It’s a self-care summer! We asked women in a variety of fields how they take care of themselves when times are tough. With 2026 stresses ranging from the economic, to the environmental, to the existential, there’s a lot on our minds and nervous systems, collectively and individually. How does one prioritize self-care while still helping others? Here are a few insights on self-care, self-compassion, and reclaiming power, with thoughts from writers to witches.
Whitney Alese, Writer, Digital Creator
Get yourself a notebook and a pen or pencil and start journaling! It helps. Last fall, I was going through a particular stressful season. I had my first panic attack in over 15 years, I wasn’t seeing my family as much, I wasn’t eating right, I was constantly working, I wasn’t sleeping well at all. There were so many things I was trying to figure out and couldn’t get clear about. So, I went back to a practice I used to do years ago: journaling. I would give myself at least 5 minutes, 5 little minutes everyday just to get all the noise out of my head. My God, did it help! It became very clear, very quickly how unhappy I was and that changes would need to be made. I have been journaling ever since.
I think of Audre Lorde when she was writing in her cancer journals, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” For me, self-care is truly preserving myself.
I want us to be kinder to ourselves. Many of us are going through the day not listening to ourselves, not treating ourselves right, not restoring ourselves. We are living through devastating times. Everywhere you turn, there is some new horror or ongoing inhumanity or ongoing injustice. That is a lot for anyone to manage. And that is before we add to it the weight of our own lives. I pray we are all kinder to ourselves, that we offer ourselves grace. That we give ourselves compassion. That we love ourselves. Maybe then, we might have some compassion, grace, and love for each other, too.
Shenikka Moore-Clarke, Therapist, Coach
We are holding so much right now, both individually and collectively. In the midst of all of it, you are still allowed to rest, to feel deeply, and to experience moments of joy. The quiet revolution is choosing not to abandon yourself while you navigate and challenge the world around you. One practice I keep coming back to is what I call the sacred pause before reacting. In a world that keeps us activated, slowing down enough to reconnect with our body is powerful.
Self-care, for me right now, is less about indulgence and more about discernment. It’s asking myself what actually supports my capacity in this moment and being honest about my limits. I am more intentional about what I consume whether that’s social media, conversations, or what energies that I am exposing myself to. It’s not about doing more, but about releasing what drains me and honoring what sustains me.
I draw deeply from my ancestral lineage, especially as a Black woman with Caribbean roots. I think about those who lived through unimaginable conditions and still found ways to create beauty, to connect, to dance, to resist, and to love. That legacy reminds me that joy and expression are not luxuries but are part of our inheritance. I don’t have to wait for things to be perfect to access my aliveness. It’s something I’m allowed to claim now.
Susan Slaughter, Paranormal Investigator, Actor
Self-care is protecting your energy. Saying “no” to those who expect too much, energy vampires, and curating a perfectly small circle with limited access to your spark and emotional bandwidth. Allowing yourself to cut the unnecessary access to your peace of mind. Being able to release the expectation that others have of me. Saying “no” to things that just don’t align with me anymore without the fear of being seen as a “bitch” or difficult. I couldn’t care less what people think when I hold my boundaries.
I think of my mother who survived revolutions in her country, being exiled, and still pursuing her dreams in education and law. Surviving earthquakes and hurricanes, losing family and entire homes. I think of all the success my father attained after he transitioned into womanhood. Being a woman empowered her to live out her dreams in business and spirituality with the finesse of duality. She had goddess energy with the savvy of a businessman. The strength of both of my parents and what they have overcome remind me of what I am carved from.
Elizabeth Paige, Educator, Conservationist
Checking in with myself is most beneficial. Finding a quiet space, removed from everything and everyone, and engaging with my own inner voice, my thoughts, and my body is really most important. And most essential. Everyday we’re subjected to the external horrors and distractions that are meant to steer us toward avoidance of our own human nature, our own internal voice. Time to process our grief, anger, frustration, and to celebrate our own beauty, joy, relationships is important.
I highly recommend imagination time. Get lost in your own art. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been highly protective of my alone time.
My power is fueled by my relationship to my culture; cultural memory of the land how it was, and how it can be again. It emboldens me. I am where I belong, and I will not stop advocating for the land or my people.
Anahita Holden, Psychologist, Yoga Teacher
I highly recommend building somatic awareness, or awareness of body sensations and movement, as it relates to the mind’s processes and specifically emotional experiences in our lives. Our bodies store rich information and once we start to tune in and listen, they can help guide the way in terms of emotional processing and releasing stress that often gets stuck or is looping inside of our nervous systems. Somatic awareness can be cultivated through 1:1 work with a somatic therapist, in a group setting, meditation and yoga practices, and books on the topic.
Tending to the body is also a big part of self-care for me. I call upon the Sufi traditions as taught by my Persian dance teacher and spiritual guide, Banafsheh Sayyad. She has honed the practices of whirling and dance as a manifestation of spiritual expression, and the ways that we can access our inner power as well as a sense of collective oneness. When I move my body in this form of dance, I feel water-like fluidity that connects me to a life force energy that is bigger than myself.
Lorry Stone, Witch, Artist
I think if we slowly take the power away from the ghosts of our past that live in our heads and let ourselves be who we are when no one’s around, there’s an easier kind of breathing in that. Also, I highly recommend witchcraft.
Empowerment for me is in the softness—being myself without having to control everything. I was an international pro domme for decades, when that world was still kept in the shadows. That kind of power is real—but it’s a certain kind of power. Now it shows up differently: I feel empowered after ritual. I feel empowered studying what actually interests me—not because it makes money, but because it feeds my depth. I find it empowering to really listen to people and their stories, not just wait for my turn to speak. I find the fading of gatekeeping empowering sharing knowledge to support others, while also knowing when someone is just looking for a shortcut. Boundaries feel empowering. Queerness feels empowering. New language and giving people space to learn it — that feels empowering too.
Images courtesy of Whitney Alese, Shenikka Moore-Clarke, Susan Slaughter, Elizabeth Paige, Lorry Stone and Anahita Holden
