The Ritual Architect
-
What does a well-nurtured day look like for you—from start to finish?
A well-nurtured day is a day of good food and rest. A day with no agenda. Start off with a glass of drinking water in the morning. Sounds cliche and so simple but that makes a big difference in how I feel. Getting some good stretches in. Loosening up my muscles. I workout 3 days a week, run a business and have a 3 year old. So my body is the vehicle that keeps things running. Then I give myself a high protein diet. Women who do a lot have to prioritize protein in their diet. Whatever my day looks like, whether I'm working or with my kid, taking a quick nap or resting (without guilt) can be the difference between a bad day and a great day. Most of us just need a nap/rest.
-
Which personal rituals are non-negotiable, no matter how busy life gets?
The basics: Simply brushing my teeth, getting my workout in 3 days a week and getting my rest. Rest is so important. Rest is the new buzzword especially for black women. We don’t seem to be getting much of it. This world is only going to get busier. As you reach your goals there will always be opportunities to go after. But in order to move 10 steps ahead, a restful pause is going to get your much farther, get more things done and with a happy and healthy self while doing so.
-
When did you realize discipline was a form of self-care?
When small things: like skipping a skincare routine began to show its consequences. Or when staying up too late caught up to me in the middle of the day. When the deadlines (or laundry) pile up and my business picks up momentum, discipline becomes a choice, a commitment to myself to show up. For my team, my son and myself. I asked for this success. Now I must honor it. Discipline is the act of reminding myself that I’m worthy of everything I worked for.
-
How has your relationship with your body and skin evolved?
At 37, you stop fighting your body and start listening to it.
The skin and body are constantly responding — to hormones, seasons, food, sleep, stress, products, activity. The variables never stop changing. And for a long time, the instinct might be to do more — add more products, push harder, correct and fix.
But evolution is realizing the opposite: give it only what it needs. Nothing extra.
Because a body that is already managing so much doesn’t need more demands placed on it — it needs relief.
-
What happens when you don’t honor your rituals?
I have more free time. My skin is glowing, my hair is growing. My home is clean, my nervous system is at ease. I have the energy of a superhero.