Self-Care & Mental Wellness: Kwadi Higgins Of 4D Hack On The Top Five Selfcare Practices That Improve Mental Wellness
An Interview With Maria Angelova
Meditation can be as simple as breathing deeply for a couple of minutes to reach a state of calmness. I recommend meditating every day for at least five minutes. It will help you explore your thoughts and make more sound decisions in your life.
Let’s face it. It seems that everyone is under a great deal of stress these days. This takes a toll on our mental wellness. What are some of the best self-care practices that we can use to help improve our mental wellness and mental well-being? In this interview series, we are talking to medical doctors, mental health professionals, health and wellness professionals, and experts about self-care or mental health who can share insights from their experience about How Each Of Us Can Use Self Care To Improve Our Mental Wellness. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kwadi Higgins.
Kwadi Higgins is an advocate for self-care and mental wellness. She started a lifestyle blog called 4D Hack in hopes to spread the lessons and life hacks she has learned through studying and experiencing life. Her self-care methods include yoga, hiking, inline skating, making art, meditating, and more.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. What is your “WHY” behind what you do? What fuels you?
It’s a pleasure to be interviewed by you! I’d like to start by saying that self-care along with my mission to help others has given me the energy to do this interview. I am fueled by self-care! After spending many of my younger years putting everything else above my mental wellness, I discovered that by putting my mental wellness first, I can feel better. What happens when I feel better? I’m able to get more things done and also get them done well!
Making time for self-care is important. Many people struggle with having the motivation to reach their goals and I have seen people give up too soon! Sometimes stress is the reason a person will give up too soon. Self-care has been proven to help relieve stress. I want to inspire people to set aside the time for self-care but I also want people to get to know themselves. What works for one person may not work for another, so it is important to get to know what your mind, body, and spirit needs specifically. I believe that every person has something special to share with the world but things like stress can stop us in our tracks. I’ve learned methods for overcoming things like depression, anxiety, insecurity, and negative thoughts in general. It would be a disservice to the world and myself if I didn’t decide to share what I’ve learned. That’s why I created my lifestyle blog 4D Hack, to help people find their motivation and their “WHY”!
During my younger years, I often struggled with sadness and a lack of consistency until I decided to learn methods to improve my mentality. Sometimes I will meet people who aren’t aware of things like meditation and it saddens me. Meditation is one of my most used methods. It has helped me to focus. Now I can regulate my emotions in a way that’s better for me. My mission is to spread awareness so that people can become their best selves! I want to give people a chance to improve themselves on their own if they do not have the resources to get help or if they are afraid to reach out to someone for help.
Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake or failure which you now appreciate has taught you a valuable lesson?
I’m always making mistakes and I am not ashamed to say it because with each mistake I get better at my craft. Life is like art if you think about it! One mistake that I’d like to share is one that I made in college. When I attended college, I was dropped from one of my favorite elective courses because I missed too many days of class. I had made my major’s classes a priority so I was skipping my elective class to study for exams in my major’s classes. This taught me to be more intentional with the things that I do and to make time for the things I enjoy most, like self-care. Even though I had an A in that elective class, when I neglected the class, it neglected me. This is the case for most things in life, especially mental health. If you neglect your mental health, it will neglect you!
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Being thoughtful, calm, and skeptical has been the most instrumental to my success. I recently won an international design competition hosted by StudioMAIN, for the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, my hometown. I almost talked myself out of submitting my design because I had no prior experience. After taking the time to think about the process I decided to give it my all by learning how to design and then submitting the design anyway. Many times I have encouraged myself and others to at least try to do something great before giving up! To be a successful leader, I believe that being able to think calmly about all of the known and unknown factors before deciding on something is crucial. It’s important to ask questions about anything you do so that you can prepare enough in a way that you make the least amount of mistakes.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now? How do you think that will help people?
I am working on my lifestyle blog, a one-shot comic, and a few guided meditation recordings. The lifestyle blog 4D Hack will help people by offering knowledge about self-care practices and techniques that can improve life. I hope that my comic will be fun and motivational. And my guided meditations should provide people with an easy way to relax.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, about the interface between self-care and mental health. From where you stand personally or professionally, why are you so passionate about mental well-being?
Mental well-being is a passion of mine because I know how it feels to not be in the best mental state. After overcoming many rough moments in my life, I want to help others do the same. I know not taking care of yourself mentally can not only be dangerous for yourself but also for those around you. This can include loved ones, the things you own, your hobbies, and more! How can someone give their surroundings the best treatment when their mental health is doing poorly? It’s nearly impossible. As a human being, I’d love to help as many people as I can because I know that we are all connected and when one person in our community flourishes, they can help another do the same. We’re in this together!
Based on your research or experience, how exactly does self-care impact our mental wellness?
Based on my research and experience, stress can cause many health problems, physically and mentally. Not caring for yourself can also do the same! Practicing self-care has been proven to relieve stress which is great for improving our mental wellness and physical health. Self-care can improve your body, mind, and spirit depending on which methods you choose. Taking time to discover self-care practices that work for me has given me techniques to lessen my anxiety, increase my focus, and balance my emotions.
Here is our primary question. Can you please share your “Top Five Selfcare Practices That Each Of Us Can Use To Improve Our Mental Wellness”?
Gladly! My top five self-care practices are meditation, performing stretches throughout the day, learning about the different kinds of self-care methods, saying daily affirmations, and making time to be active. All of these practices can be done throughout the day and do not have to take more than an hour. That’s why I love them!
Meditation can be as simple as breathing deeply for a couple of minutes to reach a state of calmness. I recommend meditating every day for at least five minutes. It will help you explore your thoughts and make more sound decisions in your life.
Performing stretches throughout the day can release a lot of tension that we hold in our bodies. Sometimes being tense can cause pain like headaches and more. Stretching is a great way to keep active and it just feels good! Reward yourself with multiple stretch sessions a day! A stretch can be as simple as reaching your arms up into the sky or turning your head to the left then holding for one minute then turning your head to the right and holding for the same amount of time.
One thing that I think is important for everyone is the act of learning how to take care of yourself. There are so many ways to practice self-care! Some of my methods may not work for everyone but I am confident that meditation can help anyone discover things about themselves. Those things can include the self-care practices you need or want in your life. Take time to research the many different self-care methods and their benefits! You may discover something that speaks to you. I recently discovered earthing several years ago and it has brought me much joy!
One of my favorite things to do in the morning and before going to sleep at night is to listen to affirmations. Affirmations are motivational and intentional statements that you can say to yourself to in a sense, program your mind to become more positive. An example of an affirmation is “I deserve happiness”. Saying this one affirmation can be helpful if you’re someone who thinks happiness is something you are not worthy of. Meditation is a great way to get into a calm state before saying a few affirmations for yourself. Try it out daily and see if your mindset improves! I have many affirmations listed on my blog if you want a list of easy affirmations to try!
And last but not least, staying active is something that can keep us feeling good mentally and physically. Limiting the number of physical problems in our life can limit the things we have to worry about. One way to do this is to stay active. This can be as simple as moving your body around for several minutes several times daily. Staying active has been proven to reduce stress! It’s a win don’t you think?
Can you please share a few of the main roadblocks that prevent people from making better self-care choices? What would you suggest can be done to overcome those roadblocks?
Sure! Roadblocks are common in every aspect of our lives. A few roadblocks that prevent people from making better self-care choices include feeling undeserving of self-care, thinking self-care is a form of weakness, or not knowing how to make time for self-care. These roadblocks can be overcome by training the mind. What I mean by this is that if you have a problem like being unable to stay consistent, there may be a ton of information available about staying consistent. Your goal would be to study this information and then implement the things you learn. If you’re bad at studying you can also research how to study. Currently, there are many distractions in the world so it can be hard to make self-care a priority. I understand! Making better self-care choices is not an easy thing to do! To overcome roadblocks you will have to keep trying over and over again while learning what works and what doesn’t work for you. One way to learn is to read stories and listen to stories from people who have been in your shoes before. Self-care doesn’t have to be a long process. Taking a couple of minutes to stretch, patting yourself on the back, or saying an affirmation are all non-time-consuming self-care practices. Start small if needed. Many people will get discouraged when they think about how much time it will take to get to where they want to be. One of my favorite sayings is, “you have your whole life to get there”. Take as much time as you need, ask for help, and try to figure it out. It’s called “trash can” not “trash can not”. Right?
In one sentence, what would you say to someone who doesn’t prioritize their mental well-being?
I would ask them, “if your mental well-being is like the captain of your ship, your body, what will happen if the captain is unhappy?”
Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does this quote resonate with you so much?
No problem, I’m glad to share and I hope that my interview reaches someone who needs it! I have so many quotes that live rent-free in my mind. It’s hard to choose just one! I’ll share the one that has pushed me in life. “If you don’t know then ask” is my favorite “Life Lesson Quote” said to me by my mother. It resonates with me because it has helped me succeed in many ways. I remember when I was choosing a major in college, I told my mother, “I am scared to major in computer science because I don’t know much about it”. She replied, “If you knew everything about it, there would be no need to go to school for it. You’re going to learn by taking classes. If you don’t know something then ask.” I’ve lived my whole life by asking questions and it has gotten me to where I want to be. Knowing that the information I need to thrive is readily available on many platforms including the internet, books, and experiences helps me to stay calm. If I do not know how to do something, I can simply ask questions and then figure it out. If we knew everything in life there would be no reason to experience life!
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? They might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
As a writer and mental wellness advocate, I’d love to grab lunch with Donald Glover because I admire his storytelling. He’s able to mix both art and mental health issues in amazing ways that people from all walks of life can vibe with.
I truly appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question. How can our readers best reach or follow you?
Thank you for the great questions! The interview was lovely. I’d love to connect with readers! I can be reached by email and Linkedin. I wish everyone well!
Info@4DHack.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwadi-higgins/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
