NORFOLK, Va. — Best-selling author, journalist and legal analyst Sophia Nelson took some powerful self-care lessons to Norfolk State University (NSU) on Monday.
Nelson spoke to faculty and students as part of Women's History Month and offered advice we can all use.
"Self-care is not selfish," Nelson explained, "Again, in our community, particularly in the Black community, we've kind of gotten the message that if I don't put everyone before me, wear myself out and wear myself ragged, somehow, I'm being selfish."
Nelson, the author of the book, Be the One You Need: 21 Life Lessons I Learned While Taking Care of Everyone but Me offered a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to achieving emotional and mental wellness. The frequent on-air cable news commentator encouraged the audience to work on building a support network, which she calls the "front row."
"When you want what is best, the most important people are in the front," Nelson said.
It's sound advice she shares from her grandmother.
"Who you take counsel from in your life is everything, who you listen to matters."
Nelson began her self-care advocacy following her near-death experience battling COVID-19 in 2020. The USA Today opinion columnist and Washington Post freelancer had just finished a speaking engagement in Indiana. "Laying there those few days is when I started formulating that book and realizing that I better start doing some things differently because life is short."
Women giving so much of themselves and sidelining their own needs is a practice Nelson says so many women can relate to, particularly Black women.
The message resonated with NSU professor and CAAmPP faculty scholar Dr. Colita Fairfax who organized Nelson's visit and moderated a question and answer session with Nelson and NSU students.
"I took away the way in which we cannot only create a different classroom environment but the way in which we even develop their academic skills and their etiquette and social skills and their professional skills."
The event was sponsored by the School of Social Work, The Center for African American Public Policy (CAAmPP), Campus Life and Diversity and The Robert C. Nusbaum Honors College.