of ideas. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make these recipes your own.
- Gather the Essential Tools: Basic kitchen tools are necessary for any cook. Begin with simple recipes that don’t require advanced skills or hard-to-find ingredients. Dishes like stir-fries, stews, and grilled items are excellent starting points.
- Watch & Learn: What better way to learn all the above by getting in the kitchen with an elder. It’s a great way to connect with them, get them involved and get your hands on experience in learning exactly how certain dishes are made. After all, a recipe list and YouTube video can only take you so far!
Prioritizing emotional wellness is essential offering a pathway to a more balanced and fulfilling life. By integrating mindfulness and meditation, connecting and helping your community, or getting in the kitchen to connect to culture via food, men can cultivate a sense of inner peace, express themselves creatively, and build supportive communities.