Tag: mental health

Multi-Award Winning Platinum Americana-Soul Singer-Songwriter, MAJOR. Releases New EP, “THE HOPE OF MY SOUL” (Dedicated to Love, Mental Wellness and Self-Care)

Posted in entertainmentTagged , , , , Leave a comment

GRAMMY, Soul Train and 8x Image Award-nominated Soul Singer MAJOR. aka “Mr. Why I Love You” delivers a new EP “The Hope Of My Soul“, dedicated to love, mental wellness, and self-care.

The music was written while in the depths of the pandemic, during a time when many battled challenges with mental health. MAJOR. was inspired by a poignant text message from the late Chadwick Boseman. This message prompted the charge for him to be more intentional about amplifying HOPE in Love, Life, & Future.

Between 2020-2022, MAJOR. married his Mrs. Why I Love You (covered by People Magazine), launched the MAJOR.HOPE Foundation, and released a powerful spoken meditative album series titled MAJOR.HOPE Motivations & Pep Talks which champions the charge for culture to prioritize mental and physical well being.

Now, in 2023 we ask that you embrace “The Hope Of My Soul” understanding the intention, vibe, and purpose of this timeless music! The EP, includes production from notable culture-contributors; Harmony “H Money” Samuels, Teddy P. and Joaquin Bynum. Other highlight songs from, “The Hope of My Soul,” EP. are “Joy In The Battle” and the powerful, “I Prayed for You,” (a favorite of John Legend).

THE HOPE OF MY SOUL by MAJOR. EP (AVAILABLE NOW)

(VIDEO LINK) “BABY WILL YOU LOVE ME” by MAJOR.

ABOUT MAJOR.:
His name is MAJOR., and his impact the same. The American Soul singer’s star fiercely struck at the debut of the now Platinum hit love song, “Why I Love You”. As Stevie Wonder projected, lovers from all over the world have commissioned the breakout ballad as the perfect soundtrack for their own love stories. MAJOR. is a powerful storyteller on stage & screen who leans into authenticity as his superpower. Amazingly, he has become a trusted artist for many while inspiring hearts with his relatable message of life laced in that signature falsetto! His joy is infectious and as a “Hope Dealer”, he leads unapologetically with the very HOPE in LOVE his music professes.

With half a billion digital streams, 4 independent solo projects, network TV shows, movies, legendary cosigns, national tours, & The MAJOR.HOPE Foundation – MAJOR. is far from done. His powerful reimagining of the classic “Whole World In His Hands” and the newly released love anthem “Baby Will You Love Me” are proof… The GRAMMY, 2x Soul Train, and 8x NAACP Image Award nominated entertainer promises so much more to come. And it can only be
as mighty as the name his mama gave him: MAJOR.

CONNECT WITH MAJOR.
Website:www.NowThatsMAJOR.com
Instagram: @NowThatsMAJOR
Twitter: @NowThatsMAJOR

It’s all in the Stratosphere, Meet CEO Lauran Grant

Posted in Pretty and CreativeTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

Combining her love for the skies and the ground, Corporate Flight Attendant, Atlanta Entrepreneur and Yogi Lauran Grant has launched her Yoga apparel brand, Stratosphere41. 

“I started S41 to build a community that truly strives for not only inclusion, but celebration of all yogis. Growing up, I always felt excluded from the wellness community as a Black woman and that I needed to dilute myself to fit into its’ perfect box,” Lauran says.

Stratosphere41’s name evolved because Lauran wanted to weave together two very influential areas of her life to build a brand that reflects the symbolism of connection: 1.) The stratosphere is the ozone layer that private jets cruise through and 2.) The Yoga Sutras describe each pose to achieve mental and physical elevation. 

The beauty in both is balance. “I want the S41 community to feel as if they can show up as their authentic self and allow their fellow yogis to do the same, even when that looks different than what we are used to,” she tells us.

Noticing a gap in the market, unique yoga towels were the answer. She took an otherwise utilitarian product and turned it into an elevated experience because we should not have to sacrifice one for the other. We want to encourage yogis to get pumped to roll out their mat and flow!

What has been your greatest achievement thus far in your entrepreneurial journey?
Building out our community organically from the ground up! That has helped us foster trust within the yoga and wellness industry, and it’s always so fun chatting with them online. I feel like I’m just talking to my friends… Love it!

What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today?
Where should I start? Bootstrapping for starters, but I believe it is true what they say that constraints breed creativity because we’ve had to think outside of the box. And not to mention a lot of self-doubt as WOC Founder with no connections, especially one who is not a celebrity or influencer. Navigating manufacturing delays during the pandemic was one of the most stressful. I thought we were scammed because our towels had been sitting at a dock for over two months! But I believe in Stratosphere41, so all of this made me double down, and I learned how to fail forward.

What role has social media played in your career?
Before Stratosphere41, I worked in Private Aviation, so I believe it actually helped me that I wasn’t a huge social media user. I rarely posted anything, but I actually had a thriving career. Recently, I’ve become addicted to TikTok and consumed tons of organic information about angel investing, branding, and mental health. It’s unmatched because you can watch new trends unfold in real-time, which helps our marketing since our brand has some pop culture inspo.

What advice do you have for women entering the entrepreneurship world?
Start before you feel ready and say yes to an opportunity, even if you don’t fully know how to do something yet. You can learn along the way! Start taking care of your mental health immediately. Entrepreneurship is fantastic but also challenging, and it helps if you have the self-awareness to know your strengths and weaknesses!

With your brand S41, You aim to create a community that feels inclusive for everyone. Can you share more about the experience women can expect when shopping S41?
Yes, we want to ensure all types of women are genuinely celebrated, especially as we move into athleisure. I want you to be able to look at our brand and KNOW you are welcome in our community. This is something we are actively working towards every day behind the scenes. I’m fortunate that I was able to visit about 70 countries with my job, and I always say travel and yoga introduce you to people very different from you, and that’s the beauty of it. So, I definitely want that mindset to be reflected in our brand.

Can you share the creative process behind your new product drop Good Vibes & Purple cloud yoga towel?
We started with a mood board of some of our favorite colors! We noticed a lot of towels were very mute or neutral-toned and we like bright things. The Good Vibes Only has a very groovy text and flower to complement the retro feel of our branding. The Purple Cloud towel makes you feel zen and elevates you to new heights. That’s in line with our name Stratosphere, the layer of the ozone private jets cruise through! They both have colors that pop when you roll them out and that’s on purpose to get you pumped to flow.

What is next for S41? Where do you see your brand in the next 3-5 years?
We have a new color dropping this summer that was highly requested by the guys at my home yoga studio. We can’t say which one because we want to hold a giveaway contest. Some really fire athleisure is on our list as well. We’re doing our part to be responsible at a young age too. We started working with a slow fashion, woman-owned, USA-based manufacturer, so that’s exciting! We also plan to fundraise eventually, but we will scale in a sustainable way so we can build a lifestyle company that outlives us.

What is your definition of a pretty Woman Who Hustles?
An authentic, confident, and resilient businesswoman! She knows when to get the job done and when to lean in to rest and enjoy. Both are equally important.

Social Media Handles:
IG: stratosphere41
TikTok: stratosphere41

Website:
stratosphere41.com

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: 5 Ways you Can Improve your Self-Esteem

Posted in Mental Health/Self CareTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This is my first post for May and we are celebrating Mental Health Awareness all month long! Mental Health is a very important and wide-range topic to talk on because there is so much that leads up to mental illnesses and various of disorders worldwide. I’m not going to get too much in detail to what mental health is since we should be pretty familiar with the good, bad, and ugly of it all. We all try to practice those healthy tips for leading a good mental health in our daily lives, but sometimes that doesn’t always work that way. Slip-ups happens and we tend to get caught up in the moment leading to stress, being burnt out, depressed, and even irritated. Balancing mental health in our daily lives has to be practiced; it’s not always going to be perfect. Self-esteem is apart of mental health and can lead to mental health issues if it’s failing. I myself have suffered low-self esteem and it has affected me mentally and physically. This story I will share in another post for a later time. When low self-esteem isn’t treated right, it can really damage a person’s outlook of life and their personal image. One suffering from low self-esteem can also become a substance abuser as well. If you never suffered or experienced low self-esteem, I applaud you because it takes a strong person to actually accept themselves fully and accepting what is in their lives. But if you are looking for new ways or other ways to improve self-esteem, then continue to read this post. Actually I encourage you to read this post because this is an important topic.

Here are five ways that you can improve your self-esteem. If you are suffering from low-esteem, this is for you!

Photo Credit via Shutterstock Images
  • Think about what you are good at- What are your strengths you may ask yourself. Everyone has some type of strength besides all the weakness they can probably name really quick. Once you identify what your strengths are, focus on them and see how you can use those for positivity whether it’s within yourself or with others. As for me, one of my strengths is writing. I’ve been writing since the age of nine and it’s something I’ve been strong at doing. My creativity can go a long way. So with that strength, I have written several books, written for publications and so forth. Focus on the positivity of yourself rather than the negative.
  • Focus on the things that you can change versus the things you can’t. I’m guilty of this one because if I don’t like the outcome of something, I always try my best to control the situation and change the outcome of it. Mentally that isn’t healthy and it has affected me along the way. So now I try to only focus on the things I can control like the career I want, how I want people to see me as, or speaking positive things to myself. Those are the type of things you should be focusing on.
  • Don’t be with people who will bring you down. You definitely don’t want that negative energy around you, so surround yourself with positive and like-minded people who have your best interest at heart!
  • Celebrate the small things in your life- How often are you celebrating yourself for all the small things in your life? Even if you finished a hard level of a game, that’s still something to celebrate. You might think that’s crazy, but it really isn’t. If you accomplished cleaning your whole house in two days, that’s something to celebrate as well.
  • Volunteer to help people- I remember volunteering at a nursing care center years ago near my house. I volunteered there for two whole years. It was good helping out the elderly people whether it was pushing them down to the dining room for lunch or dinner, helping them with bingo, or painting their nails. When you are helping people it makes you feel good about yourself. If you haven’t done so, try volunteering somewhere in your community.

Of course there are more ways to improve your self-esteem, but I thought that these were helpful as well. If you know someone that is struggling with self-esteem, please share these helpful tips with them. There is always room for improvement so don’t ever think you have it all together when it comes to your own self-esteem. Indeed it’s a process but we can all get through the difficulties in our lives one positive thought at a time.

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: Tuning out Negativity

Posted in Mental Health/Self CareTagged , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Negativity is like a disease that spreads all over the world and people spread it to others without thinking about it first. The one thing about negativity is, it can’t be cured unless its being covered by a gratitude of positivity. Easy to believe? Nope! I’m with you on that one because as easy as it is to spread negativity, it is much harder to spread positivity. Why is that? some of you may wonder. A lot of people enjoy seeing others suffer in their own problems, trauma, and struggles without a care in the world to uplift them with encouragement and speaking positivity in their situations. There is more bad than good; at least that’s what I see on the evening news. We are all sick and tired of living in a world filled with hate, violence, and negativity. You can’t even walk in peace in your own neighborhood without getting shot or even if you look at someone wrong, they are ready to fight. So the question I want to ask you is “How do you tune out the negativity?” In this blog post, I will be talking a little bit about how you can tune out negativity and how it is healthy for your mental health.

Have you heard of the phrase: “Music is my therapy”? Well trust me, it is pure therapy listening to some of your favorite songs on your playlist even playing some meditation music to calm down your mind and to get into a mood of relaxation. When you are dealing with negativity whether it’s in your workplace, home, with friends or even via social media, step away and dive into a musical scene. The workplace can be pretty hectic and with a lot of pressure, projects, and deadlines going to, things can be pretty crazy. Your boss may sound aggressive because he/she wants that memo typed by the end of the day and you have like five other priority projects that needs attention as well. Or co-workers may be jealous of you or someone else because you got promoted, so now they are saying negative things behind your back. When you are dealing with all that, the best thing you can do is close your eyes, count to five and take deep breaths. Allow your mind to calm down. I’m not going to lie, it’s difficult to do at times when faced with these adversities at work. By doing this, you are practicing safe and healthy mental health skills. You don’t ever want to get to the point where everything is bottled inside and you don’t release it through meditation or calming down. You will feel stressed and burned out with anger raging and irritability snapping at you every chance it gets.

That is why it is very important to tune out negativity to avoid feeling stressed, burned out, irritated, and angry. You want to try to tackle it before it boils over the flames causing a big fire. Trust me, doing this faithfully and consistently isn’t always easy and it’s going to take some practice to get the hang of it. For starters, you can just stay away from negativity if possible and from toxic people. Hope this post was helpful. Please feel free to comment, like, share, pin, and save this post for future reference.

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: Sundays are Made for Self-Care and Soothing the Mind

Posted in Mental Health/Self CareTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

When was the last time you relaxed and did nothing for a whole day? Do I hear crickets? Self-care is very important for everyday life. After a long work week or a stressful situation, a day of relaxing and pampering yourself is the perfect gift to you after a long week. Have you ever thought to yourself “Man I’m exhausted. I don’t feel like doing nothing!” But you want to do some more work knowing that your body is physically and mentally exhausted. That is why it is very important to take a time out and relax. If it’s just sitting in your chair or laying down, you are relaxing your body. Here are some fun things you can do while you are in self-care mode.

  • Blast your music! Only if you are in the room or house by yourself. You don’t want to wake up the kids, the husband or wife. Unwind to some of your favorite songs.
  • Listen to some of your favorite podcasts. I recently started back to listening to podcasts through Apple. Pick out some inspirational and relaxing podcasts that will feed you positive vibes.
  • Do absolutely nothing! You don’t anyone nothing so just sit back and enjoy your own company as long as you can.
  • Take a nice warm bubble bath– That will help with all the stressors you have been dealing with all week long. You may just need to soak in the tub and just close your eyes.
  • Get some fresh air– Whether you have a porch or a lawn chair, step outside and enjoy the sun beaming down on your face. Getting some fresh air is also healthy.
  • Watch your favorite show or movie– It’s nothing like enjoying and catching up with your favorite shows. Pop some popcorn while you are at it too just to make it look comfy.

Make time for yourself no matter what. Its the key to staying balanced, healthy, mentally and physically in shape and to keep your mind from going insane. Feel free to comment on self-care tips you use throughout the week. I would love to hear them.

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: The 3 Different Types of Stress

Posted in Mental Health/Self CareTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Do you often find yourself stressed that it’s starting to become a regular pattern? This month is Stress Awareness Month where I wanted to highlight the three different types of stress.

  • Acute stress can be caused by a car accident, loosing a loved one, witnessing/being a victim of an attack or even being diagnosed with an illness. This type of stress isn’t long-lasting but can have some type of effect on a person mentally and physically.

  • Episodic stress refers to frequent, consistent periods of stress where the stressful experience occurs on a regular basis. This type of stress can occur when you’re impacted by more than one consecutive stressor or worried about a negative experience or event.

  • Chronic stress is an ongoing and constant stress. Dealing with chronic health issues or a disability can cause that.

What type of stress do you deal with mostly. Just remember to take care of yourself along the way when you do start to feel overwhelmed or stressed out. Take breaks as much as possible so that you won’t feel mentally drained.

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: April is National Stress Awareness Month!

Posted in Mental Health/Self CareTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Many people may say stress is a bad word and truth be told, it can be very bad and lead to all types of things like health problems, trouble sleeping, emotionally and mentally exhausted and the list goes on! But with stress you don’t always have to focus on the bad stressors, but the good stressors we definitely want to look at. Nobody has time for frustrations, anger, exhaustion and body aches. What is stress you might ask? Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. The sound of that sounds stressful, but there are ways to detox and reset your mind to focus again. Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month? It has been celebrated every April since 1992. In 1974, the International Stress Management Association was founded by experts and research for stress in the workplace as well as personal stress management. https://integracareclinics.com/april-is-stress-awareness-month-tips-to-help-you-cope/

I find it pretty interesting that a lot of people or even communities don’t talk about stress awareness and the health side of it. It’s apart of a lifestyle that we sometimes walk upon if we aren’t too careful about how we handle certain situations or take on too much.

Photo Credit via Shutterstock Images

When we feel like we are getting stressed out whether it’s from our job, projects, or even personal situations, we need to pump the brakes and consider these tips for stress management.

  • Exercise! That’s something I could use in my daily routine. But exercising is one good way to help reduce stressors.
  • Mediation- Turn the lights out, light a candle or two, put on some soft soothing music and engage in healthy thoughts. Learn to relax your mind when you are feeling stressed.
  • Spend time with family and loved ones- Sometimes laughing with family or even friends can ease your tension and allow you to relax in a comfortable setting you are familiar in. We all need a good laugh every now and then.
  • Talk about your stressful situations to family or those you trust the most. The more you talk it out, the better you will start to feel. It’s not healthy to hold all that anger and stress in.
  • Take good care of yourself- Mental health plays a huge part and although our focus seems to be on the problem, taking care of yourself should be top priority. Eat a balanced meal, keep hydrated, get plenty of rest, spend time with yourself and pay attention to all the emotions you are feeling.

With all that said, please be sure to take precaution when you are stressed again. It’s normal to be stressed, but when it lasts too long, you might want to see your local doctor or talk to a therapist about possible steps. I will be back next week to talk to you more about stress and the three types of stress. Until then, educate yourself on stress awareness and see what other things you can do to manage your stress better. https://nationaldaycalendar.com/stress-awareness-month-april/

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: 10 Ways to Boost Your Mental Health

Posted in Mental Health/Self CareTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

A lot of people don’t realize how important your mental health is. It’s always in constant rotation and a reminder that you need to slow it down a bit. For instance, if you deal with a mental illness and have certain things that may trigger you, try to diffuse the situation or get out of the situation if possible. No one likes to be triggered and for me it’s a very well-known feeling and I start to feel very irritated. Here are some tips to boost your mental health daily.

  • Take a break if needed- We all need to take a break from tasks, from home duties, from work, projects, our personal life and so forth! Just step away for a few minutes or even an hour to recuperate and readjust again.
  • Make yourself a priority- You should always come first no matter what! Can’t no friends, family and others say otherwise!
  • Find purpose and meaning- Do you know what your purpose is in life? What is the meaning behind it? We all have a purpose. Make sure you find it and fulfill it.
  • Get enough sleep- This is something that I have trouble a lot of times because I tend to stay up late to watch some of my favorite television shows and also I do sometimes have trouble falling asleep. Try to set a bedtime goal. If you plan to go to sleep at 10:00 p.m., at 9:30, start to wind things down and get ready for bed.
  • Stay active- Keep an exercise schedule or attend a dance class like Zumba.
Photo Credit via Shutterstock Images

Whatever tips you decide to work on, work on it for at least a week to see if you noticed any change or difference within yourself. It is best to practice good mental health and self-care skills so that we can learn to handle situations better when stress and distractions decides to pop up. What are your mental health tips? What does mental health mean to you? Feel free to comment below. I would love to see your comments! Until next time, have a great day!

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: When to Let Go

Posted in Mental Health/Self CareTagged , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Have you ever experienced some things in your life that was traumatizing and you just couldn’t let go of it? How did you handle the situation? Or was it handled at all? Letting go sometimes is very hard and can be mentally/emotionally draining if it is something that may acquire more time. I can think about all of the times where I’ve been in stressful situations that I was trying to control the end results, just to put myself in a deeper situation where I couldn’t let go of the problems. Let’s take a look at some steps when letting go.

  • Create a positive mantra to help with painful thoughts: Writing positive affirmations for yourself is a great step.
  • Practice mindfulness: Focus on the present instead of the situation or person.
  • Be gentle with yourself: Instead of talking down on yourself, tell yourself all the wonderful things you are. Don’t beat yourself up too much.
  • Allow the negative emotions to flow: If you are feeling angry, disappointed or even sad, feel those things instead of holding them all in. Be in your emotions.
  • Engage with self-care: What better way to take care of yourself then to focus on you! Take a mental health break and focus on you.
  • Talk about it: Don’t keep it all in! Talk with someone you trust such as family, a close friend or seeking a therapist is ideal. Whatever you do, don’t keep it bottled inside of you.

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: Spring Forward to a New Season, a New Beginning

Posted in Mental Health/Self CareTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Spring is officially in the air and as the new season changes, it’s also time for new beginnings as well. The one thing I hate about Spring is the smell of the flowers and pollen that comes on it. Who else can agree to that? While the pollen is only a distraction in this new season, think about distractions in your life that is causing you to fall back, stress or even loose interest in things. You see while the pollen continues to fall and cover cars filled with the yellow mess, think about things that aren’t right in your life and where distractions continue to fall. Mental health is so important that sometimes we all forget to declutter some things in our lives that doesn’t belong there. As we spring forward to a new season, consider these things to take along the way with you in a new beginning.

  • Clean out the pollen in your relationships. Whoever doesn’t have your best interest at heart anymore, sweep them away.
  • Avoid distractions as much as possible. Ask yourself what distracts me the most? When you answer that question then go the other way when the pollen tries to come near.
  • If you are planning to start a new business, blog or write a book in this season, remember to stay focused and don’t be too quick to share your ideas on social media.
  • Have confidence that you can do it! You can and you will!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed reading this post just as much as I enjoyed creating it. So, let’s all spring forward together to bigger and better things in this new season!