Your world with Dr. Beatrice Hyppolite

Mental Wellness Starts With You

• Beatrice Hyppolite

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0:00 | 32:42

The journey to better mental health often begins with how we treat ourselves. In this illuminating conversation, Dr. Beatrice Hyppolite welcomes Viodelda Contreras, a nutritionist-turned-beauty entrepreneur with 23 years of experience helping others look and feel their best.

"Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what's left of you," quotes Contreras, setting the tone for a thoughtful exploration of how personal care practices impact our mental wellbeing. From the confidence boost of looking presentable to the stress relief of physical exercise, Contreras shares practical wisdom about creating daily rituals that elevate mood and outlook.

The discussion challenges common misconceptions about self-care being merely vanity or exclusively for women. Dr. Hyppolite recounts seeing a father and three sons enjoying manicures together, illustrating how these practices benefit everyone regardless of gender. She emphasizes that self-care isn't about impressing others but about honoring yourself—and when you feel good, it radiates outward, positively affecting relationships, career opportunities, and daily interactions.

Most powerfully, Contreras reveals how her mental health routine combines physical care with spiritual practices. Prayer, Bible reading, and meditation form cornerstones of her stress management approach and how her own son later inspired her to incorporate regular meditation into her life. Dr. Hyppolite shares a transformative experience discovering meditation in Italy at a Mother Teresa house, where she felt "peace like never before," 

Whether it's taking a shower with fragrant products, putting on something that makes you feel confident, or simply creating moments of stillness in your day, this episode offers accessible ways to prioritize your wellbeing. Join us to discover how small acts of self-care can transform not just how you look, but how you feel, think, and move through the world.

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Meet Viodelda Contreras

Speaker 1

Hello everyone, I'm Dr Beatrice Ippolit and this is your world. Hello everyone, today we have a very special person with us. Today I don't want to have a show, I just want to have fun.

Speaker 2

Okay, okay, I'm with you.

Speaker 1

Okay, our guest for today is Miss Viodelda.

Speaker 2

Contreras.

Speaker 1

You know, I didn't want to say it. Because I didn't want to say it once. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 2

Thank you, thank you, beatrice.

Speaker 1

And today we're going to talk about a subject that I know you really value, A subject that not only you speak about it all the time, but you carry yourself as such. Thank you. You always like to take care of yourself and you love to take care of others too. Amen. Our subject for today is self-care and mental health. Before we even kind of like address or talk more about the subject, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Speaker 2

Okay, okay. Well, thank you first for the privilege and the honor to be here today and speak about self-care and share about myself. I'm actually a nutritionist by education. I have a bachelor's in nutrition and a master's in community health. The last 10 years of my working career, I worked as a public health educator, slash nutritionist, and I loved it. However, I decided that I needed some extra cash and I was introduced to the world of skincare and color cosmetics and I fell in love with it, and this coming October 23rd will be 23 years as a full time skincare and color cosmetics entrepreneur, consultant, entrepreneur.

Speaker 1

And so.

Speaker 2

I just love it because everyone needs great skincare and everyone wants to feel good, smell good, look younger and more beautiful. Because God already did the work. With a little enhancement, you know you can make yourself look different and change your look, you know, whenever you want. And I love that because it makes one feel confident, makes one feel even more beautiful, and when you you have confidence, the sky's the limit yeah, I don't recall a time that I've seen you that you're not.

Speaker 1

You know that you don't look good you always dress nice, you taking care of that beautiful hair, and you always have your makeup on. And because of you, today I got a little something too, because I knew that. I was going to sit with you for this show and I said you know what? I have to look good for her.

Speaker 2

But, beatrice, you're always fabulous. Okay, you're always fabulous, but you're humble. That's good. That's good, yes.

Speaker 1

Before you know, I start with a set of questions that I have for you. I want to begin with that quote from Cathy Reed. Okay, she stated self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what's left of you.

Speaker 2

I love that. Also. Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what's left of you. Wow, that is profound. I love that. I'm gonna make a note of that and that will be one of my new models.

Speaker 1

Thank you for that I will watch your opinion on that.

Speaker 2

Well, if you were to advise people, well, definitely you are what you feel like and when you take care of yourself, when you take care of your body in so many ways not just appearance, but making sure you get proper rest, making sure you eat properly, because someone once said you are what you eat making sure that you take care of your hygiene and also your physical image, when people see you before you even open your mouth. They make and form an opinion of you before you even open your mouth, and so I believe that it's important that when you leave, your house.

Speaker 1

You feel good. So the way you're telling me the way that you present yourself matters.

Self-Care and Personal Image

Speaker 2

Amen, yes, absolutely the way you present yourself matters. And sometimes you know you think and sometimes you know you think. And I'll never forget this day when I was going to the gym I just was. I said, oh my gosh, I don't have much time. So I hurried up, you know, didn't do my regular self-care routine and I left the gym. And when I left I met someone and you know, I thought she could benefit from my services and I gave her my card and I asked for her number and I said excuse my appearance. And she said, oh, don't worry about it, it's okay. Later on I realized she gave me the wrong number. So that showed that it did matter.

Speaker 2

You know, and from that day on, even when I go to the gym, I try to do a little something. You know, because you never know who you're going to meet. You know who you're going to impact. You just never know. God uses us all the time. Someone the other day said to me I was doing my makeup as I was getting ready. Do you have to do your makeup every day? I said, no, you don't have to. However, once I leave this house, I want to have at least a little something to enhance, because I don't leave home without it. It's like the American Express, just a little something, because it makes you feel confident. It makes you look like, wow, who is she, I would like to get to know her, and that opens up a whole nother avenue, I believe, for God to use you, and you don't do it for anybody.

Speaker 1

You don't do it to attract people. You don't do it to please people.

Speaker 2

you do it because it makes you feel good yes, it makes me feel good, and when you feel good, others can look at you and be inspired. So I believe that when I leave the house and I feel like, okay, I can leave the house because I feel like I look good, my image is great. I know that when I go out, somebody's going to be inspired, somebody's going to ask me like, what do you do? I went to one of my son's football games and a father commented my where are you going To a football game? I said oh no, I just came from working. And you know, he said but you look good though, you know, and so it makes people, I guess you would say, open up to how am I taking care of myself? You know, what am I doing for myself? To feel good, to look good, to inspire others?

Looking Good for Yourself, Not Others

Speaker 1

and it's very important that you mentioned that. Miss contraire, contrarians, yeah, or you could just call me veal veal. Okay, thank you for making my life simple right. That's what my family calls me veal oh, but you know one thing for whatever reason, I like to call you Lady K, okay. Okay, that's how I save your name on my phone, oh okay To make it simple and easier for me to remember. You know, self-care is linked with it's kind of close to mental health. According to research, self-care has a great positive impact on mental health.

Speaker 2

Will you agree? Absolutely, absolutely. You could have the worst day ever where things just were not going right left to right. And you go take a shower, come out, you know, put on your self-care, cleans and take care of yourself, fix up your hair, even if you don't do a whole, just a little lip gloss and maybe a little foundation, which is a protection for your skin, throw on something doesn't have to be, even if it's a jogging suit that you love. It just changes everything. It makes you feel like, okay, I can take the world on now, whatever is going on, I can do this, I can do it, I'm ready to kick it Right, exactly.

Speaker 1

And it's funny you mentioned that. For whatever reason, whenever that I you know, if I wake up and I feel a little bit down, I love to take a shower with shower gel. For whatever reason, yes.

Speaker 2

I don't care for the bar soap, but shower gel.

Speaker 1

I'll buy all different flavors and I just take a nice hot shower and I love, like you know, like nice body cream, the really scented one. I'll put some body cream, yes, the really scented one. I'll put some body cream. I'll put some good perfume and I'll wear something, even something casual, kind of like put some music, and before I even know it, my mood will change.

Speaker 2

Amen Absolutely.

Speaker 1

I'm happy that you mentioned earlier. Sometimes you don't need to do it for somebody. You don't need to do it to please anyone Because at the end of the day, I may do it to please you, you may not even care, but if I do it for myself, to elevate my spirit, my mood, I'll benefit from it.

Speaker 2

This is so true, yes, yes, and it really does have that impact.

Speaker 1

And when we talk about self-care, we're not talking about self-care for only for women, correct, it goes for both men and women.

Speaker 2

Absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 1

It's like as a man, if you wake up, you do certain things. You make sure you have a nice haircut. You kind of clean out nice Right, you know Right.

Speaker 2

You're gonna feel good yes.

Speaker 1

You know You're gonna feel good and you don't need to do it for a girl. You don't need to do it to impress anybody at your work True, but you're doing it just for your own self. Yeah, and it's very important, very, very, very important for people to invest in themselves. I understand that we live in a country where the cost of living is crazy, but we can still save a little $20. You may not be able to go to Chano or Hermes or Louis Vuitton or Balenciaga or Christian Liboutin, but there are other places. Even if you go to Walgreens, regular pharmacy, get something for $5, $2. You can have a nice makeup, you know. To kind of boost yourself, save some money. Go to the beauty salon.

Speaker 2

Yes.

Speaker 1

Have some, you know, nice manicure and pedicure, and it goes for both men and women. So relaxing. You know, sometimes, you know, some men tend to say you know what? Oh, it's a women thing. No, when you do it, you're going to feel good. I remember one time I went to the nail place and I saw three men. No, it was four of them. It was a father with his three sons.

Speaker 2

Wow, awesome.

Speaker 1

Man, they were at the nail place, they had a blast, and at that nail place they also serve wine, okay, and each of them had a glass of wine and I'm like, now you force me, guys, to train you. It seemed like a party, right. I really enjoyed that moment, you know, with them at the nail place and we spoke about self-care, the importance of self-care, yes, and they were like, oh, you know what, we big on that. We do our nails every other week. And I'm like, oh, so who? Now I have to change because I do my every other week. Okay, so it's very important because he makes you feel good. Yes, when you wake up, you dress nice, you take a nice shower. Many times I see you. I thought you were going to a wedding.

Speaker 2

I remember one time you know, when I met with you, you know and I'm like oh hey yo, why you think you were going.

Speaker 1

So you dress like that just to me. But you know but the joy the smile that you had on your face that day. It makes you feel good, even if you're not going outside, even if you're gonna spend the entire day in the house, do things that can boost your spirit. It's very important, and some people they go to the gym, some people will go to a yoga practice.

Speaker 2

I love Zumba. That's my choice of exercise because I love to dance, and so Zumba is like dancing.

Speaker 1

Yes.

Speaker 2

You know. So my thing is to go three times a week, and when I miss I feel the difference in my body, even in my spirit, how I feel, you know. And so, um, it's very important to find some type of you know, physical activity that you know you can tap into, at least on a weekly basis and physical exercise.

Mental Health and Self-Care Connection

Speaker 1

You know kind of help you with some anxiety and stress exactly. Oh man, yes, it does so let me start with my questions now. Okay, so how do you prioritize your mental health and what are the strategies do you find most effective?

Speaker 2

Okay. So first and foremost okay, I didn't mention this about myself I am a born again Christian. I was raised Catholic and a coworker nurse, when we had evening clinic, invited me to come to her church that night. We finished early and I said, why not? And I love the service. I loved everything about it and I was going to the mass and going to service every Sunday. You know, until one day God said you could decide it's gonna be fine. And so I love praising and worshiping God through music, through how I live my life, through letting him use me for others in whatever way, and first and foremost is my prayer. Life I love to, all it is is talking to God. Prayer is talking to God and when you build a relationship there's nothing like it. You don't have to speak to anybody else. You don't have to I mean, sometimes we do to get advice.

Speaker 1

Some people are professional. You can play a major role into taking care of others.

Speaker 2

Exactly Taking care of yourself, exactly Because you create time.

Speaker 1

You know to be in silence. You know to pray the God that you love.

Speaker 2

Amen, amen. And you know I respect all faiths, okay, but I think it's so important when you do have, you know, a relationship with a spiritual being that you can pray, to talk to and feel good when you're done, and feel peace, you know, and love and joy. Of course I love life and I love to enjoy life. People sometimes say aren't you ever sad?

Speaker 1

Yes, there are times, especially when there are times and I, like you know, when you mentioned when you have a relationship yes, amen, you know with God, because we all can go to church. Yes, just by going to church it doesn't mean that you have a relationship Amen with God. But when you create that relationship, that bond, you're going to feel like a different person.

Speaker 2

Yes, yes, and I have to just mention, okay, that you know, when I was younger, as a child I don't want anyone to misunderstand In the faith when I was raised Catholic, I wasn't really taught relationship with God. I thought God was out there, I was here. However, I realized that it is taught relationship with God, and even more and more now in the Catholic faith are they showing and teaching relationship with the Lord, and so I wanted to make sure I correct that.

Prayer and Spiritual Wellness

Speaker 1

But I I became a born-again Christian almost 30 years ago oh, you know for me, you know who have always been a Catholic person and I've always been part of groups in church relationship. I don't know if you just go to church, you know every Sunday you may miss that. But when you are part of just go to church, you know every Sunday you may miss that. But when you are part of a group in the church you know relationship with God will be taught Amen, amen.

Speaker 2

So thank you for affirming that, and that has helped me tremendously being able to know that he's right here with us and I can talk to Him 24-7, 365, when it's a leap year, 366 days a year, and that has been such a wonderful practice of mine to pray anything. I pray with so many people on a daily basis. If you tell me right now, like this morning, I called one of my mentors and she said she had a terrible night. Instantly I went into prayer for her and with her and it helped her. It helped me to see that God is using me. So I believe that that has helped my mental health, you know, okay, and I recommend it.

Speaker 1

Let me tell you something I respect people's choices. I respect all faith, but I always tell people you cannot go wrong with God.

Speaker 2

No.

Speaker 1

If you choose not to serve. I respect that. I'm not God. I'm nobody to tell you what your choices should be, amen. But at the same time I know if you do, you will benefit greatly from it. God has been very powerful in my life. I would not be the person that I am today if God was not dear For me. I would not be the person that I am today if I did not allow him to be the center of my life.

Speaker 2

And I am so on the same page with you. This is what I realized especially recently. Not everyone is on the same page, and so God did give gifts and talents to many, and some have gifts and talents to help people with challenges mental health challenges, all kinds of challenges, financial challenges. He gave us all gifts and talents to be used by him, and so some people, you know, may need a therapy. Some people might need a mentor I have a mentor for my entrepreneurship, and so God uses our gifts and talents and abilities, and so I don't judge anyone for what they need or what they seek or what they do. I do try to influence people, though, to build a relationship with God and pray, because of how it has impacted my life.

Speaker 1

But you know what? Mentioning about self-care. So, while you may, he doesn't have to be directly with yourself, he can be with others as well. I've seen that, the way that you always look beautiful, you're taking care of yourself.

Speaker 1

So it's a way to empower me, but at the same time I may not be in the mood or what have you, or feel so down and I don't know how to embrace it. But you can come and teach me the value of taking care of myself and all the benefits that may come with it, because that way kind of invest in other people, so showing them how to taking care of themselves. It's a great thing to do and, believe it or not, you may think there are people out there who don't need it, or people may not have a need for it. You'll be surprised how many people will benefit from the help of other people to learn how to take care of themselves.

Speaker 2

Yes, yeah, this is so true, so true. I was called on a Sunday for my services. One of my customers said that her daughter was about to lose her job because they told her she goes to work tomorrow. And I said but I don't work on Sundays, you know. But then she says oh no, you've got to make an exception. I felt, you know, okay, I'm going to go.

Speaker 1

You feel compelled.

Speaker 2

Right and I went that evening and I spent quite a bit of time with her teaching her about the skin care even color, you know and the next day her mom called me and thanked me and said that she did not wash her face in the morning because she didn't want to change.

Speaker 2

She didn't want to take off what she had on because she didn't know she could repeat it, you know. And so nevertheless, I don't recommend that, but that's what she did. And then the mom told me, you know, she went on the train and she was getting compliments from men and she went to work and everybody was surprised and she kept her job. So, you know, it does make a difference.

Speaker 1

It does, and I'm glad that you mentioned that. So it's a job related situation, but that could have been, you know, like a marriage or a simple relationship between a man and a woman. Yes, because it's like often time I've heard men complaining about their partners, their wife or partners. You know who's not taking care of themselves, or women complaining about men who tend to not taking care of themselves. So, before even knowing, they start complaining today. They complain. Keep on going on, keep on going on so true.

Speaker 1

Sooner or later. So the cheating will come to play a role into that relationship, and before they even you know. Only God knows what the worst would be. So it's important you know.

Speaker 1

So it's like as a girlfriend, as a partner, a wife, I don't know. Whatever the title may be, because nowadays there are so many titles, I don't want to get confused. I want to respect everybody, right, you know title. So whichever title that you may use in that relationship, so it's important to taking care of yourself, because if don't tell me, oh, I'm in the house, I can have the liberty not to look decent, I can have the liberty to you. Know you, hey, you spend the night in a nightgown or a pj set, and so it's five o'clock.

Speaker 1

The next day and you're still wearing that and so you didn't even bother. You know to go to the bathroom and take a good shower change and you know I don't ask you to wear makeup, right? I'm not saying that you should do it for the other person you're doing it for yourself, but the other person who lives in the house or who around you.

Speaker 1

we can benefit from it Because don't just wake up, and you know, you had one sex, you know blue, the other one is red, so you walking around with no bra. So I understand, there are times where if you are cleaning, so it's a different ball game.

Speaker 2

So, even if you are cleaning, you still can be decent. Right.

The Power of Meditation

Speaker 1

And you have clothes that is whipping all over. So, come on, present yourself in a certain way to be comfortable, to suit your own mood or and make the other people around you comfortable. I always tell people you don't need to look flashy, you don't need to dress, you know, with fancy clothes, but you can look presentable and decent. Amen, yeah, you know yes. So I will not ask people to go and buy Baccarat Rouge or those iron brand perfume. But hey, a simple dove deodorant, you know, can put me in Can go a long way.

Speaker 2

It lasts me at least 24 hours.

Speaker 1

So when I sit next to you, I will not make you uncomfortable, and so and I do if I do like this, I'll be happy and comfortable with the smell of my own body. Yeah, you know, all of those need to be taken into consideration. Yes, people tend to take things lightly, but at the end of the day, we can do better.

Speaker 2

Absolutely.

Speaker 1

We can do better, so when I hear people say oh, you know what, so I have three kids, I don't have time to do this. I know women who have five kids, seven kids, but they still keep good hygiene of themselves Because they know, at the end of the day, the outcome of feeling that good the entire family will benefit from it. So they will be more positive for the partner, they will be more positive for the partner, they will be more positive for their children and there will be less stress involved. Talking about stress, how do you normally manage stress and anxiety?

Speaker 2

on a daily basis. Okay, well, there are a few ways. First and foremost, again, prayer and reading my word, my Bible. I open it every day and read the word. It doesn't have to be a long, sometimes I just read a proverb, or I might read a psalm, or just a couple of paragraphs. You know, and it's so funny, I have two ministers, two reverends that every day I met one through some event I don't even remember, and another one she became my customer but both of them send me devotions every single day, and so I read the devotion. Sometimes I miss three days, but I always read every one of them.

Speaker 2

When I do read, it's almost like I mean it is, you know, the spirit of the Lord knows what you need, when you need it, and when I read it it's right on point. Okay, okay, then you do meditation too. I was just about to say I just sit still and focus, you know, on the day that passed and the day to come, and what was I to learn from it. And I just sit still to hear, not an audible voice I can't say I haven't heard audible, some people have, I haven't but just to feel, and that's how I mean by hearing feel the Spirit of the Lord. Give me peace, you know, about whatever it is I'm questioning. Whatever it is that's ahead of me, you know, and it helps me to start my day excited about the day, you know, and thanking for waking up.

Speaker 1

Yeah, because Some people don't wake up, because meditation plays a major role in reducing stress and anxiety, and I have to admit I just recently have embraced that, recently embraced meditation, and there are other things like the exercising, dancing. I love music. What was the?

Speaker 2

reason why, if I may ask yes, you say you just embraced that.

Speaker 1

So what was the reason why?

Speaker 2

I'll be honest. My son, my eldest, my firstborn son, came over one day and he went into the backyard and he took one of his sons with him, my grandson, and I says, what are you doing? He says we're going out to meditate. We're going outside to meditate. And I thought, hmm, and that was like a year ago, and I thought you know what? I'm always talking to him, I'm never being still to meditate and hear from him and to also know what I'm doing, what I'm feeling, you know, is it right, is it wrong, is there indifference, and feel that peace. And so from that day on that's why they say iron sharpens iron I learned from my son, my firstborn, and you know it changed my perspective and it changed a lot in my life, because it's so important to be able to be still, you know.

Finding Peace Through Stillness

Speaker 1

And there's a scripture that says be still and know that I am God. Meditation is a very powerful tool that people can use to alleviate stress, anxiety and even some symptoms of depression. And I remember, oh Lord, that was like over 20 years ago. I was in Italy and where I stay, it was at one of the Mother Teresa houses and they had the border of Calcutta and one day one of them was going to the church for meditation and invited me, along with his sister, and I went. I was young at that time, I was in my 20s, and I'm like, oh Lord, what the heck am I following the nun? For? So the nun's going to pray for the entire day? So I joke in my head that way. So we went to the church and, girl, we lasted almost two hours. It was the silence, this serenity. I felt that I was at peace. I never felt peace like that in my entire life. I must say I fell in love with meditation that day in Italy.

Speaker 2

Praise God, okay.