SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
(Source: Florida Courier)
Mindset expert Michelle Bryant Johnson has spent more than 25 years helping individuals and organizations navigate leadership, emotional wellness and personal growth. Through her work in workforce development, coaching and community advocacy, the Atlanta-based expert has become known for empowering people to transform fear, self-doubt and grief into confidence and purpose.
After experiencing the devastating loss of her husband to COVID-19, Johnson turned her personal pain into purpose by creating SPARK, a program designed to help others heal emotionally while rebuilding their confidence and sense of self. Drawing from both her professional expertise and lived experiences, Johnson now uses her platform to address issues deeply impacting the African American community, including chronic stress, mental wellness, resilience and generational healing.
In this conversation with the Florida Courier, Johnson discusses the long-term effects of chronic stress in Black communities, the importance of setting healthy boundaries, and how prioritizing wellness can help shift the narrative from survival mode to intentional healing and resilience.
1.What role does chronic stress play in African Americans?
- Chronic stress in African Americans has occurred for generations from a society of negative social and economic experiences like racial discrimination daily. They can range from subtle microaggressions to overt and amplified expressions, policies, and practices.
- Social examples include stereotyping, monolithic cultural references, isolating/exclusion, devaluing, healthy food deserts, access to affordable healthcare, and oppressive environments.
- Economic examples include underemployment, career opportunity ceilings, financial opportunity disparities, wage gaps, effects of lay-offs, geographic redlining, toxic workplaces, and affordable housing.
2.How can you set healthy boundaries without guilt, and what impact does that have on mental wellness?
- Make the decision to make mental wellness a self-priority. It helps when self-care is modeled positively by leadership and respected entities.
- Schedule exercise/movement
- Say “no” to being over committed
- Communicate your wellness priorities.
- What are some daily habits that can help regulate stress without adding more pressure?
- Shift mind-set to prioritize self and communicate that priority.
- Set boundaries and stick to them consistently.
- Communicate your goals with loved ones and invite them to prioritize wellness.
- Journal, walk, schedule fun, laugh, have healthy relationships, embrace self-power,
- Rest and reset.
4.How can we shift the narrative in the Black community from surviving stress to actively building resilience and prioritizing mental health as a form of generational healing?
- Normalize wellness and self-care
- Expect active wellness prioritization
- Modeling self-care behavior
- Offer benefits and amenities for self-care.