In the 2020 pandemic, Ma’Shakea Thomas created A Healthier You Inc. to help people have different resources to manage stress and they had their very first in-person event, The Ultimate Self Care Sunday, on November 6, 2022. The goal was to help people mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and financially.

To expand after their success, the Ultimate Self Care Sunday was created to help adults be provided “with tools and resources to help address the stress and anxiety they are feeling in their life.” DJ’s EP, also known as DeShawna Jones Event Planning, was behind the construction of this event. When asked about the experience of working with the client, Ms. Jones mentioned “A Healthier You, Inc. was the visionary and creative behind the event. We worked collaboratively on pulling the event together.

This event gave people the opportunity to practice yoga and meditation, receive information on how to access resources from health experts, eat delicious and nutritious food and connect with emotions and others in the community. There were many vendors advertising how to help people become healthier through hobbies, like painting, and health resources, like hospitals.

There was a decline in mental health among teens over the past few years, mainly due to the pandemic. “I think we all need to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge the troubling experiences and shifts that occurred, especially amongst the younger generation.”, says Ms. Thomas. “I strongly support open, safe, and transparent spaces for mental health discussions.”

The pandemic has caused a shift due to isolation and changes in everyday life, which takes time to recover for everyone. “The biggest takeaway from the pandemic is that we all need human connection and a sense of community.”, says Ms. Jones. According to Women For The Culture, Ms. Thomas mentioned it’s important for people to acknowledge the little things done in everyday life as self-care and that helps create a shift in you to becoming a better version of yourself.

A Healthier You Inc. is a greenbelt based nonprofit organization that was started with the purpose of helping people make themselves their own first priority. They provide yoga and meditation classes virtually and in person weekly to help people shift their perspective and awaken to new possibilities. Ms. Thomas has plans of expanding by offering “workshops that help individuals take steps to become healthy” and providing “both free and low-cost yoga and meditation classes to the community.”