Using 5 minutes of Self-Care to Survive Burnout | Racquel Armstrong | TEDxKingLincolnBronzevillle
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares her journey with non-small cell lung cancer at 25, emphasizing the importance of self-care. As a dedicated educator, she neglected her health, leading to her diagnosis. Despite treatment, she continued overextending herself, not prioritizing her well-being. A second health scare forced her to reevaluate, realizing self-care's necessity. She discusses the societal pressures on Black women to be strong, often at the expense of their health. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for self-care. The speaker encourages finding even just five minutes for self-care to slow down and take care of oneself.
Takeaways
- 🏥 The speaker was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer at the age of 25, which was unexpected given her lack of typical risk factors.
- 💓 Her rapid and irregular heartbeat was a physical manifestation of her body's cry for help, signaling the need for self-care.
- 👩🏫 As a dedicated public school educator, she had neglected her own well-being in her efforts to serve her community.
- 💊 Despite undergoing cancer treatment, she continued her work and volunteer commitments, failing to prioritize her health.
- 🧍♀️ The realization that she needed to put herself first came when her body physically could not get up one day.
- 📈 A University of Pennsylvania study revealed that one in two black women faced chronic illness due to stress.
- 🤝 The speaker's friend's struggle with chronic illness and the need to prioritize self-care highlighted the systemic challenges many face.
- 🌐 The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased discussions about self-care and boundaries, yet black women are still disproportionately affected by stress and job loss.
- 🧘♀️ The speaker found that even five minutes of quiet time can significantly help in managing stress and prioritizing self-care.
- 🌟 She emphasizes that self-care is not a luxury but a necessity, especially for black women who are often expected to be strong and resilient.
- 📝 As a poet, she reflects on her own journey and the importance of putting herself first for her future well-being.
Q & A
What was the speaker's initial reaction to being diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer?
-The speaker felt overwhelmed and disconnected from her surroundings, with a focus on the rapid and irregular rhythm of her heartbeat, symbolizing her body's distress signals.
How did the speaker's profession as a public school educator contribute to her health issues?
-The speaker devoted all her time and energy to her students and community, neglecting her own health and well-being, which eventually led to her cancer diagnosis.
What realization did the speaker have during her cancer treatment?
-Despite being in treatment, the speaker continued to overextend herself and realized she needed to prioritize her own care when her body failed to get up for work one day.
What is the significance of the heartbeat rhythm mentioned throughout the script?
-The heartbeat rhythm symbolizes the speaker's physical and emotional state, serving as a reminder to prioritize self-care and listen to her body's signals.
What study is referenced regarding black women and chronic illness?
-The University of Pennsylvania study is mentioned, which found that one out of two black women faced chronic illness due to stress.
How did the speaker's friend's experience with chronic illness impact her?
-The speaker's friend's struggle with chronic illness and the need for multiple medications highlighted the broader issue of self-care being considered a luxury rather than a necessity for black women.
What changes did the COVID-19 pandemic bring to the speaker's perspective on self-care?
-The pandemic led to a societal shift towards discussing self-care and setting boundaries, but it also revealed that black women were still more likely to leave jobs due to stress.
Why did the speaker's friend quit her job during the pandemic?
-The friend quit her job because she realized that her sanity and well-being were more important than the paycheck, and she was tired of being hypervisible and invisible at the same time.
What self-care practices did the speaker adopt to improve her mental health?
-The speaker started with finding five minutes of quiet time to calm her mind, then sought therapy, and took a vacation to re-center herself.
How does the speaker's poetry reflect her journey towards prioritizing self-care?
-The speaker's poetry evolved to include her personal journey, recognizing the need to sustain her talents and prioritize her mental health, rather than just focusing on the stories of others.
What is the main message the speaker wants to convey to the audience?
-The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-care and giving oneself permission to prioritize personal well-being, especially for black women who often face unique stressors and health challenges.
Outlines
🏥 Diagnosed with Cancer: A Call for Self-Care
The speaker begins by recounting a harrowing experience in a hospital where they were diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer at the age of 25. Initially unable to hear the doctor or feel the presence of others due to the severity of their condition, they found solace in the rhythm of their heartbeat. The diagnosis was unexpected, as they did not fit the typical profile of a lung cancer patient. The speaker reflects on their life as an educator, where they dedicated themselves to their students and community at the expense of their own health. The irregular heartbeat was a signal that they needed to prioritize self-care. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, they continued to work and volunteer, not realizing the importance of putting their health first until they physically could not get up one day. The speaker also highlights the broader issue faced by many black women, who are twice as likely to face chronic illness due to stress, and the societal pressures that make self-care seem like a luxury rather than a necessity.
🌟 Prioritizing Self-Care: A Journey to Healing
The speaker shares how they eventually entered remission and began to catch up with friends, one of whom had also been diagnosed with a chronic illness. This friend's struggle to prioritize self-care due to financial constraints resonated with the speaker. They discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to increased stress and a greater awareness of the need for self-care among many people. However, black women are still three times more likely to leave their jobs due to stress, as reported by The Brookings Institute. The speaker's friend quit her job to preserve her sanity, illustrating the extreme measures some must take to prioritize their well-being. The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding even just five minutes to slow down and take care of oneself, which can be as simple as calming the mind and spirit. They also mention seeking therapy and taking a vacation as part of their self-care journey. The speaker, a poet, reflects on how they had always prioritized others' stories but now focus on their own journey, learning to sustain their talents and prepare for the future by putting themselves first.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡non-small cell lung cancer
💡heartbeat
💡self-care
💡public school educator
💡stress
💡remission
💡therapy
💡boundaries
💡COVID-19 pandemic
💡hypervisibility and invisibility
💡five minutes
Highlights
The narrator was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer at 25 years old.
The narrator's doctor was confused as she didn't fit the typical profile of a lung cancer patient.
The narrator's heartbeat was irregularly fast, symbolizing her body's distress.
The narrator was a public school educator who neglected her own health to serve her community.
The narrator continued to work and volunteer despite undergoing chemotherapy.
The narrator's body eventually forced her to stop and prioritize her health.
A study from the University of Pennsylvania indicates that many black women face chronic illness due to stress.
The narrator's friend, also a black woman, is diagnosed with a chronic illness and struggles with self-care.
Self-care is often seen as a luxury, not a necessity, for black women's survival.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased stress and a reevaluation of self-care for many.
A study by The Brookings Institute shows black women are more likely to leave jobs due to stress.
The narrator's friend quit her job to preserve her mental health.
The narrator found that taking five minutes for herself was a significant step in self-care.
The narrator returned to therapy to help manage her stress and self-care journey.
The narrator took a vacation to broaden her perspective and reduce stress.
The narrator encourages finding activities that slow the heartbeat and allow self-prioritization.
The narrator reflects on her own journey and the importance of putting herself first.
The narrator concludes with a poetic reflection on the necessity of self-care for personal and future success.
Transcripts
thank you
[Music]
I was laying in a hospital bed
I felt like
the walls were closing in on me
my doctor was trying to talk to me and I
could not hear him
people were near me and I could not feel
them
my eyes were blurry
and I could not see
all I could feel
was the Rhythm
of my heartbeat
it was beating so fast and so
irregularly that I almost could not
catch my breath to speak
this was the day that I was diagnosed
with non-small cell lung cancer
you couldn't have told me that 25 years
old I would be facing such a difficult
fate
my doctor is confused without the
typical markers of a lung cancer patient
how could I be facing such a difficult
diagnosis
but on that day
my heartbeat was trying to communicate a
message to me that my body had been
trying to tell me for a long time
that I had failed to take care of myself
as a public school educator I thought
that it was my responsibility to devote
all of my time and talents to the
community that I was serving
I would spend extra time attending the
extracurriculars of my students
volunteering for committees so that I
could be an advocate and a voice for the
families that I served all the while not
finding balance for myself
and taking care of my needs
and on that day my heartbeat was the
reminder that I needed to put myself
first
fast forward I am now in cancer
treatment I'm thinking I got this I'm
going to chemotherapy still volunteering
on all the Committees and still going to
work
meanwhile that heartbeat
it was still beating irregularly because
I was still not prioritizing my care
and I thought as a black woman I have to
work twice as hard as my peers to show
that I am capable and then taking a step
back would show that maybe I wasn't
strong enough to do the work
so I kept pushing
until one day I could not get up
I was trying to get ready for work and
my body laid there lifeless
I told myself get up
but all I could do was lay there and
feel that same rhythm of my heartbeat
and that was the reminder I needed to
put myself first
and I am not alone
according to a study from the University
of Pennsylvania when in two black women
faced chronic illness due to stress
imagine if one out of two black women
that you know cannot control the rhythm
of their heartbeat every day and then
have to show up to work or other spaces
that they occupy and wonder if people
think that they are not competent or do
not belong there
that is the experience of one of my
friends
fast forward I am now uh in one to two
years in remission
and I'm catching up
thank you
I am one to two years in remission and
I'm catching up with my girlfriends and
one of them tells me that they've just
been diagnosed with a chronic illness
they're on three different medications
and they are simply tired
now I'm thinking it's my job to tell her
you've got to prioritize your care take
time for yourself
but she tells me taking time does not
put food on her table clothes on her
back or pay for that health care that
she needs to prioritize her care
and once again I am reminded that for
many especially black women self-care is
considered a luxury and not essential
for our survival
fast forward we are now in the covid-19
pandemic
and though we have navigated this
difficult time together
for many people we're still we have
learned to prioritize language around
self-care
we started to talk about boundaries
between work and home prioritizing time
with friends and family
meanwhile according to a study by The
Brookings Institute black women are
still three times more likely to leave
the job due to stress since the pandemic
imagine if tomorrow all the black women
you knew were no longer in the spaces
that they occupy simply because they are
tired of being hyper visible and
invisible all at the same time
[Applause]
that is the experience of another one of
my friends
we were catching up since the isolation
of the pandemic and she tells me she
quit her job
now I look at her in shock because I'm
like I know she takes care of more than
just herself but also her family
but she tells me that a paycheck is not
worth her sanity and she is tired of
being expected to show up to be all
things to all people meanwhile those
same people didn't see her for who she
was
and you know what
she was right
for her leaving the job was that thing
that allowed her to slow
her heartbeat
down
and while we don't want people to leave
the spaces we have to find that thing
that allows us to slow our heartbeat
down
for me
it was Finding five minutes
five minutes to slow my heartbeat clear
my mind and shed all the anxiety I was
experiencing every day
in five minutes you probably spend more
time scrolling social media
getting your kids ready or any of the
other to do things on your list every
day
in five minutes I was able to calm my
mind in spirit and set myself up for the
day
and that was the start to re-centering
myself for my self-care Journey
and from there I went back to therapy to
bounce my ideas off of someone else who
could help give me clarity about what I
was experiencing
and then I took the trip y'all
took the vacation so that I could see
what the world had for me beyond my go
go of my everyday existence
for you
it might be something else
an online mental health podcast
a fitness class
whatever it is you've got to find that
thing that slows your heartbeat down and
allows you to put yourself first
as a poet I have often prioritized the
stories of other people before my own
so I took this as a challenge to reflect
on my own Journey
my Village taught me how to be great
show me how to turn my talents into gold
challenge me to mold better daily
but I was not prepared for what the
future would hold see I was taught how
to outwork outsmart out think thought
that if I just worked harder and planned
better that I would go further but see
my body only knew how to outpain itself
how to explain itself how to hide behind
the S on my chest how to delay tending
to my mental health but see disguising
wounds for too long only callus
and my triage only delayed my failure my
body sacrifice for future promises but
see my survival cannot depend upon the
gold watch my rest not Reliant upon your
permission my body not dependent upon
your conception of time
see my body taught me how to be great
showed me how to sustain my talents like
water
and when I learned to put myself first
I became prepared for what the future
would hold
see this is your permission to put
yourself
first thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
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