( ENSPIRE Health And Wellness ) Sistas With ADHD Collaborates With Calm Strips For a Transformative Self-Care Experience
ENSPIRE Contributor: Camila Lizardo
Feeling empowered and taking care of yourself is something every individual should consider necessary. We want to focus on Torrian Timms and her ADHD support group for black women named “Sistas With ADHD.” This support group is meant to be a safe community space for all those black women who have been diagnosed with ADHD. This community group wants to focus on allowing black women to share their daily experiences as people with ADHD.
Torrian Timms is a content creator who shares her story on social media and her podcast, “Sistas With ADHD.”. She also works as an educator as a teacher. Timms faced different struggles for more than 20 years before being diagnosed with ADHD, which changed her life. Timms decided to start “Sistas with ADHD” as a safe space for women who have been diagnosed with or suspect they have ADHD to be able to let them know they are not alone.
For Black History Month this February, Torrian Timms from Sistas with ADHD is partnering with Calm Strips to be able to create a special sensory tool called “A Breath of Liberation” to assist any individual diagnosed with ADHD. This product aims to provide comfort and make any neurodivergent peer feel at peace while managing their ADHD. Although Calm Strips is not solely for those diagnosed with or seeking to manage ADHD symptoms, it appeals to people with ADHD because they often struggle with hyperactivity and impulsivity, which can lead to burnout. One treatment option for people with ADHD is a consistent mindfulness and meditation practice. Calm Strips meets that need. Calm Strips also makes unique, different types of fidget stickers that can help those with ADHD feel at ease discreetly. They hope this tool will help people manage their energy and focus better. The collaboration anticipates that this tool will help people manage their energy level as well as their focus.
What is ADHD? ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental condition that can lead to difficulties and challenges in different areas, such as maintaining focus, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity. It can affect individuals of various ages as early as 3 years old, but most cases of diagnosis typically occur around the age of 12. ADHD can impact and challenge someone’s life in different ways, including education, work, and connections with other people.
ENSPIRE was able to interview Torrian Timms about her collaboration as well as her community, Here’s what she had to say
How did the partnership with CalmStrips start?
Calm Strips was a “Sista Supporter” level sponsor for our Brains in Bloom event, which is our annual event during ADHD Awareness Month. Calm Strips donated their “Just Breathe” sensory stickers for all our attendee’s swag bags.
Could you give us a detailed explanation of the sensory tool and how it will function?
The sensory tool is a discrete way to engage in mindfulness or self-regulation! The “Breath of Liberation” design is a modification of the square breathing technique as well as a textured design purposed to soothe sensory seeks.
This reusable design can stick anywhere! For example, if you’re in the middle of a meeting and feel symptoms of anxiety beginning, you can use the soft sand texture as a way to cope. If you’re on a break or taking an intentional moment of rest, you can engage in the breathing pattern. There are four simple steps.
- Using your finger to trace the design, inhale a deep breath through your nose for 4 seconds, or “breathe in”!
- “Hold” this breath for 4 seconds
- Next, exhale or “Breath Out” through your mouth for 4 seconds (if you can)
- Finally, “Rest” for another 4 seconds
You’d repeat this process as many times as necessary to regulate your nervous system.
The design, titled “A Breath of Liberation,” is a collaborative design with local Dallas artist Jasmine Austine. “Unity First” was an ode to our rich history in America of resilience and resistance to anything that impedes our basic human right to freedom. Inside the first, you will see picket signs that commemorate the Civil Rights movement, which I feel is one of our finest displays of community within the black community. The picket signs plead for people to “breathe,” which is a call to action for people to take a “breath of liberation!”
How would you explain your brand to someone who is not familiar with it?
We are a community of support that is centered around black women’s experiences with ADHD. We talk about struggles and offer solutions that are unique to this intersection of people.
Were you aware of ADHD before being diagnosed with it?
Actually, no! I was caught completely off guard. My only connection to ADHD was a diagnosis I would see on my students’ IEPs or 504 plans as a teacher. I was not aware that adults could also be living with the condition, but in retrospect, of course, adults would also be living with the condition!
What does your podcast primarily concentrate on as topics?
The podcast is for the sistas! We talk about pop culture and life with ADHD, and with guests, we often unpack co-existing conditions that are related to ADHD, such as imposter syndrome, binge eating disorder, and relationship dynamics.
We keep it hooded, holy, and hyper-focused!
Do you have any other partnerships planned for the future?
We do have some exciting partnerships coming up, but none that we can contractually speak about JUST YET, but join our email list and follow us on all social platforms for updates and to keep up with the sistas.
What would be your main message to black women who continue to face different challenges due to having ADHD?
Black women with ADHD deserve to live a life full of love, acceptance, and belonging. I want my sistas to know there’s hope on the other side of accepting our condition!
Our struggles can be real and often debilitating, but there is ancestral power in the community. Black women have been healing themselves with the power of community for a long time. Awareness and acceptance are the first steps, and together we can create the right accommodations and learn to advocate for our needs!
Torrian Timms, who is the founder of the “Sistas With ADHD” support group, wants to be able to create a nurturing and supportive environment for black women going through and experiencing the challenges of ADHD. Drawing from her personal experiences, Timms aims to empower and uplift black women with ADHD and enhance the overall wellness of each individual who chooses to join this community. During Black History Month, ENSPIRE wants to acknowledge and celebrate the black community’s resilience, creativity, and commitment to mental health by showcasing the initiative of this project.
To get to know more about Torrian Timms, you can visit her Instagram as well as her website, “Sistas With ADHD.”
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