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An existential crisis is a profound and often unsettling moment in an individual’s life when they confront fundamental questions about the meaning, purpose , and significance of their existence . It is a period of intense self-reflection and contemplation that may arise when individuals grapple with the realization of their mortality, the nature of human existence, the search for personal identity , realizations about free will and choice, and the meaning of life. It can feel heavy and overwhelming, as it consists of questioning the meaning of living at its most basic explanation. An existential crisis can not only impact your personal life, but your professional one as well. Key Aspects Of An Existential Crisis Questioning one’s purpose, direction, or reasons for living Feeling disconnected from people, activities, or values that previously gave life meaning Having a sense that life lacks inherent meaning and questioning the meaning of existence Experiencing intense boredom,...
Everyone has a part of themselves that they do not bring into the light but carry with them everywhere they go. This is known as the “shadow self.” It is also often referred to as a dark side: not because it is evil, but rather, repressed. However, acceptance of this part of the self is crucial in order to fully appreciate one’s self. The process of achieving this acceptance is called shadow work. What Is Shadow Work? The term “shadow work” is widely attributed to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. In his analytical psychology, Jung developed the concept of the “shadow” – the unknown or unconscious aspects of oneself, both good and bad. According to Jung, we deny or suppress parts of ourselves that we don’t like, deem incompatible, or bring up too much anxiety to face. The shadow thus represents our dark side – the negative traits we try to hide or overcome. Jung suggested that failing to recognize the shadow leads to projecting one’s darker qualities onto others. Integrating the shadow...
The BET Awards 2022 was one for the books — from Diddy pledging $1 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Howard University and Jackson State University to the show taking the No. 1 spot for “Best Performing Cable Awards Show.” Plus, its second-time host Taraji P. Henson had a big announcement herself during one of the culture’s biggest weekends.
Entertainers and professional athletes are among the groups of people who recognize how critical it is to prioritize one’s mental well-being. From blogs to social media, they are constantly in harm’s way for public scrutiny. Despite the trials and tribulations that arise, there are still examples in the industries of figures who take the negativity and transform it into something for the greater good. Here are six familiar faces who have made it their duty to advocate for mental health.
The current state of the world has made the act of prioritizing one’s well-being to the top of the list. As previously reported by AfroTech, Digital Park, a Black-owned Brooklyn-based tech startup, launched its mobile app to combat mental stress during the peak of COVID-19. Now, two years into the pandemic, a new version of Drift Wellness has been built to create even more customization for users — an integrated pulse check-in feature. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, the new update measures your BPM heart rate and creates an ambient sound tailored to your pulse. To use the innovative feature, users are to place their fingers over their phone camera and flash. Making feature updates regularly is founders Jeffery and Oyin Antwi’s intention of not being a one-and-done mobile interaction, but rather a fluid experience for users’ journeys toward steadfast growth and better health. “Mindfulness apps with the pandemic and the BLM movement in 2020 — so many apps started...
Black mental health matters, and this is proof. For Black men, the barbershop has been a safe space to open up and vent about what’s going on inside, which is why Lorenzo Lewis created The Confess Project, America’s first mental health barbershop movement. The organization is on a mission to advocate for mental health by training barbers in the field. According to KARK, b ecause of its outstanding efforts, the nonprofit was honored by Rainwater, Holton & Sexton with not only the Difference Makers Award but a donation of $1,000.
YG continues to advocate for mental health! REVOLT reports that the West Coast rapper plans to give underprivileged communities access to mental health resources through his TeleHealth Van program alongside founder and co-owner, Dion Rambo; partner, Todd Gurley; and the City of Hawthorne. “TeleHealth Van is a service that we created for the people in the inner-cities,” said YG during an interview with TMZ during the summer. “It works like—you basically don’t leave your house if you got a mental health situation or got doctors you need to talk to. The van comes to your location and you get in the van—it’s basically like doing a Zoom call. You get in the van and you see your mental health worker or [doctor] over the screen, and y’all have y’all session.” The initiative also includes three 5G-enabled vans that will “physically transport internet-connected telecommunications, teleconferencing, and video-conferencing devices and services/computer applications” to underserved locations....
Comedic sensation Kevin Hart surprised actress Taraji P. Henson with a charitable donation of $100,000 for her nonprofit organization, Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. In the newest first look for Kevin Hart’s series “ Hart to Heart” on Peacock, Henson reveals the foundation was launched due to her initial struggles of finding a therapist. Aware of her advantage Henson shares, “I started it because I knew that I was having an issue trying to find a therapist. I am privileged, I have money. Imagine all the people of color that can’t.” Founded in 2018, the foundation is on a mission to ensure the Black community will have access to trusted mental health resources nationwide and continue to fight the stigmas surrounding mental health. Due to a history of systemic oppression and mistrust in the medical system, millions within the Black community have learned to cope with trauma. “The strength is in vulnerability. The strength is in saying I’m not okay today. That’s the strength. The...
Salute to Black fatherhood! Although Father’s Day has come and gone, this organization is committed to celebrating Black men and fathers year-round. Dear Fathers was founded by Jesse Alex and Lamar Johnson, Jr to change the narrative of Black fatherhood. Now they’re addressing the inequities of Black mental health by creating a safe space for Black men and fathers to connect, fellowship, and unpack. “We started brainstorming the black fatherhood space and seeing what was out there and wanted to come up with something that was impactful and wanted to do it differently,” co-founder Jesse Alex told AfroTech via email. “We are responsible for our mental health , but we need help and support from others.” Utilizing their collective resources, the organization launched “STR8 MENTAL,” which includes free virtual therapy services aimed at connecting Black men to mental health practitioners. This is yet another program provided by the organization with the goal of providing safe spaces to...
Because Black mental health matters too! According to NBC15, Joanna Johnson and Afiya Hooker are the boss ladies behind Mobile, Alabama’s first Black, women-owned, community health center. After offering counseling services at their own practices, the ladies wanted to take it a step further to offer more help through the Yin Yang Wellness Center. “Mental health in the black community is very stigmatized,” said Hooker, a licensed professional counselor and co-owner of the center. “I am very proud that at my own private practice. I have 97 percent BPOC clients but we still have a lot of work to do.” While the center is open to men and women of all ages and backgrounds, one of the main goals for opening the center was to provide a safe space for Black people and to destigmatize the narrative around the Black community and mental health. Not only does the Yin Yang Wellness Center offer therapy , but they also offer case management, group counseling and even serves as a donation center...
It’s time to change the conversation around mental health being too taboo of a subject for men to talk about. With resources like social network platform MentalHappy, it’s quite possible to reimagine what safe spaces look like for men to achieve a healthy mental state. MentalHappy — a first-of-its-kind safe, online mental health platform that provides positive peer support groups led by health and wellness professionals — is actively working to support the mental health needs of all – particularly for people of color and men. According to a poll conducted by researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), nearly one in ten American men reported experiencing some form of depression or anxiety, but less than half of those men actually sought out treatment for their conditions. For Black men in this country those numbers are even lower, which is why mental health remains an under-recognized and under-treated problem among them. “The most common misconception about...
Charlamagne Tha God remains committed to elevating conversations surrounding Black mental health. According to Business Wire, The Radio Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most influential voices in modern culture has announced the launch of the Mental Wealth Alliance (MWA)– a foundation created to accelerate, destigmatize and center state-of-the-art mental health care and outreach across the country. MWA is also his way of building a long-term system that provides generational support for Black communities. “My founding of the Mental Wealth Alliance is the manifestation of a deeply personal vision,” said The Breakfast Club host in a press statement. “I believe improving Black mental health is a core tenet of restoring souls, igniting wealth, and inspiring upliftment for Black America.” A product of Charlamagne’s vision, the new groundbreaking effort is set to not only partner with Black-led organizations and experts, but MWA will also raise $100 million over the next five years to...
Over the last year, we’ve greatly stressed the importance of prioritizing mental health in Black communities due to our history of pushing those issues aside. Now, tele-therapy company Hurdle is extending its platform to remove those barriers for Black and people of color. According to a press release, Hurdle — an innovative digital mental health platform — has announced today that it closed a $5 million Series Seed funding round co-led by 406 Ventures and Seae Ventures with participation from F-Prime. Hurdle plans to use this new capital to strategically-scale its tech-enabled platform to help provide support for culturally diverse populations’ behavioral health needs, especially in Black communities. “With depression spiking in Black and minority communities, this year is an inflection point in mental healthcare. The events of 2020 present a unique opportunity for Hurdle to create solutions that work for anyone, but most importantly, for the most underserved populations,” said...
For Black Americans, 2020 has been both the year of reckoning and trauma amid the COVID-19 pandemic and long-lead conversations surrounding systemic racism worldwide. As emotions are still running high all over the country pending election results, Americans — Black Americans especially — have been grappling with anger, frustration and sadness as they attempt to navigate their day-to-day tasks to resume business as usual. With another historic election still ahead of us, Black employees need a safe place to share our experiences and process our feelings in a productive manner. To help provide access to mental health resources for Black & Brown professionals during this time, Mimconnect — the career networking platform — has partnered with Bright Ventures and KOKORO to host a free digital wellness session called BREATHE for the Black community post-election. Mimconnect’s ongoing wellness series is designed to curate a safe, anonymized space to address employee concerns. Private...