What if we told you that there’s an app specially created to cater to the emotional, mental and physical well-being of Black and other women of color?
Recognizing the increased need for such services within the community, coach, author, speaker and podcast host Katara McCarty has released a new version of her EXHALE app– just in time for BIPOC Mental Health Month.
EXHALE is the first emotional well-being app designed specifically for Black women and women of color.
McCarty is also the Founder and CEO of Katecha Corp, a technology startup dedicated to expanding access to health and well-being for Black women, as well as founder of Katecha Cares Foundation—a non-profit committed to systemic change.
She is committed to amplifying the richness of Black women by telling their stories, through advocacy.
Since its launch three years ago, the EXHALE app has surpassed 17,000 downloads, with users drawn from 55 countries.
The app has played a critical role in filling the gap as it relates to the number of available tools and resources to support this vulnerable group.
In fact, a new report, commissioned by McCarty, titled “The State of Self-Care for Black Women” has shed light on the dire need for resources such as EXHALE.
The report compiled responses from 1,005 Black women in the United States, with the aim of filling a gap in survey data on Black women’s experience with stress in the context of their intersectional identities.
Its findings show how a lack of culturally appropriate self-care tools and resources is impacting Black women and other women of color.
It reveals that racial trauma, stereotypes, and discrimination are key contributors to Black women feeling stressed within the workplace as well as their personal lives.
The report also unearthed that nearly half of the Black women surveyed revealed that stress has impacted their daily lives, while 25 percent reported being hospitalized or requiring medical care.
It further shows that 76 percent of these women believe that there is a prevalence of people with the opinion that Black women are stronger than most and are more likely to manage stress when compared to others.
Meanwhile, 66 percent of the women indicated that they overexert themselves to excel in the workplace and take care of personal responsibilities.
While resources to manage stress have become more abundant, “The State of Self-Care for Black Women” report further confirms that Black women face many barriers in accessing formal mental health resources, with the majority of resources failing to address their unique experiences.
Notably, 77 percent of respondents believe there is a need for more well-being tools and resources tailored to support their specific needs.
In response to the report’s findings, EXHALE is creating a more personalized experience for users to access emotional well-being support through the launch of EXHALE 2.0, available to download via the iTunes App Store and Google Play.
The enhanced app experience includes daily thought topics, an interactive breathing orb, guided journeys, and more tailored to the specific needs of Black women.
For more information about Black women’s unique experience as it relates to stress visit “The State of Self-Care for Black Women” report and download exhale-app.com.