Wellness is the everyday stuff that keeps your mind from spinning and your body from giving out. And in the Black community, where therapy can still carry stigma and access to care is uneven, real wellness can feel out of reach.
Black folks are 20% more likely to experience mental health issues, yet only 1 in 4 gets help. That is half the rate of white folks. The reasons run deep, racism, generational trauma, unequal systems, but the impact hits every day.
Even so, beauty and care have always had a place. You will hear it straight from stylists in ESSENCE’s “In The Chair With” series. Getting your hair done is therapy in disguise. But real wellness doesn’t stop at the salon chair. It has to keep going between appointments.
Care Starts Outside | Dija Ayodele
Wellness starts with the skin. Dija Ayodele, founder of Black Skin Directory, is clear about that. Her clients walk in looking for glow, but they leave with something deeper: self-worth, peace, and power.
Dija / IG / Black Skin Directory founder Dija Ayodele says you should look after yourself on the outside to feel good inside.
Dija says when you look after your skin, you are telling yourself you matter. When your face feels clean and cared for, it shifts your mood. You feel put-together, even on the days you are not. That is why she tells people to build a skin routine they can stick to, even if it is simple.
Just washing your face and moisturizing can feel like control when the world feels chaotic.
Talk to Yourself First | Mamy Mbaye
Wellness is not just physical. Mamy Mbaye, co-founder of SLIQ, swears by one thing: checking in with yourself every single day. No skipping.
However, she doesn’t mean journaling or sitting cross-legged in silence. She means asking real questions: “How do I feel?” “What do I need?” It is that pause that keeps stress from boiling over. Mamy says when you ignore your feelings, they get louder.
When you face them, they quiet down. She encourages people to start small: one check-in a day, before you look at your phone, before the noise hits.
Move Your Body, Cut the Screen | Pekela Riley
Pekela Riley runs two businesses and still finds time to walk every morning. She swears by it—not for weight loss or steps but for sanity. She calls it her moving meditation.
Pekela / IG / Pekela Riley urges folks to ensure morning walks and no-screen times.
It is her moment of stillness, even while she is in motion. No headphones, no phone, just her and the world waking up. She says walking helps her think clearly and feel lighter. And when she pairs it with a no-screen window every day, her whole brain resets.
Sure! It is not easy to unplug, but she does it on purpose. Her mind needs to be quiet, and yours probably does too.
Accept Everything | Tomi Talabi
Acceptance is not giving up, and Tomi Talabi, founder of Black Beauty Club, wants you to know that. She says the biggest part of wellness is accepting what is. It could be your mood, your body, or your season.
When you are always fighting reality, you are always tired. Tomi practices acceptance every day, not with big affirmations or deep meditations, but by noticing. She wakes up and says, “This is how I feel. That is okay.”
She gives herself room to feel bad without guilt. That freedom gives her the energy to feel good again. She says most people don’t need to fix themselves. They just need to stop rejecting who they already are.
