Self-Care – Lence in Layers

You Are Not Powerless in America — You’re Being Tested

Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth: it is absolutely insane that the expectation right now is for daily life to continue in America as though nothing is happening. People are being detained, harmed, stripped of due process, and gaslit in real time. And yet, we are told to keep working, keep consuming, keep scrolling, keep…
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What Your Tongue and Skin Reveal: Surprising TCM Health Lessons You Can Use Every Day

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest healing systems in the world, but what makes it relevant today is not mythology or mysticism. It is the way TCM views the body as a living ecosystem where imbalance has patterns and symptoms have stories. Instead of asking “What pill fixes this,” TCM asks, “What…
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You Are Enough—Even While You’re Still Growing

There have been seasons when I looked around and felt like everyone else was racing ahead while I stood still, wondering if my pace meant I was falling short. It’s an uneasy feeling, the quiet pressure to be further along, to have more to show for the time that’s passed. But, there’s a quiet strength…
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Eating My Skincare: How I’m Nourishing My Skin From the Inside Out

Since entering my thirties, I’ve come to understand that healthy skin isn’t just about what I apply to the surface. Serums and facials help, but true radiance is shaped just as much by what I eat, how I move, and the balance I create in my everyday life. As I started leaning into caring for…
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Protecting Your Care: Strategies for Facing Medical Bias

Health care is supposed to be a place of safety and healing, yet too often it becomes a site of dismissal, doubt, and unequal treatment for patients from marginalized communities. Long waits, minimized pain, delayed testing, and biased assumptions continue to shape medical encounters across clinics, emergency departments, and hospitals. These patterns are not just…
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Beyond the Loop: How Fear, Routine, and the Past Can Keep Us Stuck

For far too many of us, work, conversations, meals, routines, and days, churn out like carbon copies from a machine, stacking neatly into years indistinguishable from one another. It’s like walking circles around a well-worn trail at the park. The ground is beaten down, comfortable underfoot. You know every turn, every shadow, every stone. But,…
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How to Date Yourself Without Shame (Especially in the Detroit Metro Area)

Here’s a little secret: you don’t have to wait for someone else to prove you’re worth flowers, fine dinners, and Friday night plans. You can skip that line of thinking entirely and become your own hot date. After all, how will you ever truly know what you enjoy if you never make time to enjoy…
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Speak Up or Regret It Later: When Trusting the Process Backfires

There’s a certain freedom that comes with realizing: no one can read your mind. If you don’t speak up for yourself, you’ll often end up with the exact opposite of what you wanted, whether it’s your nails, your makeup, or even how you show up in life. When Detroit Glam Turned Into Detroit Drama Just…
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Unwinding at Night: My Full Shower & Skincare Routine

There’s something grounding about ending the day with a shower, especially at night after moving my body, whether it’s a late cycling class, kettlebell reps, cardio with And8 Fitness, or miles on my treadmill. It’s not only about washing away sweat; it’s about creating space to reset, restore, and prepare for rest. I’d love to…
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When Ghosting Crosses the Line—And When It Sets One

I used to think ghosting was never acceptable and that no matter how uncomfortable it was, people deserved directness. But, experience has taught me that life isn’t always that clear-cut. Modern dating, especially, makes disappearing easy. One day you’re swapping playlists, the next you’re staring at blue bubbles and wondering what went wrong. Ghosting has…
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Small Habits, Big Shifts: 14 Everyday Rules That Changed My Life

I’m not the type to always learn things the easy way. Unfortunately, trial and error has been one of my greatest (and most humbling) teachers. Some lessons hit me like a brick. Others were whispered to me in passing by people who’d already been through the fire. And a few? I had to stumble through…
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The Tea App and the High-Stakes Reality of Defamation

In an age where reputations can be dismantled in minutes, the launch of the Tea App has sparked a wave of both praise and controversy. Tea is a new, women-only app designed to let users anonymously review men they’ve dated, complete with names, photos, and red or green flag summaries. While it’s positioned as a…
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Detroit’s “Hidden” Gems: Unexpected, Cool, and Creative Things to Do In and Around the City

Detroit isn’t just Motown and muscle cars. It’s full of unexpected magic. Whether you’re a local looking to shake up your routine or a visitor hoping to skip the played-out tourist traps, this list is your cheat sheet to the city’s underrated, unforgettable gems. Think quirky fitness classes, floating tiki bars, DIY perfume labs, and…
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Dealing With Bullies at Work, Especially as a Black Professional in a Post-DEI Era

As Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) efforts are rolled back, the systems meant to address workplace harm are fading and the impact is getting harder to ignore. DEI roles dropped 5% in 2023 and another 8% in 2024. By 2025, 1 in 8 companies plan to cut or reduce funding entirely. DEI was never just…
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How I Keep My Backside Built, Lifted & Living Its Best Life

Let me introduce you to Doja.Some days she’s bold and confident, strutting like she pays rent. Other days she’s quiet, low-key, and needs a little (mental and physical) support. Doja’s not one of those effortless girls who just stays snatched for fun.She requires commitment. Structure. A well-timed glute day.Because if I don’t show up for…
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Know the Game. Set the Rules. Beat the Bully

We don’t talk enough about how adult bullying operates. It’s not always obvious. It’s not name-calling or shouting. Often, it’s power plays hidden in vague “policies,” passive disrespect, or withholding access in the hopes that you won’t ask too many questions. Bullies count on people not knowing how to respond. They expect silence, compliance, or…
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How I Get My Runs In—Even Though I Hate Running

Let me just start with this: I hate running. Not in a cute, exaggerated “ugh, running is hard” way. I mean I genuinely do not enjoy it. The sweat, the panting, the repetitive pounding on my joints…yeah, it’s just not my thing. But here’s the twist: I still do it. Regularly. So, how do I,…
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Life Hacks I Actually Use (& Swear By) to Stay Sane and Centered

Most of us aren’t trying to transform our entire lives overnight. What we really want are small, sustainable changes that make things feel calmer, clearer, and more intentional without adding more to our plate. You don’t need a full self-help makeover to feel better. What helps most are practical systems, meaningful habits, and mindset shifts…
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Yes, You’re Smart Enough, But Will You Show Up?

Let’s get this out of the way early: you’re probably smart enough. In fact, most people are. Intelligence, the kind you’re likely measuring in academic accolades, test scores, or natural problem-solving, is rarely the reason people don’t hit their goals. So why do some people thrive, create, launch, finish, lead, and evolve, while others stay…
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The Beauty Habits That Make All the Difference (And Won’t Break the Bank)

There are the glam hacks you see on Instagram and then there are the small, smart habits that actually make you look and feel better every day. The kind that protect your skin, your budget, and your peace. Below are the underrated beauty rules I swear by — a mix of science, skincare, and common…
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Category: Self-Care