Refill Your Cup: Hydration & Self-Care for the Season Ahead

August 2025 | First Light

Hey friends!

The 1st edition of The Collective Lens will highlight an overarching topic of wellness.  We want you to practice good hydration to keep your body functioning well, while also implementing practical self-care habits.  We hope that this edition is informative and gives you the “beginning of the school year” boost that you need AND deserve!  

In the spirit of Legacy,

Aimbriel + Brittany, TLCC Co-Founders

Hydration is the KEY to health! By: Aimbriel Lasley

We are in the hottest part of summer, when you might find yourself sweating just walking to your car, making plans around a location’s air conditioning, carrying your portable fan wherever you go, or eating more ice cream than you can imagine just to keep cool!  Are you staying hydrated though?!

Most of us would say that we know hydration is important and that drinking water, especially during the summer is a MUST in this Georgia heat. Hydration is not merely quenching one’s thirst, it is vitally important on a cellular level for every system in your body to work effectively and efficiently!  There is this great debate about what type of water is best: spring, distilled, reverse osmosis, alkaline, etc. and I’m here to say that none of that actually matters at the end of the day.  What matters is understanding how to stay hydrated, how to get that water to work for you, and to ensure that you are not depriving your body of this essential element.

Eat Your Water!

Hydration does not solely have to come from drinking water. Foods such as cucumbers, melons, pineapple, watermelon, and lettuce contain water, electrolytes, and other vital nutrients to assist us with hydrating our bodies. Eating a variety of these and other water dense foods can assist with digestion, skin issues, and inflammation in the body.  

What can dehydration look like?

When a person is feeling unwell, they will often assume they are ill, but in fact, feeling unwell could also be due to dehydration.  When we consume high amounts of added sugar, caffeine, and processed foods we are depleting our bodies of water.  Dehydration can show up as: acne, bloating, indigestion, chronic fatigue and even high blood pressure.  Being properly hydrated decreases your chances of these illnesses and sets the foundation for your body’s detoxification and circulation processes. 

A few key takeaways:

• Drink about half of your body weight in ounces of water + added electrolytes (pink salt, key lime, lime etc.).  More water will be needed if you are active!

• Herbal tea typically does not contain caffeine and can be another delicious way to stay hydrated

• Eat your water! A diet high in fruits and vegetables can assist you in maintaining proper hydration

• Limit caffeine, processed foods, and processed sugar as much as possible. These items can “dry out” your body if heavily consumed. 

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Fall into Self-Care: Creating Space for You This School Year By: Brittany Williams

As the summer winds down, many of us find ourselves transitioning from one kind of busy to another. For some, summer offers a break from academic pressures, intense extracurriculars, or the non-stop grind of work. But for others, summer is its own kind of hectic—with travel, weddings, graduations, family gatherings, and trying to keep the kids entertained 24/7.

Whether your summer was relaxing or jam-packed, now is the perfect time to reset and refocus on self-care as we shift into the rhythm of a new school year.

What Does Fall Look Like for You?

Fall often brings cooler temperatures, along with more structure and a return to routines. Maybe you’re already shopping for back-to-school or fall clothes, updating your family calendar with practices, rehearsals, and meetings, or planning dinner menus and grocery lists. But amidst all of that—where is time for you on the calendar?

This season, I challenge you to not only plan for your family’s success, but also for your own well-being. Let’s normalize adding self-care into our planning as intentionally as we schedule meetings and practices.

Why Self-Care Matters (Especially in the Black Community)

Self-care is an essential health practice for everyone, but it holds particular importance within the Black community. Black individuals in America often experience chronic stress caused by systemic racism, microaggressions, caregiving responsibilities, and economic pressures—and that’s before factoring in the ongoing challenges in today’s social and political climate.

Intentional self-care is a powerful way to reclaim wellness, lower the risk of stress-related conditions like hypertension and anxiety, and build emotional and physical resilience. When we prioritize our own well-being, we strengthen our ability to consistently show up—for our families, for our communities, and for ourselves.

Build Your Fall Self-Care Plan

If you’ve never created a self-care plan before, it’s easier than you think. Here are some examples to get you started

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Step 1: Identify activities that “fill your cup”

Step 2: Categorize by frequency

• Daily: 10 minutes of stretching, journaling, or prayer

• Weekly: a walk alone, listening to your favorite podcast, or cooking a meal just for you

• Monthly: a coffee date with yourself, a solo museum visit, a therapy session

• Annually: a personal retreat, vision board day, or unplugged weekend

  
  

Step 3: Start small

Choose just one daily activity to begin with—and build from there.

Practical Self-Care Ideas for Busy Schedules

We get it—life doesn’t stop. Here are realistic ways to weave self-care into your day, even when it feels like there’s no time:

• Bring a book to practices or waiting rooms—use that idle time for you.

• Cook one meal a week with your preferences in mind.

• Take a short walk after lunch to reset your body and mind.

• Wake up 15 minutes early for quiet time and tea before the house wakes.

• Journal before bed—even a few lines help clear mental clutter.

• Block off a “me hour” each week—protect it like you would a meeting.

Kids & Teens Need Self-Care TOO

Self-care isn’t just for adults—kids and teens need it, too. And for homeschooled high school students, the need can feel especially real. Being with family most of the day and carrying the weight of academic expectations—often without the social outlets of a traditional school—can be both isolating and overwhelming.

Here are some self-care ideas just for them:

• Personalize their space: Let teens decorate or rearrange their study areas for comfort and creativity.

• Daily alone time: Build in short breaks where they can be alone, away from siblings and responsibilities—even just 15 minutes.

• Creative outlets: Journaling, drawing, or playing music can help them process stress and emotions.

• Physical movement: Encourage walks, solo workouts, or stretching between subjects.

• Boundaries with schoolwork: Set clear "stop times" each day to prevent burnout.

• Peer connection: Schedule weekly calls or study sessions with other teens—even virtually. TLCC Teen Collective has monthly teen activities to give teens the space and time to chill and collaborate with their peers.

• Encourage rest without guilt: Let them know it’s okay to take breaks, nap, or say, “I need a minute.”

Particularly for Black youth, who may face added pressures to excel or represent their community well, self-care is a radical and essential practice. Teaching them to listen to their own needs—before burnout—builds lifelong emotional intelligence and resilience.

Caring for Yourself Is Caring for the Community

When we model self-care, our kids and teens learn to do the same. We break cycles of burnout and begin cycles of sustainability and health. Whether you're managing a household, teaching from the kitchen table, or grinding at work—you deserve rest, peace, and joy, too.

So, as you plan for fall, add yourself (and your kids) to the list. You're not being selfish—you’re building a foundation for a legacy that everyone can thrive in.