The Black Woman's Guide to Coping with Stress

Book excerpt: Do you feel like you’re doing it all for everyone—all the time? This book offers mindful self-awareness practices to help you prioritize self-care, soothe stress, and create a life of joy, fulfillment, and well-being. As a Black woman, do you often feel an intense pressure to do it all? To be a kind of “superwoman” who never lets others down? Do you feel compelled to hide your own emotions for fear of being vulnerable or appearing weak? If so, you are not alone. Our culture tells us in many ways that Black women must be strong and unwavering for their community, family, friends, and partners. But at what cost? If you’re feeling the effects of stress and burnout, this book can help you find balance. In The Black Woman’s Guide to Coping with Stress, Black psychologist and registered nurse Cheryl Woods Giscombe introduces the innovative, research-based superwoman schema (SWS) framework—five core beliefs that drive Black women’s stress—and provides self-care practices grounded in mindfulness and self-compassion to help you live a life of joy and greater well-being. In this empowering guide, you’ll identify the core beliefs that may be contributing to your experience of stress—that you must always be strong, hide your emotions, resist vulnerability, succeed even in the face of inadequate resources, and always help others while neglecting self-care. You’ll learn how these beliefs can lead to burnout and a feeling of imbalance in your life. And finally, you’ll discover how to harness the strengths within these beliefs, so they no longer cause you harm. There’s nothing wrong with being strong—but sometimes it’s essential to “take off your superwoman cape,” recharge, and prioritize self-care. You are worth it. This book will help you gain the self-awareness you need to stay balanced and live your very best life.