March Newsletter

Sunya,

Cultivating Resilience: Building Our Capacity for Stress and Adversity

I'm Sunya Folayan, and I enjoy assisting mature women in living intentional lives of freedom, rest, travel, and ease. At this point in my life's work I am intentional about centering the voices and concerns of Black women, creating safe spaces for authentic relationships and building caring community.

  As we navigate the challenges confronting us in the ever-changing political climate, within our families, and in our daily lives, it's essential that we build our capacity to handle stress and anxiety. This month let’s focus on cultivating resilience and exploring ways to prioritize our mental and emotional- well-being. Spring is here, so let's make sure we enjoy the beauty of the season in the midst of it all.

This Month's Calls to Action:

  1. Prioritize Self-care

 As Black women, we often prioritize the needs of others over ourselves.   You know it’s true. I’m not only speaking to you, I’m speaking to myself! Self-care, however, is essential for building our resilience and managing stress. With all that’s going on in the world right now- we need to strap in and prepare ourselves for what appears to be a bumpy ride ahead.

  • Make time for activities that nourish your mind, body, and spirit, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time in nature.
  • Create a bedtime routine to improve our sleep quality.
  • Seek support: Reach out to friends, family, or a therapist for support and connection.
  • Practice financial self-care: Take control of your finances by creating a budget, paying off debt, and building an emergency fund.
  1. Engage in Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques
  • Focus on our breath: Are we breathing deeply during stress or holding our breath? Breathe deeply each day. Meditate and pray.
  • Get out of the house and engage in physical activity: Walk! Dance in the house or go out-throw on your favorite music. Lately, I’ve been listening to Angie Stone, Roy Ayers, and Tony Toni Tone in honor of our new ancestors. I’ve also started taking Flamenco dance lessons.
  1. Reclaim and Redefine Rest

This is a big one, and I’m calling all of us to task here. “Why” you might ask? Because Black women are socialized to prioritize productivity over rest.

  • Right now more Black women are prioritizing rest and relaxation as a necessary part of self-care.  We are staying home. Drinking tea. Minding our business and seeking a softer life. This is a good thing!
  • Continue to set boundaries with others to protect time and energy. We discussed the importance of guarding our time in January.
  • Find joy and satisfaction in activities that promote relaxation and rejuvenation: coloring books, taking naps, listening to music, taking walks in nature.
  • Prioritize our resilience and well-being. We can build our capacity to navigate stress and anxiety, and cultivate a more fulfilling and meaningful life when we do so

    4. How Are You Doing on Your 1st Quarter Challenge?  Who has been game? Let me know!

Financial Self-Care Tip:

Set a goal over the next year or two to build an emergency fund to cover 3-6 months of living expenses. This will be easier for some than others, but this will help reduce financial stress and increase our sense of resilience and security. Consider setting up automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings or emergency fund. If your income is low, consider a side hustle, or part-time business using your gifts and from your home. There are tax advantages for doing so  Start wherever you are and build from there.  Never devalue small beginnings. Every penny and every effort we make counts.

If you would like more information as to how to set up your investment brokerage account to house your emergency fund… let’s talk about how you can that done  Schedule time here: https://sfolayan.coachesconsole.com/calendar/virtual--networking-coffee-chat 

 

                                                                                                                                                            

Get out into nature

                                                         

 

This Month's Featured Resource:                                                                                                     

-“The Sisters Are Alright: Changing the Broken Narrative of Black Women in America by Tamara Harris: A book that explores the experiences of Black women and offers strategies for building resilience and managing stress.

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FYI: Our Jumpstart Your SOULjourn II Retreat for Black women focused on rest, and considering the possibility of leaving the USA for a short or long sojourn was a beautiful success. Because we had a waiting list we are planning to host Jumpstart Your SOULjourn 2.5 in September 2025!

Here is one of my favorite images from the event:

                                                                                                                                    

 

 

Stay Connected:

 Stay tuned for more self-care tips, strategies, and inspiration throughout the year. Share your self-care journey with me on social media using the hashtags #JumpstartYourSouljourn  #mytimeismymoney #strategizemyselfcare

 

Follow me and subscribe to my YouTube channel Mind and Manna for pertinent information for women who are interested in improving their finances so they can level up to a more intentional life that includes freedom, rest, travel and ease.

 

Need additional resources?  Interested in working together? Let's chat over virtual coffee about the possibilities: 

https://sfolayan.coachesconsole.com/calendar/virtual--networking-coffee-chat 

 

 Finally, Happy International Women's Month! Know that YOU are making history every day.

 

xo,

 Sunya

Sunya Folayan

 

 
Sunya Folayan
Infinity Global Coaching Group/ "Wealth Within Reach"