“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation." - Audre Lorde
Hey!
I'm Joanna, self care coach + podcaster
I teach black women to release the habits and pressure to be a strong black woman so they they can free themselves from people-pleasing habits and toxic relationships.
For most of my life, I’ve rarely kept my opinions quiet or feared confrontation.
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And when I wanted to do something, I did it.
No hesitation.
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But in this picture, my self worth had hit the lowest it had ever been.
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Deep inside I knew I wasn’t as happy as I could be in my career, in my friendships + relationships, and most of all, in my life.
I was miserable at my corporate job where I was constantly triggered by micro-aggressions + need to prove myself.
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I was settling in my relationship + tolerating toxic behaviors that were stressing me out.
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I felt guilty canceling plans.
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I rarely asked for help for fear of looking incapable or weak.
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I struggled saying no and potentially letting people down.
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I ignored my intuition to keep others comfortable.
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I silently suffered instead of sharing my honest opinion.
Worst of all, my self care and self worth were non-existent.
Like a lot of black women in my life, I had unknowingly internalized the common stereotype of the "strong black woman”, birthed in history and perpetuated by society and culture. That we:​
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+ Put other people's needs above our own
+ Ignore our emotions, feelings, and intuition
+ Don't need help and/or support
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Sound Familiar? Sis, you're not alone. I made those values my own without a second thought.
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Pushed through the chaos and drama without thinking, “Does this work for me?”
Without realizing it, people-pleasing and ignoring signs of burnout had become my coping mechanisms.
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And not trusting my gut instincts created uncertainty + anxiety about every decision.
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I was doing everything I could to maintain a picture-perfect outside, but nothing was working.
I needed to make a SERIOUS change.
Self care looks different for everyone. For me, that meant ridding my life of the people, places and things that were draining me and clouding my intuition.
I created Sister Struggles as a judgement-free zone for black women ready to change their lives through self care.
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Knowing exactly how it feels to struggle with making myself a priority, I’ll help you re-discover your own needs and keep you accountable to the promises you make to yourself.