It's no secret that 2020 has been a year full of stress, especially for the black community. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected and infected us, while some refuse to take even minimal precautions. A long overdue mainstream spotlight has been placed on the effects of systemic racism on black people in the United States and worldwide. Many things concerning our financial, emotional, and physical well-being remain up in the air and yet time stops for none of us. With stress and trauma heightened, self care becomes even more essential as a practice to help us stay happy, healthy, and resilient.

But what is self care besides an overused hashtag and an excuse to do a face mask while drinking wine during the day? The thing is, what makes us feel cared for is deeply personal and individual to us. For some, cleaning their room or doing dishes is just another mundane task to check off of their to-do list, but for others having a clean space is the difference between a clear mind and feeling overwhelmed. This is why an important part of self care is knowing yourself and what makes you feel cared for and relaxed. It might not be as photogenic as a face mask, but self-reflection is the key. Maybe beating your face to go across the street to the deli (or 4 feet away to the fridge) makes you feel confident and accomplished, or maybe taking 5 minutes to pray before bed is your peace. Personally, I miss lipstick so much I've started wearing a red lip to bed at night. Jokes from my family notwithstanding, it makes me feel good. No one can tell you what self care should look like for you. Whatever the action is, it's been one hell of a year and we all need a way to cope. So, until these uncertain times are behind us, and we have recovered from this intense burden, we are rooting for you and everybody Black. Take care of yourselves however you can.