Energy Management – Her Guided Evolution® https://herguidedevolution.com Time Management, Self-Care for High-Achieving Women Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:46:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://herguidedevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/influencer-24-100x100.jpg Energy Management – Her Guided Evolution® https://herguidedevolution.com 32 32 Why You’re Tired Even After Rest: The Real Reason You Can’t Recharge https://herguidedevolution.com/why-youre-tired-even-after-rest-the-real-reason-you-cant-recharge/ Wed, 16 Jul 2025 18:16:06 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=246874 You took a nap. You canceled the plans. So why are you still exhausted?

Modern rest is often shallow—optimized but not nourishing. And if you’re like many of the women I support, you’ve tried all the typical strategies: bubble baths, a digital detox, maybe even a wellness retreat. But the fatigue returns. Quickly.

I’m a professor, and my life tends to be pretty hectic during the [fall and spring] semester. So, in May when the semester ended, I gave myself a week to unwind. That week flew by! And I still felt drained even after that break… 

If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar situation, here’s what might be happening:

😴 The Real Reason You’re Still Tired

1. You’re mentally overextended, not just physically.

You wake up every day and walk into a wall of tasks that you don’t want to do. Plus, everyone else’s expectations and your own spiraling thoughts are swirling around in your head. 

This type of cognitive load doesn’t go away with a nap.

2. Your “rest” is performative.

If your rest still centers productivity—”rest so you can do more work”—you’re not restoring. You’re still operating from a model of: overworking now=justification to rest and have fun later.

3. You’re out of alignment with your actual needs.

Rest isn’t just about sleep. It’s about reconnection—with your rhythms, your values, and your evolving identity.

✅ What to Do Instead

  • Start with realignment, not performance.
  • Ask: What does my body need? What emotions have I ignored this week?
  • Let your rest be inefficient.

✨ Ready to reset for real?

Grab a free copy of the Daily Self-Care Plan for small rituals you can follow throughout the day to feel more grounded and supported.

📌 Pin this post to remind yourself that real rest starts with reconnection.

]]> How to Enjoy Motherhood https://herguidedevolution.com/episode17/ Mon, 19 Oct 2020 21:24:32 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2234 In this episode, Shanice  shares tips to help you enjoy the time you spend with your kids. Learn to change your mindset during frustrating parenting moments, take pride in helping your kids learn and navigate the world, and set family traditions to create lasting memories. 

The Conversation

Mom shaming may prevent you from being open and sharing when you’re struggling and frustrated. (1:42)

Reframe how you label your child/ren. (8:05)

Be intentional about teaching your children and their learning, (12:04).

Create traditions and space for quality time. (19:36)

Resources Mentioned

Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

]]> 3 Signs that You are Growing and Moving Toward Your Purpose https://herguidedevolution.com/episode16/ Mon, 12 Oct 2020 20:39:02 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2227 When you’re evolving and being moved toward your larger purpose, it can be a scary, unsettling, and difficult experience. Simply put, growth is uncomfortable. In this episode, Shanice prompts you to look at three areas of your life that might signal that you are in a period of growth and transition. She offers strategies to help you adjust your mindset and rise to (or cope with) the occasion. Shanice also shares guided journaling prompts, so that you can connect with your intuition and gain clarity into who you are meant to be.

The Conversation

3 Signs that You’re Growing and Moving Toward Your Purpose

  1. You are struggling emotionally. (5:20)
  2. You feel called to move in a certain direction and accept new opportunities. (13:33)
  3. Your relationships are changing. (20:56)

Journal Prompts

  • If you’re struggling, what might you learn from this experience?
  • What could this season of growth be pushing you toward?
  • Am I running from my purpose? If so, why? What am I afraid of?
  • How are your relationships different now than they were 6 months or a year ago?
  • Who in my life supports me and is growing with me? Who isn’t?
  • If I could wave a magic wand and become my ideal type of person, what would she look like? What would she sound like? What would she do everyday? What would she not do that I’m currently doing?

References

Peer-reviewed study on uncertainty and the human brain

Resources

FREE Journal Prompts: https://herguidedevolution.com/4
FREE Daily Self-Care Plan: https://herguidedevolution.com/plan

]]> The Truth About Work-Life Balance https://herguidedevolution.com/episode15/ Mon, 05 Oct 2020 22:09:39 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2220 In this week’s episode, Shanice talks about why she thinks the pursuit of work, life, and family “balance” may not serve women. She discusses how these conversations often rely on the assumption that moms should be giving their careers and their families an adequate amount of time and energy (often at the expense of herself). If you have ever felt like you were struggling to measure up in motherhood, your career, and your life in general, this episode is for you.

The Conversation

(3:55) Work, life, and family balance is often a standard that only applies to women.

(6:21) Shanice doesn’t have a problem with women who want to take on traditional roles and are choosing to fulfill that role.

(13:44) Shanice takes issue with the expectation that women should to take on these roles along with the other expectation of maintaining careers.

(10:39) Conversations about work-life balance are even more complicated for Black women who are often stereotyped as mammies, superwomen, and Strong Black Women.

Action Step/Journal Prompts (13:44)

Do you feel guilty when you have to work and can’t be with your kids? If yes, why? What does this mean to you?

Does it feel impossible to maintain your house while you’re working from home? If so, does this bother you? Why?

Do you feel less than worthy when the dishes are dirty, the bathroom needs to be cleaned, the floor needs to be mopped? If so, why?

Introspection (14:56)

Shanice shares what inspired this week’s episode.

Books Mentioned in Episode

Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins

In the Wake: On Blackness and Being by Christina Sharpe

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]]]> Balancing Your Emotions https://herguidedevolution.com/episode14/ Mon, 28 Sep 2020 12:30:17 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2214 Many of us are struggling because we’re at home with our kids, and there’s a lot of chaos going on in the world. In this episode, Shanice offers some strategies to help you balance your emotions and tolerate the full range of feelings that you may be experiencing right now. She talks about the importance of working on accepting negative emotions, which may help you make space for positive feelings like joy, peace, and happiness. She also reminds you to take ownership of your emotions (rather than giving your power away to other people), so you can choose to respond to situations in ways that serve you and improve the overall quality of your emotional well-being.

The Conversation

8:40 – Defining Emotional Well-Being

“Emotional well-being refers to the emotional quality of an individual’s everyday experience—the frequency and intensity of experiences of joy, stress, sadness, anger, and affection that make one’s life pleasant or unpleasant (Kahneman & Deaton, 2010).”

11:01 – The importance of accepting your emotions

15:12 – Taking ownership of your emotions and claiming your power

19:58 – Making space for positive emotions

22:32 – ACTION STEP: Make a note in your phone titled “Positive Emotions.” Make a simple tally mark throughout your day and log any time you experience positive feelings. This is meant to help you feel your positive feelings more deeply.

Introspection (23:21) – Black women matter and are worthy of health, well-being, joy, peace, and happiness no matter what the world tries to signal to us.


Resources

FREE Daily Self-Care Plan
FREE Journal Prompts
4 Journal Prompts for Unproductive Days

]]> 7 Productivity Tips for Working from Home https://herguidedevolution.com/episode12/ Mon, 14 Sep 2020 12:58:07 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2200 If you’ve been struggling to be productive while working from home, you’re not alone. As a mom and a PhD student, I have to be a self-starter and be productive no matter what’s going on in my house. So, I’m sharing 7 of my best productivity tips to help you navigate working from home. If you have children who make it more difficult for you to focus, if you struggle with procrastination and have a hard time avoiding Netflix and Instagram when you need to be working, this episode is for you.

The Conversation

  1. Manage your mind. (6:22)
  2. Break down tasks to their smallest form, and just start somewhere. (9:28)
  3. Use the Pomodoro Technique, and build breaks into your day. (10:49)
  4. Make use of a variety of spaces that are available to you. (13:03)
  5. Listen to instrumentals. (15:20)
  6. Multitask when you can, but beware of splitting your attention for certain tasks. (17:10)
  7. Be aware of how you procrastinate, and plan ahead. (19:04)

Introspection

Vulnerability makes us human. Reach out to a friend if you’re struggling. Express gratitude for someone in your life who means a lot to you. You never know who needs to hear that you appreciate them. (22:29)

Resources

FREE Daily Self-Care Plan

FREE Journal Prompts for Unproductive Days

4 Journal Prompts to Make Peace with Unproductive Days

]]> Caring for Yourself After a Tough Emotional Week https://herguidedevolution.com/episode11/ Mon, 07 Sep 2020 15:11:34 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2186

In this week’s episode, Shanice opens up about navigating anxiety and depression while trying to cope during this unprecedented time. She shares some of her struggles with mental health (even though she felt VERY uncomfortable doing so) and offers some suggestions on how you might care for yourself after an emotionally draining week. If you are not okay, you are not alone. We’re all just trying to make it through this uncertain time!

FREE Daily Self-Care Plan: https://herguidedevolution.com/plan
4 Journal Prompts for Unproductive Days: https://herguidedevolution.com/4

The Conversation

How you might care for yourself after an emotionally draining week:

  1. (10:24) Let yourself feel your feelings. They are temporary, and they will pass.
  2. (13:15) Reach out for support. You are not a burden.
  3. (17:01) Reconnect to your spirituality.
  4. (20:06) Re-commit to your healing when you feel up to it.

Mental Health Resources

Find a therapist: Therapy for Black Girls

Find a therapist: Psychology Today

National Suicide Hotline (United States): 1-800-273-8255

Live Chat: Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Liberate App (Meditation for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)

Books for Anxiety

Overcoming Health Anxiety: Letting Go of Your Fear of Illness

Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated from Anxiety

]]> Declutter Your Life for Spiritual Growth https://herguidedevolution.com/10-2/ Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:00:19 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2176

Decluttering can be a spiritual and emotional practice that helps you let go of fear. But, decluttering can be challenging for a lot of us. Do you find yourself surrounded by clutter or holding on to a lot of stuff that you don’t need? In episode 10, Shanice shares: 1) why letting go and decluttering can be so difficult, 2) why it’s important to declutter our houses (and our lives), and she offers some tips on 3) where and how you can start the process of letting go and decluttering.

Show Notes: https://herguidedevolution.com/declutter
FREE Daily Self-Care Plan: https://herguidedevolution.com/plan
FREE Journal Prompts for Unproductive Days: https://herguidedevolution.com/4

Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates

]]> Finding Inspiration and Motivation https://herguidedevolution.com/9-2/ Mon, 24 Aug 2020 13:36:07 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2166 It’s the year 2020, so many of us are still working from home. You may be struggling to get work done because you have to home school your kids, and you have limited access to peace and quiet. You’re probably feeling uninspired and unmotivated because you’re stuck in a vicious cycle of doing the same thing over and over again every single day. If you find yourself in this situation, Shanice shares some quick tips and strategies to help you feel more inspired and motivated while you’re working from home. That way, you can get your work done with a lot less effort.

The Conversation

If you are struggling to find inspiration and motivation while working from home, Shanice recommends that you:

  1. Make a new playlist (4:26).
  2. Seek out inspirational content (e.g. audiobooks, podcasts, books, YouTube videos). (7:18)
  3. Do guided journaling. (14:02).
  4. Start a new hobby (17:56).

Introspection (22:38)

For the introspection segment this week, Shanice encourages you to actively manage stress with breathing techniques and mindfulness strategies.

Resources Mentioned

]]> How to Use (Social) Media Mindfully https://herguidedevolution.com/8-2/ Mon, 17 Aug 2020 11:00:00 +0000 https://herguidedevolution.com/?p=2157

In episode 8, Shanice talks about mindful media consumption (consuming content with intention and in a way that serves you) versus mindless media consumption (consuming a lot of content that is negative and/or doesn’t serve you). You’ll learn how to evaluate your social media usage and the content that you consume, and Shanice offers tips to help you curate your social media feeds to promote positive vibes and personal growth. Oh yeah, there’s also a little rant about respectability politics at the end!

Show Notes: https://herguidedevolution.com/8
FREE Daily Self-Care Plan: https://herguidedevolution.com/plan
FREE Journal Prompts https://herguidedevolution.com/4

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