1 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast, a weekly 2 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small 3 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: decisions we can make to become the best possible versions 4 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: of ourselves. I'm your host, Dr Joy Hard and Bradford, 5 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or 6 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: to find a therapist in your area, visit our website 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: at Therapy for Black Girls dot com. While I hope 8 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: you love listening to and learning from the podcast, it 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: with a licensed mental health professional. Hey, y'all, thanks so 11 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: much for joining me for session two of the Therapy 12 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: for a Black Girls Podcast. We'll get right into the 13 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: episode after a word from our sponsors. In the world 14 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: of competitive sports and athletes, mentality can be the best 15 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: our worst friend. While we may perceive the athletes in 16 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: our lives are on our screens as superhuman, it's important 17 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: to remember that they are more human than super As 18 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: athletes like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles take public steps 19 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: to address and protect their mental health, it's imperative that 20 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,559 Speaker 1: we continue to create a space for athletes to feel 21 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: seen and heard. This week, I'm joined by Olympic, World 22 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: and US National Champion track and field sprinter Natasha Hastings. 23 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: During our conversation, we explore the types of pressures competitive 24 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: athletes are up against and how coaches and family members 25 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: can aid the athletes in their lives to suit up 26 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: not just for their sport, but also for their mental health. 27 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, please 28 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: share with us on social media using the hashtag TBG 29 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: in Session, or join us over in the sister circles 30 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: to talk more in depth about the episode. You can 31 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: join us at community that Therapy for Black Girls dot com. 32 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: Here's our conversation. Well, thank you so much for joining 33 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: us to day, Natasha, thanks for having me. I'm excited. 34 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: I'm excited as well. I love if you could get 35 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: us started by talking a little bit about when you 36 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: found yourself starting to prioritize your mental health. I would 37 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: say I truly started prioritizing my mental health probably when 38 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: I was about twenty six seven. But I say it's 39 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: like a continuum relationship, and it's one that I've kind 40 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: of had to learn that it's not something you master 41 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: and then you can go away from it. It's like 42 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: a constant practice. And so there was, and then I've 43 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: been in and out of it, and it's just this 44 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: past I would say, right at the start of the pandemic, 45 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: where I feel like I've like, I've really gotten serious 46 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: about my mental health. So you had been seeing a 47 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: sports psychologist, I think for a while as it related 48 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: to athletics, right, So what challenges like, either in your 49 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: athletic career or in your personal life made you decided 50 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: to start working with the therapist? Right? So it was 51 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: just that again, I really got serious about it as 52 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: a professional. But collegiately, I did have some experience with 53 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: a sports psychologist here on campus. But again it was 54 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: not making the Olympic team in and as fate would 55 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: have that, my mom was sitting next to this particular 56 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: sports psychologist at the trials, and after not making the team, 57 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: he said, Hey, I've been watching her for years. I 58 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: don't think she's tapped into her potential. I'd love to 59 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: work with her. So my mom took his information and 60 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: then we had a conversation obviously, and I started working 61 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: with him a couple of months after that, after I 62 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: got over my I'm done running, I'm gonna go back 63 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: to school, and you know, they let me go through 64 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: that emotional roller coaster. But I would say that relationship 65 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: was the transformative one for me. So I hear you 66 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,239 Speaker 1: say the tourts psychologist says, I don't think she's tapped 67 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: into her potential. And it sounds like such a big test, right, 68 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: Like what did that look like for you? For him 69 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: to help you tap into your potential? I'll never forget 70 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: our very first session, he said to me, or asked me, rather, 71 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: what is it that you're saying to yourself when you're 72 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,840 Speaker 1: standing on the line? And I ran down everything from 73 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: I don't want to be here, this is gonna be painful, 74 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: Why am I here? I'm not good enough? And when 75 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: I got through, there was a moment of silence, and 76 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: then he said, my god, Natasha, I think the reason 77 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: why you've been performing the way that you've been performing 78 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: is because you've beaten yourself up before or the gun 79 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: has even gone off. And so from there, that relationship 80 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,799 Speaker 1: was literally changing how I spoke to myself. And sometimes 81 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: I do a lot of motivational speaking and such. So 82 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: that's the thing that I say was life changing, right. 83 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: But I'm also careful to say that that sounds very 84 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: simple and very like easy peasy, but it was a 85 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: every single week, year long practice, a few track meets 86 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: in for it to finally click that how I spoke 87 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: to myself was essentially how my performance was manifesting itself. 88 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: And so it was something that seems so simple, but 89 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: it was yet such a big, hard practice and habit 90 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: to change. Is there anything that you had recognized before 91 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,239 Speaker 1: he called it to your attention? No, No, I mean nothink. 92 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: You know, in hindsight, now, especially as a black woman, 93 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: we're kind of raised to be humble and also like 94 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: where our struggle as though it's this armor or whatever 95 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: you want to call it. So even normalizing it to 96 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: the point of realizing, like, hey, this is actually something 97 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: that you might have been taught is okay, but it's 98 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: actually quite detrimental. It wasn't until that moment. No, m Yeah, 99 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: it does feel like it's a very fine line, right, 100 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: because as an athlete, you are constantly pushing yourself to 101 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: like the edge of what feels comfortable. I think for 102 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: people who are not athletes, and especially competing at the 103 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: level that you or and so it does feel like 104 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: a very fine line of like how to push yourself 105 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: but also not be super critical of yourself. Yeah, it's 106 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 1: a touchy conversation because I often say and I believe 107 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 1: rather myself and all the other elite athletes are where 108 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: we are because we think and operate at a level 109 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: that some people can't necessarily even imagine. Because you do 110 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: have to be crazy enough to believe that you're part 111 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: of a not even a one person and a point 112 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 1: five percent of the population of the globe. It is 113 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: something that I think is hard for us to imagine. 114 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: But it's crazy because if you let it go too 115 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: far one way or the other, it can become really dangerous. 116 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: But yeah, we are our worst critics. We are our 117 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: own personal experts. But you do have to be crazy 118 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: enough to believe that you can do these crazy things. 119 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: But there's also still those human things while we believe 120 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: we're superhuman, that float around in our mind to keep 121 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: us from being that superhuman. M hmmm. And I'm wondering 122 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: if you can share anything that maybe you've worked with 123 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: your sports psychologists or your other therapists about, like how 124 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: to achieve that balance of like knowing that you are 125 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: justined for greatness and like striving for greatness, but also 126 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: like how to stay grounded and not let it go 127 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: too far, Like what does that even look like? Some 128 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: of it is boundaries, and I think that's a buzzword 129 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: that we're hearing a lot lately, and it's something for 130 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: me that I didn't necessary fairly recognized that I was 131 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: doing until recently, where it's even protecting that mindset. Family 132 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: and friends love them to death, but again some of 133 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 1: them fall into that pot of you might be saying 134 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: something out of love, but that doesn't work for me 135 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: and what it is that I'm going after, and so 136 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: being able to acknowledge that to myself, but then also 137 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 1: acknowledge that to the people that I love that like, hey, 138 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: I know you mean well, but for what I'm doing, 139 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: that doesn't work for me. Coaching athlete got to be 140 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: speaking the same language and working in a university setting. Now. 141 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: It's interesting to see that since there's so much focus 142 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: on mental health now, and I love it. The challenge 143 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: now is as coaches, how do you meet your athlete 144 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,439 Speaker 1: where they are and speak the language that is motivating 145 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: to them, Because now we got to move away from 146 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: I would say, even abusive tactics that were used to 147 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: get athletes to perform at whatever level they thought was necessary. 148 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: I do truly believe. Also it comes down to the 149 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: athlete knowing themselves and finding their voice to say that 150 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: doesn't work for me, I need to do things in 151 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 1: order for it to work for me. And then family, friends, support, staff, coaches, 152 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: we gotta meet somewhere here in the middle to make 153 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: sure that yeah, I don't go too far off the ledge, 154 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: but also I protect that mindset that makes me great. 155 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: Mm hmmmmmmm. I'm glad you mentioned this. I did not 156 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: grow up in sports, so it feels like a bit 157 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: of a foreign world on the outside looking in. It 158 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: does often see that there's a lot of yelling from 159 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: coaches sometimes and even and I'm sure you have learned 160 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: this as you are training to become a therapist, you know, 161 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 1: like that critical voice that maybe you had at the 162 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: starting line likely came from somewhere, right, So did it 163 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: come from early coaches? Did it come from all of 164 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: those places? And I'd love to hear if the field 165 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: is kind of moving in a different way and like 166 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: figuring out other ways to motivate athletes, what does that 167 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: look like beyond like this? Sometimes very harsh, critical language. Yeah, 168 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: I think we're definitely moving in a space where we're 169 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: starting to realize that doesn't work. I can say for 170 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: me my experience. I've been running tracks since I was nine, 171 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: ten years old, and I had a mother that was 172 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: very involved but also not very involved. My mom, I 173 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: don't like the word balance, but she does balance in 174 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: an interesting way because I did have a coach that 175 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: did a lot of the screaming, yelling and was strict 176 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 1: and this and that, and my mom was like, no, 177 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: she's nine, she's ten, she's got talent, but she's going 178 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: to enjoy this. You're not going to talk to her crazy. Also, 179 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 1: she knew that even her as my mom, when she 180 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: yells at me, I shut down. So she knew that 181 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: communication didn't work for me. And so I had a 182 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: parent who advocated for me in that way to put 183 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: me in situations that she knew I would be succes 184 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: aess full in. And so I think that that's something 185 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: now that we're seeing more of, where we're seeing more 186 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: mental health departments on university campuses and even in the 187 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: high school situations now where they're encouraging athletes to do 188 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: workshops and high school coaches to do workshops and such. 189 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: So I think they are embracing it a lot more. 190 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: I think the more we have the Simone Biles and 191 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: the Naomi Osaka's talk about these things too, it continues 192 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:31,439 Speaker 1: to normalize it and get coaches and athletes to realize, like, Hey, 193 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: if these world class athletes are saying I struggle with 194 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: these things, and I do ask for help, and I 195 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,679 Speaker 1: do speak up and say today is not today because 196 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: I'm having a mental health day, then I think that 197 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: creates more awareness and safety for athletes and coaches to 198 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: move into that space. Yeah, so that's a perfect segue 199 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: into what I wanted to get more information from you about. 200 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: What do you think are some of the unique challenges 201 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: that black women athletes in particular phase How much we got. Man, 202 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: I hate to um over generalize or make things the same, 203 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: but it is a lot of We've got to be 204 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 1: ten times better than our counterparts in the sports world. 205 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: We've got to be more politically correct. If I'm having 206 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: a bad day, no one cares. I still got to 207 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: show up and do my job. I think all of 208 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: those as they exist in the corporate world, still exists 209 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: in the athletic world. And we're still expected to perform, 210 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: and there's this notion that this is what we signed 211 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: up for, and it kind of blows my mind because 212 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: I'm like being a world class athlete, and even in 213 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 1: other professions where you're a public figure or a celebrity, 214 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: it's like the humanness of the person is lost, right, Well, 215 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: this is what you signed up for. Your fans make 216 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: you this, and it's like, no, actually, I appreciate your support, 217 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 1: but my hard work and my talent is what made 218 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: me who I am. And at the end of the day, 219 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: just like you, I still have emotions. I still have 220 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: bad days. I'm an introvert. But because of what I 221 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: do a lot of times, our talent as athletes sometimes 222 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: gets the humanness of us. It's it's lost in all 223 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: of that, and there's this expectation that we are superhuman 224 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: and we don't have all of those things. And yes, 225 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: we're superhuman in our profession, but I still have feelings. 226 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: There's still different parts that make me as a person. 227 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: M Yeah, you know, I think, and we've talked about 228 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: this on the podcast before, like just the struggles with 229 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: the superwoman syndrome that black women in general have. But 230 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 1: then when you do have this almost superhuman talent. I 231 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:49,079 Speaker 1: think then that ads this additional layer of like you mentioned, 232 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: like just a loss of humanity and like people viewing 233 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: you almost as like a robot or like you're just 234 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 1: there to entertain and perform, as opposed to like a 235 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: human with feelings and thoughts and all of those things 236 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: exactly more from my conversation with Natasha after the break 237 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 1: and so, it sounds like you are seeing in your 238 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: work that more spaces are being creative to have these 239 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: kinds of conversations and talking with athletes even younger and 240 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: younger about these kinds of concerns. I think so. And 241 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: I have my hopes of things that I hope to 242 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: pay forward to the world of sport and especially women 243 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: in sport, and that's one of them, especially Black women 244 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: in sport, that we leave that space for that humanness 245 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: and that we give ourselves that space to honor that 246 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: space as well, because I think that's something that was 247 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: key for me, was me finding my voice in that 248 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: and saying, hey, this is not okay for me, I 249 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: am actually autonomous over myself, and yeah, if you want 250 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: me to do all of those things on the track, 251 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: I've got to take care of my person too. Yeah. Yeah, 252 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: And I think a prime example of you really kind 253 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: of recognizing this was when you found out that you 254 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: were pregnant, right, And so it sounds like you decided 255 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: to keep that to yourself and like your close inner 256 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: circle for quite some time. It sounds like there was 257 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: some worry about, like sharing it with your sponsors. Can 258 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: you talk a little bit about what led you to 259 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: keep that information for as long as you did and 260 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: then what happened once you shared the information with them. Yeah. 261 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: The first thing that I learned about pregnancy was you 262 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:37,239 Speaker 1: often see people hiding their pregnancy, and I will admittedly 263 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: say I was one of those people that was like, 264 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: why are you hiding a pregnancy? Like you can't hide 265 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 1: the whole baby when the baby gets here. And then 266 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: I got pregnant, and I realized how personal of a 267 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: journey pregnancy is because there were so many fears. Yes, 268 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: my sponsorship included, but like, am I going to have 269 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: a healthy child? Am I going to have a healthy pregnancy? 270 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: Am I gonna have a full term pregnancy? All of 271 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: these things that you know, the idea that again my 272 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 1: humanness and I should just live this out for everyone 273 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: and I don't have any privacy to experience all of 274 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: those things, the good and the bad, because, believe it 275 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: or not, there are some good things that I'd like 276 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: to keep private and celebrate privately as well. But yeah, 277 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: that was one of the first things that I recognized. 278 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: Let umen, I get it now. Then there was a 279 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: depression that I feel like no one talks about. I 280 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: don't know if you call it perinatal depression or what, 281 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: but all of those things. I was like, man, we 282 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: talked so much about postpartum depression, but no one's talking 283 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: about like all of the emotions and fears that you 284 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: go through while you're pregnant. I'm i gonna have a job, 285 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: Am I gonna have healthcare, I'm not gonna have childcare? 286 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: All of these things. And then I'm reading all of 287 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: these articles in these books and again something that transcends sports. 288 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 1: It's women in America that have all of these fears. 289 00:16:57,720 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: And I was like, man, how come I don't hear 290 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: about all of these You know, it's not until I'm 291 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: in these shoes that like, I'm starting to feel these 292 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: emotions and see that other women have gone through the 293 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 1: same thing. And then the sponsorship thing I gotta make 294 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: a living. I wasn't planning on having a child before retiring, 295 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: and I don't know what my sponsors were gonna say. 296 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: The status quo to that point was if you get pregnant, 297 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: sometimes they'll drop you, sometimes they'll pause your contract. And 298 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: track and field and I try to only speak from 299 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: my experience. I don't know how other sports work, but 300 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 1: in track and field we are considered independent contractors. Now 301 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:42,679 Speaker 1: we do have pregnancy clauses in our contracts if you 302 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:47,639 Speaker 1: ask for it. But up until recently, you had to 303 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: make the choice family or career, and then you have 304 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: that gamble of post baby, will I be able to 305 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: come back, and then will they pick me up and 306 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,160 Speaker 1: give me my sponsorship back? All of these things. And 307 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 1: I made the decision to trained up until the day 308 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: before I gave birth, and I knew I wanted to 309 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 1: get right back on the track to train for the 310 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: Olympic Trials. Well, training costs money, and my sponsorship covers that, 311 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,679 Speaker 1: and so I was afraid. But I was blessed that 312 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 1: I was in a different situation. And one of the 313 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: things that I championed about my sponsorship with under Armour 314 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: is that I made the phone call to a woman, 315 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: and I think that that made the difference for me, 316 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: And in fact, it was such a difference that number 317 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: one when I made the phone call, they were like, oh, congratulations, 318 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 1: wish you would have told us sooner. Also totally get 319 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: it because I hid mine to not athletically, but I 320 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,360 Speaker 1: didn't know what my boss was gonna say either. And 321 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 1: then a few weeks later, the New York Times articles 322 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: came out talking about this thing. And then I got 323 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: another phone call, like, girl, so I knew you were stressed, 324 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: but I didn't realize it was this bad. I get it, 325 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,400 Speaker 1: so that for me it felt good. But I'm also 326 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:04,880 Speaker 1: aware that that wasn't everybody's story. That wasn't everybody's experience. 327 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:08,000 Speaker 1: But that is also one of the reasons why I 328 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: say it is so important. And I say this when 329 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: I talked to my girls through my foundation, any motivational 330 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: speaking that I do. We need women that are making 331 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: the decisions for us. We need women that are telling 332 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 1: our stories, you know. So I always say, like, there's 333 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,919 Speaker 1: so many things that can be gained through sport. I 334 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 1: want all of us to go out and do sport. 335 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 1: Me coming back to do my graduate degree in counseling 336 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 1: is because I know how hard it was for me 337 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 1: to find a counselor that looked like me, that sports 338 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: psychologist that I'm talking about, older white man. We need 339 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: people in places that understand us to make those decisions 340 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: for us. And so I say, the journalists, the cameraman, 341 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: the coaches, the counselors, the administrators, we need more women 342 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: in those roles so that when we do make those 343 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: phone calls, the person on the other end gets it. M. Yeah, 344 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: your story has been so impactful, and I really appreciate 345 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: you sharing that. I didn't know. Again, I'm very much 346 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:09,120 Speaker 1: outside of that world, so I didn't know that y'all 347 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: were classified as independent contractors because there, of course all 348 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: kinds of protections around growing your family and that kind 349 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: of thing. But if you're an independent contractor, not so much. Right. 350 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 1: So I do think that that is really important for 351 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: us to be able to pay attention to you. So 352 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,639 Speaker 1: can you talk a little bit about like the postpartum 353 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: Can you talk a little bit about like how your 354 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: mental health was and has been impacted since having your son. 355 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: I would say I was still a crazy athlete, where 356 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: you know, everybody was like okay, slow down, and I'm 357 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: the one that's like looking at the calendar, like, look, 358 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: my doctor said, I can walk. She was like, you know, 359 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: you've been training up to your childbirth. You've been an 360 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:49,160 Speaker 1: athlete your whole life. You look healthy. You can walk 361 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,199 Speaker 1: six weeks, you can get back on the track. And 362 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,680 Speaker 1: they were all like, girl, no slow down. I remember 363 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: my mom. I just wanted to go outside and get 364 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,920 Speaker 1: some fresh air again, Western me in black family, your 365 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: bones are open, stay inside mind jew I had my 366 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 1: baby August six. It was hot in Texas, but anyway, 367 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: you know, it was all of those things that I 368 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:17,360 Speaker 1: was up against. Also, when my son was five months, 369 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: I went through the breakup with my son's father, so 370 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: there was already experiencing the baby blues. But then now 371 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: becoming a single mom, that was a big thing for 372 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: me that like, I'm a mother, but I'm still Natasha, 373 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: and I still have goals outside of being a mother. 374 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: And I was still just as driven as before, but 375 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: now obviously my responsibilities are a lot different. But also 376 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 1: I've got all these hormones going on inside of me, 377 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: my body. I don't recognize I'm going to practice and 378 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: I'm peeing on myself again. Something no one told me 379 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 1: anything about, and so it was definitely an emotional roller 380 00:21:55,720 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: coaster because here I am trying to go after you 381 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: got another Olympic team, trying to be Natasha, but life 382 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 1: is happening at the same time, and I'm having to 383 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 1: juggle all of those pieces. M Yeah, you know, I 384 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: laugh because my Louisiana mother and like grandmother then Alti's 385 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: head some of those same beliefs, like I could not 386 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: leave the house except for DR's appointment. Love them dearly, 387 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: but right it's like, where do you get these stories 388 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:29,360 Speaker 1: from all this stuff being open? So, Natasha, something else 389 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: that you have talked about that I would love for 390 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: you to go back a little bit too. Was you 391 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,440 Speaker 1: talked about like the devastation of not making that Olympic 392 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 1: team and that's how you started working with the sports psychologist. 393 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: What kinds of things can athletes start thinking about? Or like, 394 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,400 Speaker 1: how do you deal with failure that feels so big? 395 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 1: Right like when the Olympics only happened like what every 396 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 1: four years? Right back, So you're spending all this time 397 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: training for this like one thing. What does it look 398 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: like to deal with failure? You know? I feel like 399 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: my friend I mean Acco said this where the failure 400 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: isn't necessarily in the failure. The failure is in you 401 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,960 Speaker 1: actually not getting back up. So I think he said 402 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: something like you just fell, but you get back up 403 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: and you try again. And I was like, man, like, 404 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: that's really powerful, and I agree and something in the 405 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: sports world, and I think in life, you know, sometimes 406 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 1: you gotta have short term memory. Now, I do believe 407 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 1: that you have to process that failure. You have to 408 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 1: process the emotions, and so kind of glossed over it. 409 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: But I didn't make the team to put it into perspective. 410 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 1: I am a long sprinter. I run one lap around 411 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: the track. I don't like mileage. But I was so 412 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: upset that I walked from the stadium back to the hotel. 413 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: I went through the whole I don't wanna run anymore. 414 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: I went through all of these emotions, and I had 415 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 1: to go through those emotions. And I think that that's 416 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: something especially as athletes that like good and bad, because 417 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: that's another thing that I can get into to that 418 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,200 Speaker 1: we just kind of move on to the next. It's 419 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: for YouTube process because your biggest lessons actually come from 420 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 1: your failures. Right, You very rarely hear people say like, man, 421 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: I had this win, and yes, I learned so much, 422 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: But actually, the bigger lessons come from the failures. And 423 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: in that failure, I've realized, girl, you need some help, 424 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: and girl, it's okay to get that help. You know, 425 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: just because you need that help doesn't make you any weaker. 426 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 1: And actually by getting this help now, look, you know, 427 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,400 Speaker 1: my whole career and even in my personal life, even 428 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: though I went for sports psychology, I quickly realized those 429 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: things that I was saying to myself on the track, Oh, 430 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: I was saying that to myself in real life too, 431 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: and it was showing up in my relationships, friendships and all, 432 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 1: and so it was a huge awakening for me. But yeah, 433 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,439 Speaker 1: your biggest lessons come from those failures and how you 434 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:59,239 Speaker 1: pick yourself up and move on, learn from it, and 435 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: move on from that to be better. That's how you 436 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: keep going. More from my conversation with Natasha after the break, 437 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: you talked a little bit about boundaries already, and I'd 438 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,680 Speaker 1: love to hear more about, like what kinds of boundaries 439 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: are other things do you put in place to be 440 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,439 Speaker 1: able to operate under the kind of pressure that you 441 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: have to as an elite athlete understanding that it's a lifestyle, 442 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: and not everybody is going to understand that it's a lifestyle. 443 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: And so I'm a firm believer if you don't necessarily 444 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: have to have like minded people, but maybe people that 445 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,920 Speaker 1: have similar goals or that understand the goals that you're 446 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 1: going after. You've got to be steadfast about what those 447 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: boundaries are and what it is that you need because 448 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: also comparison, you can be in the setting with your 449 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,360 Speaker 1: training partners and teammates and your teammate might be able 450 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: to go out for that glass of wine before a competition, 451 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: but you know that don't work for you. So you 452 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,239 Speaker 1: know what, don't put yourself in that situation for it 453 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 1: to be tempting for you to do something that doesn't 454 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,160 Speaker 1: work for you. But it's truly a lifestyle. I joke 455 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: all the time. I mean, before I had a kid, 456 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,200 Speaker 1: some days I would be in bed by five pm 457 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 1: and people are like what, and I'm like, yeah, because 458 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: my body is my vessel and so I'd love to 459 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 1: go have dinner with you. But I got this hard 460 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 1: work out tomorrow. I had a hard one today. This 461 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 1: is just what I have to do. And you have 462 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,920 Speaker 1: to be okay with that. You know, you make sacrifices 463 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 1: early on to go after what it is that you're 464 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: going after, you know, parenting. I talked to people all 465 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 1: the time. Just just this weekend actually, a few friends 466 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 1: were in town and they were like, Oh, we're going 467 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: blah blah blah, We're gonna hang out and do all 468 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: of this. I laughed because I was like, Man, once 469 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,159 Speaker 1: upon a time I would actually have pomo. But I 470 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: was like, I got all of that stuff out. You know, 471 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,400 Speaker 1: I have my son at thirty three, and so all 472 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: the things that I've sacrificed before I can do now, 473 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: which is you know, have my child, and so I 474 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 1: don't feel like I'm missing out on those things. But 475 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 1: just keep in mind that it's just for a season, 476 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: and once you do the things that you want to do, 477 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 1: you can come back to those things. They'll still be there. Tasha, 478 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: have you noticed for yourself or for any of the 479 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 1: athletes that you've worked with, that social media as an 480 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 1: additional layer, an additional layer of pressure or things that 481 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: you have to keep boundaries around. Yeah, thanks for reminding me, 482 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: because that is a big one, because I absolutely have 483 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:46,440 Speaker 1: a love hate relationship with social media. Social media can 484 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 1: be an awesome tool if you use it correctly. And 485 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: I think I'm in the generation that kind of grew 486 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 1: up with social media, and so through that process, even 487 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: social media had to learn how to police itself right, 488 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: So there are no things in place. Block is my 489 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: best friend. It's funny because somehow I ended up on 490 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: that list on my Instagram the other day and I 491 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: was like, oh man, there's a lot of people on 492 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: this list. But also the timeframe that you're doing social 493 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: media right, if you know that that's going to affect 494 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: your mindset the day before going into competition, deleted off 495 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: your whatever you gotta do so that you don't use it. 496 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 1: But also in a sport like track and field that 497 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: we don't get much coverage, I know that I've got 498 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:32,560 Speaker 1: a post that I'm at this track meet, I'm competing 499 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: at this time, and I'm this, so you gotta know 500 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 1: when and how it works for you. But also that 501 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 1: boundary of like, Okay, I did my post, I let 502 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 1: my people know I met whatever sponsorship obligation. Now I 503 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:48,959 Speaker 1: got to turn it off to do my job. Absolutely 504 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: love hate social media completely. Like you mentioned, there's so 505 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: few people who are operating in their professions in the 506 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: ways that it beat athletes are until we can't be 507 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: very noisy. I think to kind of hear all this 508 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: information and thoughts from other people. You hear it all 509 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: the time. Like I can't go to an accountants job 510 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 1: and tell them how they're doing their job right, but 511 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: you know, the internet thugs get to tell you they 512 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: can do their job better. Meanwhile, they never made the 513 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: peewee squad. So it's just you gotta know how to 514 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 1: turn a noise off, you do you? So, what suggestions 515 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: would you give for younger athletes about like how they 516 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:33,239 Speaker 1: can prepare themselves for higher levels of athletic successful I 517 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: think you know, the foundation always starts very early on. 518 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: I think too, even at this level, I say, you 519 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: gotta be having fun with it, so first and foremost, 520 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 1: I hope that you're in a sport that you love 521 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: and enjoy, because who wants to get up and do 522 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: something that they don't love and enjoy? And then I 523 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: think I'm getting ready to say especially girls, but now 524 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 1: girls and boys, parents, I want us to be teaching 525 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 1: our kids to find and use their voices and be 526 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: their advocates, be their own advocates, And I say that 527 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 1: in the space of not only coach athlete relationship, but yes, 528 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: coach athlete relationship, but also protecting our kids. It breaks 529 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: my heart to hear some of the stories that we 530 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: hear in regards to abuse, and that's on the high 531 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: school and collegiate level, and it's really important to me 532 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,600 Speaker 1: that kids are allowed to have their voices, to be 533 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,719 Speaker 1: able to advocate for themselves, come back to their parents 534 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 1: whoever it is that they need to go to report 535 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 1: whatever it is that feels uncomfortable. Because all of those 536 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: things too make for higher level competition as well. So 537 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: this may be a better question for your mom, but 538 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: I'll see if you have some thoughts here too. You know, 539 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: because you hear so many documentaries and stories of like 540 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 1: the Great Right, and I always wonder like, as a parent, 541 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: when you recognize like that your child has like, oh, 542 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: they are really good at this, or maybe a coach 543 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:01,719 Speaker 1: tells them, like, how do you strike a balance maybe 544 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: of allowing them to have fun at a sport but 545 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: also maybe pushing them in the way they would need 546 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: to really be able to kind of master a sport. 547 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: If you recognize those early signs, definitely better for my mom, 548 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: and I probably need to talk to her about this too. 549 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: With my little one, I see little things where I'm like, oh, yeah, 550 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: you're you're kind of athletic. Okay, I'm ready to sign 551 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 1: you out for basketball. He's he's too, Natasha, slow down. 552 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,719 Speaker 1: When I talk about how long I've been in my career, 553 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 1: I give a lot of that credit to my mom 554 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 1: because it came a lot from my mom's own experience 555 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:39,959 Speaker 1: as an athlete. My mom ran track very early on 556 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: to probably even earlier than me, seven or eight years old. 557 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: She made the Olympic team for Trinidad. She also ran 558 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 1: for Great Britain before that. But my mom was always 559 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: adamant that you're going to be a child first. She 560 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: was always adamant that nobody's gonna want it more than you. 561 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,040 Speaker 1: So yeah, she would encourage me, and I remember it 562 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 1: was even one time where I was like, I don't 563 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: think I want to run track anymore. I was about 564 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: twelve or thirteen. She said, that's fine, but you're not 565 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 1: going to come straight home from school. You're gonna find 566 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:10,440 Speaker 1: something else to get involved, and I don't care if 567 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: it's the glee club debate team. You're going to be 568 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: doing something. Now as an adult, I realized, Oh, she 569 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 1: was keeping me off the streets, she was keeping me busy. 570 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 1: You know, she never I don't feel like she ever 571 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 1: overstepped that boundary or even you know, mentioning her past. 572 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: Because also, Natasha is my mother's middle name, so she 573 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 1: named me after her. And I've personally taken on this 574 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: thing where I feel like I'm finishing what she didn't 575 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 1: get to finish because she made the eight four team, 576 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: didn't go had me two years later, opportunities in sports 577 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: for women were a lot different than than now. But 578 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: that's self imposed, not her at all. I don't know 579 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: how she did that, but I also feel like whatever 580 00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: she did and allowing me to be a kid, finding 581 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: that balance between support and encouragement, I think that's why 582 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 1: twenty plus years later, I'm still in the sport where 583 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: I can say I've had friends that I feel like 584 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 1: we're probably even more naturally raw talented than me, that 585 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: were burned out far sooner than me. And I think 586 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 1: a lot of it was. We do see a lot 587 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 1: of overtraining culture but also mental burnout. You know, if 588 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: it's not fun, why are we going to go out here? 589 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:32,400 Speaker 1: And do it. So, yeah, I hope that did it justice. Yeah, 590 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: that was helpful to have all that. I didn't know 591 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 1: all the history about your mom, So I think the 592 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: bead is really important. I don't have a complaint about 593 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 1: my mom where this sports world is considered. She has 594 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 1: been totally my advocate. Like I said, you're not going 595 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: to talk crazy to her. That doesn't work for her. 596 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: She's thirteen, she's fifteen. Yes she's going to her prom, 597 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: but she'll be a city chance tomorrow morning. She let 598 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: me have all of that and it I love it. 599 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 1: So you've talked several times today about like the importance 600 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:08,239 Speaker 1: of advocacy. What would you say about women athletes and 601 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: how they can continue to advocate for themselves. I think 602 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: just that, but I think also educating ourselves on I 603 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,280 Speaker 1: can say in our sport in particular, we have got 604 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:23,719 Speaker 1: to know the process and the rules. I think a 605 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: lot of times we kind of just jump on some 606 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:30,399 Speaker 1: bandwagons or jump on some causes, and I'm like, we've 607 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: got to have some plans but also understand the process 608 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: that it takes to put those plans into action. But 609 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 1: I think also to you know, we're competitors, but in 610 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: some instances, you know, and I see this happen a 611 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: lot in track and field, particularly because we're an individual sport. 612 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:52,239 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's hard for us to be collective, and the 613 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: power a lot of times, most times truly lies in 614 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,920 Speaker 1: the collectivism. And that's something I would like to see 615 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: some more of going forward. As well. As you know, 616 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: in track and field, I also feel like we lose 617 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: a lot of our alumni. We've got to come back 618 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:09,839 Speaker 1: and pour into the sports. I know I don't want 619 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: to coach, but I know that I want to coach 620 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 1: the mindset of the next grade and track and field, 621 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:19,080 Speaker 1: so that's how I'm gonna pay it forward. There's there's 622 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: so many different ways that we can be an advocate 623 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 1: and pay it forward to the other athletes coming up 624 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,239 Speaker 1: behind us. You know, you bring up a good point 625 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 1: that I hadn't thought about in terms of like tracking 626 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:32,399 Speaker 1: field typically being a solo sport. I'm wondering if there 627 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: are unique mental health challenges or pieces that come with 628 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: being in like a solo sport versus a team sport. 629 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: I don't know how unique it is, but I can 630 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 1: say from experience that I've had several conversations with some 631 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: of my peers and realized that there were a lot 632 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:53,520 Speaker 1: of times that we were going through some things that 633 00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: we thought it was just us and it was like 634 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: a girl. If I would have just knocked on your 635 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:02,359 Speaker 1: door and say, hey, girl, this is what I'm going through, 636 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:05,480 Speaker 1: we would have realized that it's the same thing. And 637 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:08,880 Speaker 1: so a part of me doesn't believe that that's a 638 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:12,320 Speaker 1: unique thing because I think as athletes, even in team sports, 639 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:17,120 Speaker 1: there's still that superwoman mentality, right, or there's this idea 640 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: that nobody's gonna get it. I can speak from the 641 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:23,680 Speaker 1: track and field experience, got it. So what advice or 642 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,360 Speaker 1: tips do you have for athletes to take their mental 643 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: health seriously? All I can say is this, okay, it's 644 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 1: okay to say that I need help. And I think 645 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: whether it's in school, whether it's your parents or your 646 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:43,239 Speaker 1: coaches or whoever, you have to find to find those resources, 647 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 1: because I think that can also be challenging to where 648 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:48,320 Speaker 1: do I even know where to go? You know, I 649 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:51,319 Speaker 1: wouldn't have known anything about a sports psychologist until I 650 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,759 Speaker 1: got to college and my coach Fries said, Hey, you 651 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 1: want to talk to someone? And I was like, what 652 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: do you mean? You know? But we're seeing it more 653 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 1: and more now. So I think if you can recognize that, 654 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: you know, hey, there is someone or something that I 655 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,279 Speaker 1: would like to talk about, I want to do that. 656 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 1: And I think I would like to also emphasize even 657 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:13,440 Speaker 1: more that mental health is also health. It shows up 658 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: physically in your body, whether you've realized it or not. 659 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 1: To mental health is your health. M how did you 660 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,200 Speaker 1: check in with yourself? Girl? Is this real? Or did 661 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 1: you make this up in your head? When I feel 662 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: myself start reeling? That is literally the question that I 663 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,560 Speaker 1: asked myself. Is this a true anxiety? And if it 664 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:39,040 Speaker 1: is a true anxiety, what is the unknown that we're 665 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 1: worried about? And why are we writing this story without 666 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:45,279 Speaker 1: even knowing what the ending could be? So I have 667 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: to ask myself if I'm in reality or did I 668 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 1: write this story in my head? That's a good one 669 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 1: and like that, so are there any affirmations that you 670 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:57,880 Speaker 1: can offer to athletes struggling with their mental health? Affirmations 671 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:02,240 Speaker 1: are actually my best friend. That's even when I didn't 672 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 1: believe them. It's everything from I'm a champion, I'm beautiful, 673 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:09,359 Speaker 1: I'm smart, I'm deserving, I'm worthy. It's how I start 674 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:13,160 Speaker 1: my day, and I think you know it's unique to you, 675 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:15,560 Speaker 1: but those are some of the ones that are special 676 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:17,320 Speaker 1: to me and some of the ones that I practice. 677 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,239 Speaker 1: That's how I set the tone for my day and 678 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:22,960 Speaker 1: sometimes at night if I can't sleep. That's one of 679 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 1: my little mantras that I repeat to myself over and over. 680 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,120 Speaker 1: I am whoever it is that I believe I am, 681 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:32,319 Speaker 1: or who I want to be. Perfect Well, thank you 682 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:34,760 Speaker 1: so much for spending some time today with us. Natasha. 683 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: Please tell us where we can stay updated with your 684 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:40,600 Speaker 1: schedule and anything cool and exciting that you will have 685 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:44,279 Speaker 1: coming out to thank you. This was painless. I enjoyed this. 686 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 1: I keep it real simple. I'm Natasha hay Stings on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. 687 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,680 Speaker 1: I also have a website Natasha Hayes Things dot com, 688 00:38:55,719 --> 00:38:58,120 Speaker 1: but I'm pretty active on Instagram, so you can find 689 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,839 Speaker 1: me there as long as y'allow natural because you will 690 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: be blocked. Thank you, Natasha. I'm so glad Natasha was 691 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:13,239 Speaker 1: able to share her expertise with us today. To learn 692 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:15,719 Speaker 1: more about her, be sure to visit the show notes 693 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,120 Speaker 1: at Therapy for Black Girls dot com slash session to 694 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 1: and be sure to text two of your girls right 695 00:39:21,719 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: now and tell them to check out the episode. If 696 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,480 Speaker 1: you're looking for a therapist in your area, be sure 697 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:30,239 Speaker 1: to check out our therapist directory at Therapy for Black 698 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:33,279 Speaker 1: Girls dot com slash directory. And if you want to 699 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:36,400 Speaker 1: continue digging into this topic or just be in community 700 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:38,880 Speaker 1: with other sisters, come on over and join us in 701 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:41,840 Speaker 1: the Sister Circle. It's our cozy corner of the Internet 702 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:44,759 Speaker 1: design just for black women. You can join us at 703 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 1: community that Therapy for Black Girls dot com. This episode 704 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 1: was produced by Freda Lucas and Alice Ellis and editing 705 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:55,839 Speaker 1: was done by Dennis and Bradford. Thank you all so 706 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:58,480 Speaker 1: much for joining me again this week. I look forward 707 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:02,239 Speaker 1: to continuing this conversation with you all real soon. Take 708 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:02,680 Speaker 1: it care