How Mindfulness & Breathwork Can Help Women of Color Deal with Stress

Most of us have experienced what it’s like to be tired. Most of us have experienced what it’s like to be stressed. For women of color, and Black women in particular, the levels of stress and exhaustion often feel like a chronic condition because of how we are treated on a regular basis. I used to accept this chronic stress as my reality, the status quo of my existence, and then I discovered mindfulness and breathwork. It changed my life, and it can change yours.

The Challenges We Face

Black women face daily microaggressions at work and in life. If you’re not familiar, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a microaggression is “a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group.” According to a Gallup study, we are five times more likely to be treated with less courtesy and less respect than other people. We are also five times more likely to have people act as if we are not smart. Biases in the workplace result in disparities in compensation; in three-quarters of U.S. states Black women earned 60 percent or less than white men. When we try to climb the corporate ladder, we run into not just a glass ceiling, but a ‘concrete ceiling,’ because for women of color, it often feels like this ceiling is unbreakable.

For Black women, invisible labor seems to be a default requirement both at work and at home. Regardless of what our job responsibilities actually are, we often are asked to do extra administrative tasks like take notes, order coffee or lunch. I have multiple Black women friends that left their jobs last year, and their companies had to hire two and sometimes three people to replace them. Their compensation definitely did not reflect their workload. At home, we often take on the majority of household chores in addition to our day jobs.

All of this is exhausting. All of this is stressful. Chronic stress results in a number of negative health outcomes. In my book, Black People Breathe, I explain that African Americans have higher rates of high blood pressure, and research now shows that racism and discrimination is the direct cause. Chronic stress results in diabetes, and we have higher rates of diabetes. It also results in anxiety, depression, accelerated aging, and so much more!

Mindfulness and breathwork can help. Research shows that these powerful practices reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve your mood, and have a positive impact on overall well-being. If you’re curious about these practices, but don’t know where to start, here are four easy tools to try.

4 Mindfulness & Breathwork Practices That Can Change Your Life

1. Box Breathing for Stress Relief

When you are having a stressful moment, try box breathing to calm your nervous system. This is used by everyone from Nurses to Navy SEALS and it not only reduces stress, but also improves focus and productivity. Breathe in and out through the nose, inhale for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, and hold your breath for a count of four. Repeat this for at least four rounds or for as long as you have time for.

 

2. Bellows Breath for Exhaustion

When you are exhausted and you don’t want to drink yet another cup of coffee, try the Bellows Breath. It is a more physical breathing practice where you make loose fists and hold them at your shoulders, with your elbows resting next to your ribs. With a forceful and audible inhale through your nose, quickly straighten your arms and shoot your hands up into the air, opening your fists as if you were going to give high fives to friends. Then, with a forceful and audible exhale through the nose, pull your elbows back down next to your ribs with loose fists next to your shoulders once more. Repeat this for at least ten breaths at a fairly fast pace, and notice your energy levels increase almost immediately!

 

3. Restorative Sound Bath Meditation

Sometimes you just need a reset. A restorative sound bath can help you do just that. Sound healing can help reduce stress and anxiety, strengthen your immune system, lower blood pressure, and help you get “in the zone,” especially when you want to spark your inner creativity!  You can find a local sound bath in your area, but if you’d like to give it a try in the comfort of your own home, try this 20 minute sound bath meditation and see how you feel afterwards! Know that longer sessions allow for a more immersive experience, and even greater results. Learn more about the benefits and how you can do this regularly here.

 

4. Visualization for High Performance

It’s easy to get caught up in self-doubt. When people question your competence, you might start to question yourself as well. Am I good enough? Am I capable enough? If you need a confidence boost for a particular project, I invite you to try out visualization. Research shows that for Olympic athletes, when they visualize their performance in an event versus when they are actually in the event, it stimulates the same regions in the brain. This is why it is now a standard part of training regiments. The same applies at work and in life. If you get anxious about your performance about anything, try this guided visualization.