Rest isn’t something we earn — it’s something we deserve. In this episode of Shades of Strong, I’m joined by writer and self-care coach Tara Pringle Jefferson, author of Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing, for a deeply nourishing conversation on reclaiming rest and wellness as a Black woman.

Together, we unpack what it looks like to release the pressure to do it all and instead move toward wholeness — physically, emotionally, spiritually, and creatively. Tara shares the story of how she came to self-care through burnout, and how interviewing over 100 Black women helped her reimagine what support, joy, and spaciousness actually look like in our lives.

We’re talking generational exhaustion, self-care as legacy, and the difference between surviving and truly being well. This one will breathe life into you if you’ve been feeling overextended, under-supported, or just plain tired of being “strong.”

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Tara’s doctor literally prescribed her rest
• What Bloom How You Must really means (and why the title matters)
• The quiet ways our mothers and grandmothers modeled self-care
• Seven dimensions of wellness every Black woman should consider
• Why community care and self-care are not either/or
• How to start listening to your body again (and completing the stress cycle)
• Stories from Tara’s interviews with 100 Black women
• What reclaiming rest and wellness actually looks like in real life

If you’re ready to stop just functioning and start flourishing, this episode is for you.

Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Purchase Tara’s Book: Bloom How You Must
•  Connect with Tara On Instagram. 
• Join the Self-Care Suite

Support this work:
Loving what you’re hearing? Share this episode with a friend, rate the show, or tag me on social (@shadesofstrong) with your favorite moment.

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Related Episodes

• Finding Support in the Pause
• When Black Women Are Well, Everybody’s Well
• Learning How to Hold Yourself When Nobody Else Does

Shirl  Hubbard is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.