“The safest place to be is with yourself”.
I asked, what is the first thought that enters your mind when you hear, “Black Health and Wellness?”
“Positive attributions towards Black people’s overall health, advocacy and support and resources,” Johnson replied.
My name is Antonia Mugisa.
February is Black History Month and I strived to share meaningful and authentic content celebrating black excellence across our social media pages. “Black Health and Wellness” was the theme for this year’s Black History Month, and I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Guyleigh Johnson.
Guyleigh is a spoken-word artist, a published artist, community advocate and an arts facilitator from North End Dartmouth. A proud African-Nova Scotian, she is an Assistant Registrar right here at Dalhousie University.
“Knowing where I come from, inspires me every day,” she told me.
The pandemic affected everyone, but especially certain minority groups. I asked how it affected Johnson’s mental wellbeing.
“It was hard in the beginning, I moved away from my home, Ontario, my community and family. It was isolating, hard and still is. It was hard to stay focused during that time.”
Mental health is extremely important to Johnson.
“As I got older, I started prioritizing my own health and showing up for myself. If you can’t show up for yourself, you can’t show up for others,” she said. “Checking in on myself and holding myself accountable is my top priority. How things will affect my energy and emotions – I make decisions based on that.”
As someone who believes in one’s energy being affected by others, I wholeheartedly agree with Johnson. If my energy is negative, it will affect those I love. Taking care of one’s aura is important.
Given that there are certain moments we experience in our lives that shape us as human beings, I was curious – which moments had molded Johnson the most?
“Having role models in the women in my life; grandmother, mother, and sister. Seeing them being authentically themselves. They were the first representation of what a Black woman is and who were older than me.”
The love she has for her family was very apparent.
“Moving away and experiencing other communities and cultures, I realized how unique it is to be African Nova Scotian – understanding the history and the way communities were treated. Being in the position I am in today; I am so grateful. It makes me proud to know I am coming from those people, mindsets and heroes.”
For Johnson, mental health had been a topic of conversation among many family members.
“With my family, I remember spaces where it was always comfortable to talk about things that are deemed as uncomfortable by society. I appreciated those spaces. Hitting my teenage years, the conversation grew.”
“When it comes to health services, we are still underrepresented,” she added.
As the lockdowns continued and vaccines were administered around the world, many began to notice the scarcity of mental health resources. Here we are, in 2022, and there are still things that need to be addressed in the Black community regarding health services. Johnson clearly highlighted this in telling me that she can count the number of times she’s seen a Black doctor in the city on one hand.
“Being misrepresented is dangerous. Being a Black woman, your experiences are downplayed still even in this province. We do not have a directory of therapists we are able to see and no affordable resources which are hard. Culture is extremely important when talking about mental health. Different approaches are needed, and I don’t think we’ve reached there yet.”
“Hiring one more Black person is not enough.”
I wondered if there were things that she felt had been addressed or spoken about, living as a Black person?”
“There was a time during the BLM movement last year, but Black lives have always mattered from the beginning of time till now. During that movement till now, it has been acknowledged – the hurt, the trauma and pain but there needs a lot more action and orientated things that need to happen. A whole lot more to do in terms of progression.”
In Johnson’s life, rest is central to self-care.
“We don’t do this as Black people, especially Black women. As you get older, your body will make time for rest as things start shutting down. Prioritizing time to debrief, having quiet moments with yourself is the way to go. The safest place to be is with yourself.”
I began to think about how she gets out of those low moments that have been affecting us all in the pandemic. The moments of hopelessness, where feelings of depression can make their way into the human mind.
“Your environment is important,” she said. “Where do you feel safe? Surround yourself with friends and family. I have people that can reassure me of the capabilities I have. Your mind makes you forget all that you have done and achieved which makes you feel alone. It’s important to see who you surround yourself with.”
Johnson highlighted the power in therapy.
“I book a session with my therapist and strategize how to work through these emotions.”
She told me she’s a Pisces and I lost my mind. A water sign.
“I love the water. I take walks down the beach. Whenever I have a week where I am stuck, I ask myself who are the people I can count on and slowly bring myself out of those moments.”
“You are what you consume, who you are around, what you listen to.”
Johnson described the importance of laying low, moving in silence and devoting time to the things you are working on. “Check the list of those things; what am I consuming? Something there is most likely setting you off.”
I asked her about her hobbies, the things she does to escape from a busy life.
“I like to try and be active. Getting outside and taking a walk. Being mindful of my environment and feeling my heart go. The way things make me feel. Recently I have been doing meditation. Debrief from my day and I have started saying affirmations in the morning to get my day started!”
She stressed the importance of taking care of mind and body. Living life as a Black woman has given her unique experiences and still, just from the sound of her voice, I can sense the immense pride and love she has for her community. “We have been taught to hide our pain,” Johnson said.
“The things we continue to sweep under the rug are the things we will trip over in the future. There are safe spaces available and if you seek them, you will find them.”