New Year, New Me

Sister Circle

Dec 5

BY KISHARA JOY GRIFFIN, MSW

What a time to be alive! 2023 has been a year of revelation and restoration. From the congressional meetings about UFOs to the Montgomery Brawl. Our nation has had such an eventful year. Politically, these social events have generated strong public attitudes on which direction we should move in as a country. Likely, this may create a season of uncertainty for everyone; however, what I observed as a dysfunctional pattern of our country's people is every four years, social attitudes become streamlined and funneled towards encouraging Black women to rein in America's potential strides towards progress through the “power of our vote.” So, I’d like to welcome you all to the end of 2023, and to the early part of them four years! Like all other election seasons, Black women are placed in the crossfires of praise and rebuke for the outcomes of the election. What is often overlooked is how we collectively levy our power through voting and our specific issues are NOT prioritized. I tend to think of this behavior as sociopolitical neglect, which can be described as policy or the lack of policy, void of our voices or interest, resulting in the damaging effects to our overall well-being (Kishara Griffin, 2023). To be honest, patterns are hard to break, so I don’t expect sociopolitical neglect to be left in 2023. That’s why I am urged to send this message to the Black women I’m in community with: Don’t lose your head; instead, become very intentional about taking good care of yourself.

In philosophy, intentionality is the power of minds and mental states to be about, to represent, or to stand for things, properties, and states of affairs (The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2003). In essence, in the context of self-care, intentionality is being about, showing up, and reppin for your well-being! Determining a doable self-care plan for yourself can be supportive to you by providing yourself with a structured approach to responding to your needs to sustain a healthy, nurtured you!

There may be questions related to HOW we get there when sociopolitical neglect limits access to basic resources that contribute to our needs. If that question is there, I say shoutout to you because that is a great question. It would be totally irresponsible of me to dismiss that component of the discussion, and at the same time, I’ll be remiss to negate our creativity as Black women. As Mariah Carey said, “I’m gonna do the best I can with what I got.” So, with creating a self-care plan for yourself with limited access to resources, one must be realistic. Below, you will read a few steps you can take to start crafting your plan!

Step one to doing this will always start with identifying your needs for that season. Do you need to unplug from social media to feel less burdened by the political banter? Do you need to limit access to folks who pressure you to vote one way or another? Or do you need to prioritize your sleep so that you have the energy to respond to the impacts of sociopolitical neglect? Do you need to connect more with family and friends to feel more seen, heard, and valued? Being able to identify your needs will empower you to create boundaries with others and yourself to respond in ways that most benefit your wellness and can contribute to your sustainability.

Step two is assessing community and individual resources. By doing this, you can give yourself the opportunity to see what is already at your fingertips to support you in your daily life or on an as-needed basis. Taking note of all community and individual resources will determine the best source of support for yourself while responding to your needs. Having it mapped out in advance will likely reduce your anxiety during unexpected life challenges extending from sociopolitical neglect and can provide you the flexibility to plan for alternative responses to it.

Step three is determining your level of commitment to self. Creating a self-care plan without commitment only creates more harm. Determining how frequently you are willing to show up for yourself on a regular basis is only something you can gauge and do for yourself. Finding the time to focus your mind on your frequency no matter if it's done one day out of the month or each day and sticking to it will be helpful for your wellbeing. It’ll reduce personal pressure to live to an unrealistic standard, and it’ll enhance your overall sense of self through the demonstration of keeping a personal commitment to you! Sociopolitical neglect is a form of structural violence. By making a commitment to show up for yourself, you can limit the impacts of this structural harm through small efforts to be about you, Boo!

So, for 2024, let’s not lose our heads, let's care for ourselves! If you need support creating a self-care plan to support your overall well-being, The Women’s Initiative is a resource. Our walk-in and call-in clinics are designed to facilitate your mental wellness strategies and can be used as your community resource support. If nothing in the world changes, let’s change how we respond to ourselves on some NEW YEAR, NEW ME VIBES!!!! Sending you all more peace and care!

Learn more about the Sister Circle program.

Kishara Joy Griffin, MSW, (she/her) is a therapist for the Sister Circle program who earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and minor in sociology from the University of Maine Farmington. She later received her master’s degree in social work from Boston University. Kishara is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), along with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). She is passionate about social equity, woman empowerment, and navigating religious trauma. Kishara encourages individual and collective healing through sustaining safe, judgement-free, therapeutic spaces for clients.