Welcome to Mental Health Awareness Month with Dr. Raquel Martin
​Every day this May, I’m showing up with a quick, powerful message about Black mental health because our well-being deserves more than one month of attention and more than vague advice.
This space is your daily hub for:
-
A free, downloadable worksheet to help you reflect and take action
-
An episode of the Mind Ya Mental Podcast to deepen the conversation
From the impact of racism-based trauma to the myths of strength and burnout, we’re covering it all—honestly, unapologetically, and with tools you can actually use.
Come back each day for a new topic, a new tool, and a new way to prioritize your mental health.
You don’t need to do this alone. Let’s heal out loud.
Day 1 – Masking & Mental Health
Topic: The Mask of Strength
Theme: Releasing the pressure to always appear strong
We kick off Mental Health Awareness Month by addressing one of the most harmful and misunderstood traits within the Black community: the pressure to be “the strong one.” This worksheet guides you through the origins of your emotional armor, invites you to explore softness as strength, and offers two tangible exercises to begin taking the mask off.
​
What will I do on the worksheet?
-
Reflect on where your idea of “strength” came from
-
Identify moments where softness could replace over-functioning
-
Practice asking for help, without guilt
-
Write a release letter to your younger self as a healing ritual​​
Download today’s worksheet and start exploring what it means to be strong and soft.
​
​
​
​
​​
​
​​​Want to go deeper?
Listen to Season 3 Episode 55 "The Essence of Who You Are" ft. Dr. William Parham
In this episode, I break down the cultural roots of masking, why it persists, and how we reclaim softness without shame.
