Our Self-Care Selects
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Mara Schiavocampo is Black Girl Magic personified. With a high-profile career as a top journalist and balancing motherhood as well as television appearances, this 4x Emmy Award winning media powerhouse shared some of her personal practices for self-care. We were honored to connect with Mara to learn about how she maintains personal wellness during this unprecedented year.
S:
Tell us about your career path. When did you become interested in journalism?
MS :
I always wanted a career that would allow me to write, travel, and continuously grow. In college, I studied communications, and journalism just seemed like the right fit. It combined everything I was interested in.
S:
When did you know that you were on the right career path?
MS :
Ironically, I’ve received that confirmation during my lowest times, professionally. When I’m down and thinking about leaving the field, I find that there’s nothing else I’m even interested in. Media, content creation, and storytelling are the only things I’ve ever wanted to do.
S:
With the rise of social media, do you think the media/industry is changing?
MS :
In some ways yes, and in some ways no. Content is still Queen; good content is more important than anything else. But the ways in which people expect to receive that content, production value, length, format, turnaround time, everything else has changed.
S:
How does it feel to be a 4x Emmy Award winning journalist? What was that first Emmy win like for you?
MS :
Those things can be a little anticlimactic. It’s not like winning an Oscar, where you have that moment on stage. I only went to the actual awards ceremony for one of them. That being said, the moment when that statue arrives in the mail is pretty fantastic. The statue is really heavy, and it arrives in this big, velvet-lined box. I never imagined I’d win one Emmy, let alone four. When I look at them, I kind of shake my head. It’s a little surreal.
S:
Throughout your life were there any women of color in the media that served as inspiration for you?
MS :
Too many to name. Of course there’s Oprah, who is a touchstone to so many because she had all the odds stacked against her and ascended to the highest heights. She showed us that anything is possible. I also tend to find inspiration in women who are knocked down and get up stronger, like my dear friend Tamron Hall.
S:
If you were not on television, what would you be doing?
MS :
I always wanted to work with exotic animals and I love to travel, so I’d probably be doing conservation work.
S:
How do you find time to manage a thriving career, tv appearances and motherhood?
MS :
Lawdt! With a wing and a prayer! It’s constant juggling, something always falls by the wayside, I often feel guilty about not devoting enough time to my kids, and I probably drink too much. The one key would be I get up early. Those few hours in the morning are critical.
S:
What is the best advice you can give to all the working moms of this generation?
MS :
Give yourself grace, and ask for (or pay for) as much help as you can. There’s no medal for running yourself into the ground.
S:
Do you have a self-care routine? If so, what is it?
MS :
My morning routine is probably the closest thing to a self-care ritual. I catch up on news and social media, plan for the day, pray, meditate and journal. I don’t do all of those things each day, I take what I need in the moment.
S:
Do you have any beauty secrets you’re willing to share?
MS :
All of them! I don’t believe in keeping beauty secrets. I talk about everything on my podcast ‘The Trend Reporter’. That being said, I’m a big fan of beauty rest. When you sleep enough, everything else just works better.
‘‘
Give yourself grace, and ask for (or pay for) as much help as you can. There’s no medal for running yourself into the ground.
’’
S:
Walk us through your journey having/maintaining a positive body image.
MS :
It’s a struggle for me just like anyone else, maybe more so because it can be very hard to watch yourself on TV and love what you see. That being said, I try to keep a really healthy social media diet. I follow people who make me feel better about myself, not worse.
S:
When I want to de-stress:
MS :
I do yoga.
S:
Right now, I am reading:
MS :
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
S:
My go-to exercise is:
MS :
Soul Cycle (I have the at-home bike now)
S:
Where is your favorite place to unwind?
MS :
The couch in my living room right by the window.
S:
Either in your home or elsewhere, where is your Sanctuaire (sanctuary) for peace and well-being?
MS :
Anywhere with a yoga mat and a candle
S:
What new things have you learned about yourself during 2020?
MS :
I’ve learned so much about my productivity rhythms. I am on fire in the morning. By 3pm I’m useless. I never realized that before because I was always rushing to get somewhere in the morning. Now I know to make the most of that time. It’s like gold for me.
