Ibisanmi Relational Health

Mothers birth more than children. They birth a new possibility for a community. Mothers carry the legacy of history and culture and often dedicate more time to maintaining a household and rearing children than they do caring for themselves. Mothers are the first teachers of children.

Maybe you don’t track the amount of sleep you’re getting each night, but for sure you feel the effects of not getting enough of it. Many wonder, “Does sleep relieve stress? The answer is yes. According to research, people who sleep experience less stress and anxiety and people who don’t get adequate sleep suffer from three times the amount of mental distress.

Each February we celebrate love, and Valentine's Day is a great reminder that we often take for granted the love in our lives. But It's important to remember that romantic love isn’t the only love that deserves our attention. There are many kinds of loving relationships that often get forgotten about in the rush to have a picture-perfect evening with a special someone.

Leveraging the power of your relationships can make a big impact in your health and feeling of well being.  A study done by The National Library of Medicine showed that those who have healthy close relationships not only have less stress but also live longer. Research continues to demonstrate that relationships impact our overall feeling of happiness as well as our mental health.

We’ve all been there where what you need is to express how you feel and what you get is a bumper sticker statement like, “Try to focus on the positive.”  Sometimes no matter how well intentioned a statement like this is, it’s far from helpful at the moment.

The first holiday season after a loss of a loved one can be rough, but there may be ways to manage the heartache. For the past few years most of us have had to deal with the fear or the reality of losing a friend or family member. And although there isn’t much talk about it, people are still dying from Covid-19.

It’s so hard to say goodbye to summer.  For many of us it means saying goodbye to the official season to travel, spend more time with family and enjoy afternoons at the beach. But for people who struggle to find the bright side of things, the return of fall and winter also means a return to inner darkness and feelings of deep sadness. 

“Black women are dope” Is a t-shirt, a motto and an understanding. Black women are magic, and we prove this time and time again. Black women are revolutionaries, fashionistas, and leaders in their homes and communities.

During times of trouble in your relationship, you may have considered counseling but didn’t follow through. You are not alone. According to research, there are some common reasons why couples avoid seeking out the help of a professional. 

Surviving the impacts of ongoing racial trauma can feel like trying to swim with one hand holding a sink stone. You have to work twice as hard to keep yourself afloat, and it’s exhausting. Racial trauma sits beneath the skin of Black, Indigenous and People of Color, and it comes with an enormous weight that gets heavier each day.

Maya Angelou said, “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” But sometimes it's a struggle to stay hopeful in a relationship when you don’t always feel the love and doubt the strength of the bond.

Regardless how fine your child may look, it may not reflect what is going on inside. We've all seen small children fall and quickly get back up again like nothing ever happened. We smile at their resilience and expect them to get back up again the next time they fall.

It’s hard to overstate how important it is to protect our children and help them navigate life’s challenges. Some children are dealing with trauma or facing difficult circumstances far outside their control. They need their parents, but they also need a community of adults they can turn to when they need them.

When we think of meditation, we often envision someone sitting with their legs crossed on the floor with their hands together and eyes closed. And, yes this is one way we can approach meditation, but it is not the only way. For many, meditation is a spiritual practice that has been a part of their religious culture for thousands of years.

We are in year two of the pandemic. Many people are moving on with or without masks. Some are attending or hosting in-person events and braving large crowds without concern. What were once empty streets are now bustling with activity.

You either know someone who has fought breast cancer or you know someone who fought beside someone with it.  And, if you have lost a loved one to breast cancer, you know all too well the grief that follows. There is sadness, but there is also anger.

June is the time for celebrating summer, Juneteenth, Men’s Health, and Pride Month. Facebook is using the rainbow background for profile pictures and for posts.  Human rights organizations are hosting virtual dance parties, and people in cars across the country will wave their rainbow flags.

May 25th will mark the one year anniversary of the televised killing of George Floyd. The recording of his murder was watched millions of times, and millions of those people watching were Black. Since the murder, the Black community has had to fight for other Black lives that were unjustly taken.

While the whole world manages health concerns related to the pandemic, African Americans and Asian Americans have the extra burden of trauma due to racialized violence. After the March 19th shooting in an Atlanta spa and six Asian women dead, people were again reminded of the evil that was always present.

It has been a year since the whole world faced COVID-19, the virus that led to frenzy, quarantines, questions, and confusion. By now, many of us either know someone who has either gotten sick from the virus or died from it.

As I sit in front of my computer to write Ibisanmi Relational Health’s first blog in the month that we celebrate Black History and Black Love, I can’t help but think about the trials and tribulations our ancestors and elders endured in a world that saw them less than human and unworthy of love and strong familial relationships.