Radical rest for Black women in corporate settings

"THE UNWRITTEN RULEBOOK: HOW UK CORPORATE CULTURE KEEPS BLACK WOMEN ON THE OUTSIDE" The most dangerous barriers aren't the ones written in company policy. They're the ones embedded in "culture." In UK corporate spaces, Black women leaders face a shadow curriculum: • Learn to make jokes, but never about race • Build relationships, but not too close • Join after-work drinks, but don't decline too often • Speak confidently, but never be "aggressive" • Share your perspective, but don't make anyone uncomfortable • Stand out enough to be noticed, but never enough to threaten These unwritten rules are: INVISIBLE to those who naturally fit them EXHAUSTING for those who must constantly decode them CAREER-DEFINING for those who fail to master them The true cost isn't just the mental labour of constant translation. It's the erosion of authenticity, the suppression of truth, the constant calculation of risk. Every gesture requires strategic thought: Is this hairstyle "too ethnic" for Tuesday's board meeting? Will my accent mark me as an outsider in today's presentation? Will challenging that microaggression cost me my promotion? Is that joke about my background "banter" I should tolerate? When we say "corporate culture," what we mean is: "The unspoken agreement to center whiteness as professional" Black women are forced to become cultural anthropologists just to survive—studying, adapting, and performing norms designed specifically to exclude them. 📢 The Black Woman's Rest Revolution refuses this impossible standard 📢 ✨ Black women therapists who understand cultural code-switching ✨ Healing circles for processing authenticity fatigue ✨ Expert guidance through corporate culture navigation ✨ Global sisterhood that honours your whole self Limited spots available for our next healing circle JOIN TODAY: [Link in comments] #UnwrittenRules #CorporateCulture #RestIsRevolution P.S. I help Black women heal from workplace abuse & racial trauma through revolutionary rest.

🕊️ Remembering Quita Cole & Danielle Mitchell - Rest Must Be a Priority This spring, two vibrant Black professionals: Quita Cole and Danielle Mitchell, tragically passed away after publicly expressing exhaustion and stepping back to rest. •Quita Cole, a beloved Nashville chef, posted on April 21 that “Quita need rest.” She took three days off and by April 25, she didn’t wake up. •Danielle Mitchell, a devoted mother and community member, shared in public that she was overwhelmed and shortly thereafter, she passed away, leaving behind young children. These losses are heartbreaking and serve as stark reminders: rest isn’t indulgence…it’s essential. Hustle culture disproportionately harms Black professionals, who often carry dual pressures of performance and inequity. These aren’t isolated stories, they’re urgent signals for change. 📌 Why This Matters: •Systemic stress amplification: Structural inequities mean burnout isn’t just about work, it’s compounded by the incessant energy spent navigating racial and social barriers. •Health disparities: Chronic exhaustion increases risks of heart disease, depression, anxiety; all conditions with historically higher impact in Black communities. •Rest is a strategic advantage: It rebuilds focus, enhances decision-making, and fuels sustainable leadership…the solid foundation for excellence. ✅ Actionable Rest Strategies 1. Schedule micro-breaks. Five minutes of stretching or deep breathing can reset your clarity; do this 2–3 times daily during meetings or tasks. 2. Guard evenings. Block off post-7 pm for screen-free mindfulness: reading, music, or simply nothing. 3. Power nap with purpose. Even 10–15 minutes restore cognitive bandwidth, take a cue from Tricia Hersey’s Nap Ministry. 4. Make boundaries non‑negotiable. Learn to say “no” to meetings, extra tasks, or invitations that steal energy. 5. Lead by example. Let your teams see you rest. Encourage healthy downtime and normalize it in company culture. 📚 For Deeper Insight • Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey - on rest as liberation • The Nap Ministry - pioneering sleep justice: rest as activism and restoration • “The Visual Power of Black Rest,” The New Yorker exploring cultural narratives around rest and Blackness We stand at a crossroads: continue coast‑to‑coast burnout or redefine professional success to include rest as non-negotiable. Let the tragic passings of Quita and Danielle be the emotional pivot, we owe it to their memories, and to our future. #RestIsResistance #BlackProfessionals #WorkLifeBalance #MentalHealthMatters #LegacyOfCare #QuitaCole #DanielleMitchell

Question for Black women in the workplace, do you ever experience the weight of unrealistic expectations, often at the expense of your mental health? This phenomenon is known as the Black Superwoman Schema, a term coined by Dr. Cheryl L. Woods-Giscombe. It includes five key behaviors commonly exhibited by Black women leaders: 1. Obligation to manifest strength 2. Obligation to suppress emotions 3. Resistance to being vulnerable or dependent 4. Determination to succeed despite significantly limited resources 5. An obligation to help others Time and time again, I’ve seen this play out in our emotional wellbeing being dismissed and our value being overlooked, no matter how hard we work or support our colleagues. Let’s talk about how we can dismantle this harmful notion in professional settings: 1. Adjust your own expectations. I encourage the high-achieving women I coach to ask themselves, is this serving others at the expense of my own benefit? Is this weight mine to carry alone? When we set goals or standards that are too high, we may constantly feel pressure to meet them, leading to burnout. (And listen, we’re saying no to burnout all 2024!) 2. Ask for help. It’s easy for us to say “I got this”, or “I can handle it on my own”. This is your reminder that it’s okay to ask for support and be clear on what that can look like. It’s not a weakness to ask for support. 3. Know when to say "no." The ability to say “no” is your sacred right. 4. Create a self-care plan. What are your non-negotiable rules around caring for your health no matter what remains undone? Because we can’t take care of others if we’re not doing it for ourselves. 5. Prioritize, deprioritize, and reprioritize your workload as often as you need to. Prioritize your obligations based on significance or impact for you rather than external factors. What else would you add to this list? How do you manage unrealistic expectations in the workplace? #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealth #Mindfulness #Selfcare

Overperformance isn’t excellence; it’s a system that expects Black women to operate without a break. We see this in headlines now: the “strong Black woman” narrative is being critiqued for pushing women to neglect their health. Doctors in the UK observe that many Black women show up poised and polished, while their bodies are failing them behind closed doors. At work, this stereotype contributes to conditions where Black women are tasked with emotional labor, diversity work, mentorship, and extra responsibilities, all without compensation or recognition. It’s not just burnout. It’s what some workplaces quietly call exploitation. Here’s what I believe, and teach: ✔️ Rest isn’t passive. It’s active resistance against a system that demands more than you should ever be forced to give. ✔️ Boundaries aren’t optional. They’re essential to your longevity and integrity. ✔️ Spaces like the Soft Reset aren’t luxuries, they’re oxygen. A place where the “strong” mask comes off and your humanity is allowed to breathe. Question for you: Where have you felt pressure to overperform so strongly that you nearly lost yourself? What change would make that pressure lighter? #StrongBlackWomanMyth #BlackWomenHealing #WorkplaceWellness #RestIsResistance #TherapistPerspective #BlackLeadership #EmotionalLabor #BurnoutAwareness #TheSoftReset #SustainableSuccess #elizabethmccoy

The Power of the Pause: Why Leaders Need to Recharge to Lead Better    Leadership often comes with relentless demands—strategy sessions, sleepless nights, and decisions that shape our missions. Earlier this year, as our foundation prepared to announce a three-year strategic plan focused on financial inclusion, workforce development, and community transformation, I found myself running on fumes. Instead of pride, I felt drained—exhaustion clouded my judgment and impacted my connection with my team. That’s when I realized: rest isn’t a luxury; it’s a leadership strategy.    When we neglect rest and self-awareness, we not only harm ourselves but also shortchange the communities we serve. While we often glorify exhaustion as a badge of honor, research reveals the transformative power of rest. A Harvard Business Review study shows that leaders who prioritize downtime are 26% more effective in their roles, enhancing creativity, decision-making, and team morale.    As a Black woman in leadership, navigating a space where representation matters deeply, prioritizing rest can feel countercultural. But I’ve learned that rest is resistance—a deliberate act of pushing back against the weight of expectations to show up as my best self for the mission I deeply care about.     Practical Strategies for Leaders to Recharge  1. Schedule Rest Like a Meeting: Protect rest like any high-stakes priority. Block time in your calendar for reflection or physical recovery—label it as “Focus Time” or leave it unmarked to catch your breath and reset.     2. Rediscover Joy in Everyday Life: Leadership isn’t just about doing; it’s about being. Whether it’s reading a favorite novel or attending a weekly service, find moments of joy to replenish your energy and spirit.    3. Model Rest for Your Team: By modeling rest, leaders set the tone for a culture of well-being. If we ask our teams to pause but never take breaks ourselves, we risk sending mixed messages. Lead by example to foster sustainability across the organization.     4. Lean Into Self-Awareness: Rest isn’t just physical—it’s emotional and mental too. Practices like journaling or silent walks can help leaders tune into their emotions, enabling intentionality in navigating challenges.    A Call to Lead Differently   We can’t pour from an empty cup. To create lasting impact in financial inclusion, education, and community transformation, we must first sustain ourselves. Rest fuels resilience, fostering a ripple effect of well-being across organizations.   So, I leave you with this challenge: What would it look like to lead differently? To embrace rest not as retreat but as a strategy for resilience? The work we do is a marathon, not a sprint. Let’s pace ourselves—for the missions we care about and the communities we’re called to serve. T.D. Jakes Foundation

Do you want to live life on your own terms but not sure how? Here’s some food for thought. Build the courage to take a sabbatical/work break. Considering a work break is about more than finances. It’s about reclaiming your path. Not only have I read fellow author Cady North's, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙, but I attended her impactful presentation, "The Rise of the Sabbatical," at XYPN LIVE. This concept of a sabbatical or work break is vital for ambitious mid-career Black women STEM professionals, especially those who are seeking financial freedom and independence. I’ve interviewed numerous STEM professionals and one prevailing theme is that they want the ability to live the life they’ve imagined. Imagine a work break not just as a vacation, but as a structured pause to • align with your values,  • explore new passions, and  • return reenergized. Here are key takeaways that I think will help you: 🔂𝐀 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐭, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟: Sabbaticals allow you to reconnect with your identity outside work. For high-achieving Black women in STEM, this reset can be life-changing, helping you to prioritize self-care, mental clarity, and your personal goals. 💰𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Planning is key—whether you’re setting aside specific savings or leveraging bonuses or stock options. Cady recommends a “bucket approach” which separates regular expenses from one-time costs and ensures you’re financially covered for the break and your return. 👷♀️𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲: The fear of “falling behind” is real. She emphasizes that a strategic work break isn’t a setback but a growth period. When reentering, frame it as a time of personal development that’s enhanced your skills and perspective. 💅🏾𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠: For many Black women, balancing demanding careers and personal responsibilities can lead to burnout. The concept Cady shares of using work breaks as a “mini-retirement” offers a chance to recharge and prioritize wellness, making the break as much about well-being as financial planning. 🥇𝐏𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞: Taking a sabbatical can feel bold, especially in STEM fields where long breaks aren’t common. It’s an act of self-care and empowerment, showing that you value yourself enough to rest and recalibrate. Let’s face it, you’re already a trailblazer. Remember to prioritize yourself. Financial freedom isn’t just a goal—it’s your foundation for living a life that’s fully yours. Do you feel like a work break or sabbatical is realistic for you?

BLACK WOMEN ARE NOT DISAPPEARING — THEY ARE RECLAIMING THEIR POWER BURNOUT IS NOT A PERSONAL FAILURE — IT IS A SYSTEMIC DESIGN “‘A Change Is Gonna Come’” For generations, Black women have been positioned as the emotional, economic, and spiritual infrastructure of families, workplaces, and movements. Historical labor patterns, unpaid caregiving, and workplace inequities created an economy built on invisible Black women’s labor. The problem is extraction without restoration. The solution is conscious withdrawal from systems that profit from depletion and offer no reciprocity. DIGITAL SPACES HAVE BECOME NEW PLANTATIONS OF ATTENTION “‘The Message’” Social media promised connection but evolved into surveillance, performance pressure, and emotional outsourcing. Algorithms reward trauma, overwork, and constant accessibility. Studies show Black women experience higher digital burnout and harassment rates than any group. The problem is commodified identity. The solution is selective visibility, strategic silence, and self-governed platforms of engagement. REST IS NOT RETREAT — IT IS STRATEGIC RESISTANCE “‘I’m Every Woman’” Stepping back is not disengagement. It is recalibration. It is choosing sovereignty over servitude, healing over hypervisibility, ownership over obligation. When Black women protect their energy, communities stabilize, families strengthen, and leadership regenerates. The problem is survival-mode living. The solution is structured rest, economic autonomy, and spiritual realignment. Black women are not leaving. They are reorganizing. They are redefining value. They are choosing themselves — without apology. Sovereignty is the new visibility.

There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that high-achieving Black women know intimately. It’s not the tiredness from a long day or a demanding season. It’s much deeper. It’s the exhaustion of performing excellence while quietly disappearing. Leading beautifully on the outside while running dangerously low on the inside. Doing everything right by others' standards and still feeling like it’s never quite enough. If you recognize that feeling, this is for you. After more than 30 years spanning corporate finance, public office, ordained ministry, and executive coaching, I have sat with some of the most gifted, accomplished, and driven Black women leaders I have ever encountered. And the pattern I see breaks my heart a little more every time. Women who have sacrificed enormously to get where they are. Women who have earned every room they have walked into. Leading from exhaustion, grinding in survival mode, and slowly erasing themselves in the name of excellence. The culprit is perfectionism. And it is time we named it for what it is. We have been sold a lie. Perfectionism is not a standard. It’s a trap. Somewhere along the journey, many of us have navigated predominantly white spaces, institutions, and industries, absorbed the belief that perfection was the price of admission. If we worked harder, achieved more, and showed up flawless every single day, success would finally feel secure. Safe. Enough. It never does. Perfectionism is not a path to excellence. It is a moving target designed to keep you running and never arriving. It measures your worth by your output. It turns rest into guilt and mistakes into evidence of inadequacy. And for Black women navigating systems not built with us in mind, perfectionism doesn’t just slow you down. It silences you. I know this well, spending decades building an impressive career, achieving, delivering, and always performing. Until I paused long enough to be honest with myself, I realized how much of that drive was rooted in proving rather than purpose. Perfectionism is one of the most sophisticated forms of self-erasure that high-achieving Black women face today. And resilience is the antidote. Join Me at the Top 100 Most Powerful Black Women Summit on March 24, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. ET It runs from March 23–27, 2026. It’s 100% virtual and completely free to attend. Hosted by Women in Digital Business and its founder, Natalia, brings together Black women leaders who are building, creating, and owning their futures. My session, "Rooted and Radiant," will focus on real leadership, strategy, and liberation, focused on: ●    Why perfectionism keeps brilliant Black women stuck ●    How to lead with clarity & confidence without burning out ●    A framework to build sustainable leadership from the inside out The world can’t afford you leading from a place of depletion. It needs you aligned, liberated, and radiant. Come as you are. Leave as who you were always meant to be. #IntentionalLeadership #Resilience

For many black women, work isn’t just where we perform, but where we also prove we belong. We don’t just want to do well, we want to dispel doubt. So we push harder, stay later, take on the tough briefs, endure the microaggressions without flinching. We want to show them that we were a 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺 hire. And over time, achievement stops being something we do and starts becoming who we are.  • Who has time for rest, then, when you’re still proving yourself?  • Who can afford sleep when time off might be mistaken for weakness, ↪️When slowing down feels like confirmation of the stereotype you’re trying to outrun? So we sacrifice recovery and push through fatigue. We tell ourselves we’ll rest later when we’ve proven ourselves enough to feel safe (Ha! As if!) All well and good. Except organisations don’t pause when bodies start breaking down. If something happens to you, like your health suffers, you don’t get rewarded for your sacrifice. You become vulnerable and replaceable. But then it might be too late to ask yourself if it was worth it; to recognise that your health was all you had all along and now you’ve sacrificed on the wrong altar. If this is the trajectory you find yourself on, let me whisper in your ear: 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨. They’re acts of 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 in systems that benefit from your depletion. You don’t need to destroy your body to prove your value. Taking care of yourself is your way of showing the system that your worth was never conditional; That you belong competent, yes, and also 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱; And that's a standard no workplace gets to define for you.

To My Fellow Black Women: Are You Carrying More Than You Should? I’ve witnessed something deeply concerning in corporate spaces: two distinct ways of working that lead to vastly different outcomes. On one side, there’s Black women: the one who is constantly pushing forward, shattering ceilings, sacrificing, and shouldering heavy responsibilities. We often do this while also carrying teams, families, communities, and the weight of expectations, usually without pausing to care for ourselves. On the other side, there are our colleagues—who, like us, face the same pressures and responsibilities, but they don’t sacrifice their personal well-being. They prioritize self-care, take breaks, and make time for their families and health. They know that maintaining their energy is just as important as delivering results, and they’ve learned to protect their time and set boundaries. It’s not that their path is superior. It’s that they’ve learned to take space—something many of us are often taught not to prioritize, for fear that we’ll be seen as weak or incapable. This isn’t just about the workload. It’s about how our culture often glorifies hustle and teaches us to sacrifice ourselves in the name of success. But the truth is, constant sacrifice doesn’t lead to success. It leads to burnout. It leads to depletion. I've seen it. Black women, we are not machines. We are human beings with needs, and those needs deserve to be met. If this resonates with you, here are a few things to consider: 🌿 Holistic Mentorship: Seek mentors who see you as a whole person—not just as someone who can deliver results. Your well-being should be part of the equation. 🌿 Boundaries Matter: Protect your energy. Saying no to overwork is not a sign of weakness—it’s taking ownership of your most valuable resource: yourself. 🌿 Support Isn’t Defeat: Asking for help, delegating tasks, or bringing in resources isn’t a failure—it’s a strategy to ensure you have the energy to keep going at your best. 🌿 Small Rituals: Incorporate simple moments of restoration throughout your day—whether that’s a walk, a few minutes of deep breathing, or eating a nourishing meal without multitasking. We are ambitious, worthy of success, and deserving of balance. We've shown what’s possible when we push ourselves. Now, let’s show what’s possible when we take space to thrive. 📷 Voyage MIA #BlackWomen #Leadership #SelfCare #WorkLifeBalance #InclusiveLeadership #Coaching #SustainableSuccess