Importance of self-worth
The ability to keep your mental health intact during these troubling times for many people is a job in itself. Society tells the world to prioritize their health, but few do or know how to. Author Oludara Adeeyo wants to advise and suggest new ways for people to decompress and improve their mental health while maintaining a balanced life.
“Self-care became an important aspect of my life after experiencing the traumatic event of my mom passing away 10 years ago due to health reasons and having to go on my healing journey to deal with the grief while also making other changes in my life,” Adeeyo said. “When you experience death, especially as a Black woman, your mortality comes to the front of your mind, and it made me shift my perspective on life and made me question my path and habits.”
Adeeyo is a mental health therapist and author of “Self-Care for Black Women” (2022), “Affirmations For Black Women: A Journal” (2023) and “Mind, Body & Soul: A Coloring Book for Black Women” (2023). She is passionate about helping people, especially Black women, improve their overall wellness. Before becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Adeeyo worked as a writer and editor.
Adeeyo started focusing on Black women’s health in graduate school as she began to research the health disparities and lack of resources provided to deal with mental health. “I knew I had to put myself first because, with all the changes going on in my life, I started to notice my health deteriorating in certain aspects, such as acne breakouts, weight gain, reproductive health, and increased levels of anxiety,” Adeeyo said as she talked about what led to her creating self-care days and what activities she partakes in. “As I was going through graduate school, I started practicing words of affirmation to regain my confidence in myself and reaffirm the path I was going on.”
The latest installment into the series, “Mind, Body, & Soul: A Self-Care Coloring Book for Black Women,” includes 35 coloring art pages that depict Black women vibing, being creative in their homes, listening to music, practicing yoga, meditating in nature, and transcending metaphysical dimensions. With affirmations on each page, you’ll internalize the positive messages and manifest positive outcomes for yourself as you color.
Adeeyo created the coloring book to show women they can be themselves regardless of what the world says or expects of them.
“The book is made to be a stress reliever and an activity for women to prioritize themselves and create a space for them and their creativity,” she said.
The collection of books is available at www.simonandschuster.com.caleb
