On Balance.
Download MP3Alexis Grant 0:00
Hi, I'm Alexis.
Hamsata Mazou 0:02
And I'm Hamsata.
Jeanine Ikekhua 0:03
And I'm Jeanine. And you're tuned into WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1. Thanks for listening.
Alexis Grant 0:19
Hi, everybody. Today, we have a little shorter of a podcast for you.
Jeanine Ikekhua 0:23
Ugh. Tears.
Alexis Grant 0:24
So if you want to go back and listen to our other ones, because you haven't listened to them yet, you could do that. Because I know you're gonna want to hear our voices more.
Jeanine Ikekhua 0:32
Yeah, of course.
Alexis Grant 0:33
It's really just like that. But today, we're just gonna talk about balancing life. That's really what we talking about. And let's get straight into it. Do you guys feel like your life is balanced?
Jeanine Ikekhua 0:44
No.
Hamsata Mazou 0:44
I do not.
Jeanine Ikekhua 0:45
I feel like, I feel like life is divided into like, your personal well being in terms of like your mental health, and like your physical well being. And then I feel like there's, like, your social life, which is like outside of that. And then there's like academics and, like, school. We haven't talked much for like a while, but like-
Alexis Grant 1:02
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 1:02
-one has to suffer
Alexis Grant 1:03
One.
Jeanine Ikekhua 1:04
And for me, like academics will always be the best part of my life. And, like, my mental health- it really will be. And my mental health and social life will always take the downside.
Alexis Grant 1:14
So, I mean, we can jump into that. So there's this one, you know, there's different like, balancing charts, whatever, but one of them is the four burners. So one of them is friends, mental health-
Hamsata Mazou 1:27
Ooh, burners, that's good.
Alexis Grant 1:28
-family, and career.
Jeanine Ikekhua 1:30
Uh, I like the way that it's like burners, because they do take energy from you.
Alexis Grant 1:34
Yeah, so the thing is like, not all four burners can ever be on full power at the same time.
Hamsata Mazou 1:39
So at most you can have three with this?
Alexis Grant 1:41
At most it's three, but even those are not full so it's like you can have, like, either two on full and two off, or one on full and two like-
Hamsata Mazou 1:49
Somewhat.
Alexis Grant 1:50
-hot and one off, like. So what do you feel like your balance is between those categories?
Hamsata Mazou 1:57
Right now?
Alexis Grant 1:58
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:00
I feel like family is always like, not hmm, I feel like family for me is always low maintenance because, like, they know that Imma always be there, so I don't have to burn as much, but like I still message them. I think friends, they're just like a part of my everyday life so-
Hamsata Mazou 2:14
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:15
-they get the burner too. It wasn't, what were the two other ones? Friends, family?
Alexis Grant 2:18
Mental health and career. So-
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:20
Mental, mental's not on-
Alexis Grant 2:20
Career would be academics for us right now.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:23
Mental health is not on academics. It's a shameful flame.
Alexis Grant 2:26
Oh.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:27
Mental, mental health is like, like, you know how you can blow out a candle like, just with one half a blow, it's gone.
Alexis Grant 2:33
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:33
That's, that's the mental health.
Hamsata Mazou 2:34
Oh so it's flickering.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:36
Not even flickering like-
Alexis Grant 2:37
It's off.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:38
-yeah. Sometimes it comes on but like-
Alexis Grant 2:41
Just for the moment.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:41
It's like poof.
Alexis Grant 2:44
Oh my gosh.
Jeanine Ikekhua 2:45
And then it's gone.
Alexis Grant 2:47
What about you?
Hamsata Mazou 2:49
I really would like a pen and paper for this. Okay, I'm trying to imagine it in my head.
Alexis Grant 2:53
Okay. Family, friends, career, mental health.
Hamsata Mazou 2:56
Family. I feel like family is like, mostly off for the most part. I turn it on at times, again like, my family knows, you know, I just do my little calls or whatever. Mom be like, "you don't like me, cuz you don't call me every day." I'm like, no, I'm busy. I like you though, you know.
Alexis Grant 3:11
Yeah, you cool, you cool peoples.
Hamsata Mazou 3:13
You know that. We live together, you know. Um, friends, literally embedded in my life, you know, so I see them on a frequent basis, you know, so I feel like that burner is on. But not necessarily by like, proactively trying to put it on. It's just like, I see my friends, I hang out with them, you know?
Jeanine Ikekhua 3:29
Yeah, they're just surrou-, like, you're surrounded by them.
Hamsata Mazou 3:31
So I feel like if that could be on, like, medium heat. That's where I put them at, you know. Kind of like they there, they there, they not. I'm not out here looking for them. I'm cool with myself too, you know. And then academics. Hmm. A little bit more than medium, but it's not on high. I'll tell you that for a fact. Because my mental health, it's pretty good.
Alexis Grant 3:53
If your mental health is on high-
Jeanine Ikekhua 3:55
That's honestly, that's very, very good.
Alexis Grant 3:57
-yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 3:57
It's, it's pretty good. I'm just like, you know, but like, maybe in the moments of me taking my exams.
Alexis Grant 4:05
Oh, so in this current moment, it's not at it's-
Hamsata Mazou 4:08
No, right now I'm fine.
Jeanine Ikekhua 4:09
Oh no, I agree actually.
Hamsata Mazou 4:10
But like, when I'm in test mode, like I'm out here taking that test. That is not super high.
Alexis Grant 4:16
Oh, not in the actual moment of the test, just like you need to think about it a little more.
Hamsata Mazou 4:20
Outside of that? Oh, yeah, I'm just saying like, it's cool up until that moment, that's when it's like-
Alexis Grant 4:24
That's like test anxiety though and, like, stress.
Hamsata Mazou 4:26
That's true, but also sometimes I feel like, unprepared, because I am unprepared, because I like prioritize my mental health more than my academics at times.
Alexis Grant 4:32
Yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 4:33
So then I'm just like-
Alexis Grant 4:33
Me too.
Hamsata Mazou 4:34
-sometimes I prioritize my friends more than my academics too. But honestly, I'd be like-
Alexis Grant 4:38
Really?
Hamsata Mazou 4:39
Academic stuff stays at a smooth medium. Like I definitely don't let, like.
Alexis Grant 4:43
Mine is all over the place. I'm not gonna lie, it's horrible.
Hamsata Mazou 4:46
I'm gonna let one class be like, the bad class and the rest of them are like, pretty good.
Alexis Grant 4:49
Yeah. Yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 4:49
Like one class is kind of like a-
Alexis Grant 4:51
There's always one class suffering. No, not a "mmm" for me. Suffering.
Hamsata Mazou 4:55
Oh, mine is like more of like a mmm, like it's like a-
Alexis Grant 4:58
Because there's always one class that's like,
Hamsata Mazou 4:59
-could have potentially done better, but like-
Alexis Grant 5:02
No, there's always one that's like, dang, I just gotta throw you away.
Hamsata Mazou 5:05
Oh, I don't do that. Like, so maybe like, my academics might be a little bit higher than Lexi's.
Alexis Grant 5:12
Yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 5:13
But yeah, that's how mine would look. And then, so my burners, I feel like they kind of go on and off for the most part, you know, like if I'm like, academics mode, even then, yeah, like if I'm straight academics mode, like, I know, I've been like, wilding with like, friends and mental health. I might put those to the side and go straight academics, you know. But, the moment right now, they definitely like medium heat right there, where academics, little bit more than medium. So medium high type beat. Not even high, bro. Like a little bit more than medium. I don't know what that is, but medium. Let's just say Medium.
Alexis Grant 5:42
Okay.
Jeanine Ikekhua 5:42
Medium is working.
Alexis Grant 5:43
So like, what do you think- okay, what are you currently prioritizing? And what would you want to prioritize on the burners?
Hamsata Mazou 5:51
Ooh, yeah. What would I want to prioritize?
Jeanine Ikekhua 5:53
What I'm currently prioritizing-
Alexis Grant 5:55
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 5:56
-is academics. And, I think my, mmm, nah, honestly, academics just trumps everything else for me.
Alexis Grant 6:05
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 6:06
What I want to prioritize, over the summer, is my social life and my career.
Alexis Grant 6:13
So what about your flickering mental health?
Jeanine Ikekhua 6:16
Oh, I forgot about that one. And then y'all were like, hold on.
Alexis Grant 6:20
I know, because I was so like,
Jeanine Ikekhua 6:22
Well, here's the thing, right? Me and my friend were talking about this.
Alexis Grant 6:25
You right.
Jeanine Ikekhua 6:26
If everything else is okay, my mental health would be fine. If I'm struggling, academic, my mental is going out the roof.
Alexis Grant 6:32
Right.
Jeanine Ikekhua 6:32
If I'm struggling, career wise, my mental is going to be trash. Like, it's like um, I was talking to my friend and I was just like, when things go wrong, like my, my relationship, is not going to be okay. Like, if I'm sad in aspects of my life, that's gonna spill over into like, my friendships and stuff.
Alexis Grant 6:48
Got it.
Jeanine Ikekhua 6:49
You see what I mean? So like, my academics and my career have to be okay. And then my mental health will be okay. Because if I'm not actively pursuing goals, I feel like I'm not doing enough, then my mental is not going to be okay. But if I feel like I'm doing okay, or good enough, then it will be okay.
Alexis Grant 7:04
Have you ever tried doing the reverse? Where like, your mental health is what's dictating the other things?
Jeanine Ikekhua 7:09
I have. But the thing is, like, I'm so, I'm so academically oriented, because like, during the school year, during the summer, I don't give a goddamn about academics, I put that, I put that on my chest, my, like, I really don't care. So like, I'm fine. And I have less things, like, kind of-
Alexis Grant 7:30
Stressing you.
Jeanine Ikekhua 7:30
Yes. Stressing me out. But during school, because I'm surrounded by it like, that's just like, that has to be okay. And then I'll be okay. Like, I've done the whole, like, mentally I feel okay, but I think I've just been doing the whole academics first and then mental health will be okay. For so long that I, I just-
Alexis Grant 7:47
Don't know how to even go back.
Jeanine Ikekhua 7:48
Yeah, like I don't have the- I don't think I even have the time to go back.
Alexis Grant 7:51
The luxury.
Jeanine Ikekhua 7:52
Yeah like-
Alexis Grant 7:52
Because it is a lux- because like, you have to like, take, you really gotta take like a week, honestly.
Jeanine Ikekhua 7:56
Yeah, like-
Alexis Grant 7:56
Just away from everything.
Jeanine Ikekhua 7:58
-I just don't. Like, the days that I do, I feel like fantastic. But it's like.
Alexis Grant 8:02
Next day hurts.
Jeanine Ikekhua 8:03
Yeah, like the school will always stress me out. And like that, in return, like, will just always make my mental health not good. Like, I can't avoid school. So therefore, like, I'm just not going to be where I want to be in my mental health. Like I'm surviving and thriving, but I'm not where I want to be.
Alexis Grant 8:18
Makes sense. Makes sense. Makes sense. Yeah. It's hard. School don't really care about-I mean, they care about us, but like.
Jeanine Ikekhua 8:25
They don't.
Hamsata Mazou 8:26
Ooh.
Jeanine Ikekhua 8:27
If they did, we wouldn't be here like this.
Hamsata Mazou 8:29
Ooh. I remember somebody asked me this question. I want to like, let you guys, like, propose it to y'all.
Alexis Grant 8:36
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 8:36
Mhm.
Hamsata Mazou 8:36
They're like, how come we don't have like, mental health days?
Alexis Grant 8:40
Some colleges do. But it's only-
Hamsata Mazou 8:42
I'm talking about us.
Alexis Grant 8:43
Oh.
Hamsata Mazou 8:43
Like, let's take that out the window. Why don't we, like,
Jeanine Ikekhua 8:46
Ourselves.
Alexis Grant 8:46
Oh I do. Who says I don't?
Hamsata Mazou 8:49
Yeah, but I'm saying like, why doesn't the school mandate, like,
Alexis Grant 8:52
Okay, so you are talking about the school?
Hamsata Mazou 8:53
Yeah.
Alexis Grant 8:54
Oh.
Jeanine Ikekhua 8:54
I thought you were talking about like, personally.
Alexis Grant 8:56
Yeah. Cuz you said forget about that. So.
Hamsata Mazou 8:58
Oh, I thought you were trying to bring in other institutions when you said school.
Alexis Grant 9:01
Yeah, because I was about to explain why NC State doesn't. Because the schools that do, they only do it because their suicide rates are so high.
Hamsata Mazou 9:08
Yeah, that's what I was telling my friend too. That's exactly what I told her. But I was just like, asking y'all like, yeah.
Alexis Grant 9:13
I mean, I'm not in charge. So I can't tell you why they don't do it. But.
Hamsata Mazou 9:16
Like, yeah, let's go back to the personal level too, like, you guys.
Alexis Grant 9:19
Okay. Personally, I do.
Jeanine Ikekhua 9:20
I do, but then I face the repercussions after.
Alexis Grant 9:22
Yeah. And it's like, it's more the build up for me to take the mental health day I'm re- it's like, with my repercussions, because it's like, I'll try to fight through it, for maybe like a week. And that week is me fighting and just feeling horrible, but also getting nothing done. And then I give up and I'll take one day break where I purposely don't do anything. And I'll be good after that. But then it's like, instead of just taking that one day off earlier, and now I'm behind a week.
Jeanine Ikekhua 9:22
Yeah.
Alexis Grant 9:28
Because I tried to push through it. Because sometimes I can push through it, but sometimes I can't. I'm screwed.
Jeanine Ikekhua 9:54
No, I agree. Like I try to, I remember- oh my gosh. I will never forget this day. It was senior year of high school. I had an AP exam. No, I had um, a biology, AP biology exam, I had the SATs, and I had a paper due, all in like the same, like, like within like, two, no, within the same day. And like the, sorry, the, the AP exam, the exam was on a Saturday, I believe- no, the SAT was on a Saturday- I'm going back and forth. The SAT was on a Saturday, the exam was on a Friday. And like, I was trying to push my exam up so that I could just focus on the SATs, because, I'll be very frank with you. The SATs are like, extremely important. Like, I need that to go to college. And I asked my teacher for, to like, move it up.
Alexis Grant 10:41
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 10:42
She looked me in my face and was like, Well, you know, other people are taking SATs and like, they haven't asked for an extension. So like, basically, why are you asking for an extension.
Alexis Grant 10:50
It's not even an extension, you're asking to take it early.
Jeanine Ikekhua 10:52
I'm just like-
Alexis Grant 10:53
That's the crazy part.
Jeanine Ikekhua 10:55
-regardless, I'm just like,
Hamsata Mazou 10:56
Why does that matter what other people do? You're just trying to prioritize your-
Jeanine Ikekhua 10:59
-that was really a, I, when I tell you from that day on, I just don't trust white teachers. But um, yeah, like, from that day on, I just have a very hard time with asking for, like, Can I get an extension, or like,
Alexis Grant 11:11
I have a hard time with that too, but-
Jeanine Ikekhua 11:12
She ruined that for me.
Alexis Grant 11:13
-I have a problem with like, educative authority. Like I just.
Jeanine Ikekhua 11:17
It can be so annoying.
Alexis Grant 11:18
It's not cuz they're annoying. It's like fear. Like, I get scared.
Jeanine Ikekhua 11:22
Oh, fear?
Alexis Grant 11:22
Yes.
Jeanine Ikekhua 11:22
I've noticed that in a lot of people, like a lot of my teachers be like, I don't want to ask for help, like, I don't want to go there. I'm like, nah, Imma bother my teacher.
Alexis Grant 11:29
I feel like a lot of people, that's because of like, humility and like stuff like, no, mine's straight up fear. Like. Like when I was younger, and when I say, younger, I don't even mean like, like elementary school, like, I had this problem in middle school. And even in high school before, like, I had to talk to the teacher about something, I would start crying. Like, it's like a fear-fear. I don't know, I think part of it's because my mom's a teacher, and I respected my mom so highly growing up and stuff like that. And it like, kind of carried over to all educators. Because I really do value them. And like, I don't know, it's like, oh, like, in my head. Like, they have more authority than the police does.
Jeanine Ikekhua 12:09
No, they actually do. Like, if you think about it, they really do, like.
Hamsata Mazou 12:11
Their impact and stuff like that.
Jeanine Ikekhua 12:12
Yeah.
Alexis Grant 12:13
I'm talking about even immediately, like, like, even immediate response. Like I, I don't know what it is, like, I just relate, so like, trying to do stuff like that is really, really hard for me. And like, it'll get me in bad situations. Like, there's situations I could have got off with so easily, but I just didn't because I just couldn't stomach even emailing my teacher. Because it caused me so much anxiety.
Jeanine Ikekhua 12:35
We need to, we need to fix that. Because the-
Alexis Grant 12:37
I know.
Jeanine Ikekhua 12:38
-the more we stay in college, like, you're gonna need it.
Alexis Grant 12:40
No, it's already messing me up. I've already set myself up for failure a couple times.
Jeanine Ikekhua 12:45
No, we gotta change that.
Alexis Grant 12:45
I've gotten better. Like I don't cry. But like, I'll just avoid it.
Jeanine Ikekhua 12:53
We gotta change that. Imma just stop that.
Alexis Grant 12:55
Ba ba ba ba.
Jeanine Ikekhua 12:55
Me and Hamsata finna change that.
Alexis Grant 12:57
Ba ba ba ba. Sorry.
Jeanine Ikekhua 12:59
I was gonna say, you reflecting.
Alexis Grant 13:01
Maybe just a little bit.
Jeanine Ikekhua 13:02
You reflecting.
Alexis Grant 13:03
Little bit. Just a little bit. Ah. But yeah, I wish that what teachers did, maybe individually, is like, give us like, five-
Jeanine Ikekhua 13:14
Mental health days.
Alexis Grant 13:15
Yeah, where it's like, we pick a day. And we can pick it after, cuz sometimes like, when you're going through a bad day, you just can't contact anybody.
Jeanine Ikekhua 13:23
Yeah, have to know your mind.
Hamsata Mazou 13:26
I feel like-
Alexis Grant 13:26
So if, if it was like a situation where it's like, okay, like you got a day. And it's just like, if it's any project, or anything to do like that, like it's, it just gets pushed back a day. Or like, if there was assignments, like in class that day, it's just a wash.
Jeanine Ikekhua 13:39
I was about to say, if it's like a group project, then maybe like-
Alexis Grant 13:43
Okay-
Jeanine Ikekhua 13:44
-but if it's just like, you.
Alexis Grant 13:44
Yeah, but it's just you, like-
Jeanine Ikekhua 13:46
Yeah, yeah.
Alexis Grant 13:47
Yeah like, that'd be nice. That'd be so nice. And I feel like it'd be more motivating for me to do my stuff, because I would want to save those days.
Jeanine Ikekhua 13:56
No, yeah, I agree.
Alexis Grant 13:58
I had, I can't remember what- I had something like that. Like, oh, yeah, highschool, a few of my teachers had these, like, passes, like, you got three passes. And if you didn't use them, for some of them, if you didn't use them, it was an extra credit.
Hamsata Mazou 14:10
Extra credit.
Alexis Grant 14:10
Yeah. Like, I miss stuff like that. And I understand that's hard to do when you have like, 300 students, trying to keep track of that is a lot. But like, I don't know, like, that'd be so beneficial as a student.
Jeanine Ikekhua 14:22
My teacher had that.
Hamsata Mazou 14:23
I feel like it could be part, like, you know how like, big classes have the little code thing you do attendance?
Alexis Grant 14:28
Yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 14:28
I think-
Alexis Grant 14:29
Tophat?
Hamsata Mazou 14:29
Yeah.
Alexis Grant 14:30
So like, you type it in the tophat, like, they offer something.
Jeanine Ikekhua 14:33
Yeah. Or even just like, I was thinking like a running document of like, each day, and like ticks and x's, like ticks and blanks wherever, like, you want to take your mental health day off. And like, I feel like, I feel like there's an easy way to do it-
Alexis Grant 14:46
There is.
Jeanine Ikekhua 14:46
It will take an extra mile, which I understand that some teachers don't want to do, at the same time like, work with me. Like, just work with me.
Hamsata Mazou 14:53
Yeah. But also, like, they don't, I feel like they don't get like, as compensated as they need to to even like, venture out and do-
Jeanine Ikekhua 14:58
Hold on. No.
Alexis Grant 14:58
Oh, no, no, it depends.
Jeanine Ikekhua 15:00
Because there's teachers, and then there's professors. There's teachers in this, but I don't know how professors work.
Alexis Grant 15:05
It's, okay. There's levels to that. Some of them, some of them aren't compensated that much. It depends on how they're, like, connected to the school. I don't know the official wording, if they're here for like, research, and they teach on the side, that's different cuz they're getting money from-
Jeanine Ikekhua 15:18
Yeah, that's like graduate students, like my COM 110 professor.
Alexis Grant 15:21
Not even graduate, like just straight up professors. Yeah, some of them just straight up professors, they tend to do more specialized classes, but they're here solely as like a, not solely, but they're here as like, an employee to do research for the school.
Hamsata Mazou 15:33
Yeah.
Alexis Grant 15:34
And then they do some classes on the side. And then there's the people who are just full time professors through the school. And then there's like, a third option, I can't remember. Because my grandfather's a professor, and one of my best friends, her dad's a professor, so I can't remember which one is which. But one of them, they do get a lot of money. I think it might be the research one. Because it's like, the school is providing them with everything. They just have to do some classes here and there. I could be wrong, but some of them aren't getting compensated that much like, like, more than a teacher, but like, it's not like I'm making big bank.
Hamsata Mazou 16:04
To me, I'm thinking teacher. I don't know, when I think of education system, I usually just think of elementary, middle, high school for some reason.
Jeanine Ikekhua 16:10
Yeah. And then like, college, to me, is completely different.
Hamsata Mazou 16:12
Yeah, like college. Yeah. So like, when I said that, I was thinking like, that, and like those teachers, like-
Alexis Grant 16:17
Oh, I'm thinking of us in college.
Hamsata Mazou 16:18
-some of them are really like, really want to do more. But it's only so much that they can do.
Alexis Grant 16:23
Oh, that's true. They have a lot of red tape.
Hamsata Mazou 16:26
Yeah, that too.
Alexis Grant 16:27
They have a lot of red tape. Even when it comes to like, things they can teach on curriculum and stuff like that.
Jeanine Ikekhua 16:31
Critical Race Theory.
Alexis Grant 16:33
Yeah, I was thinking about that.
Hamsata Mazou 16:34
That's like, Florida, right?
Alexis Grant 16:35
It's multiple people. I don't even.
Jeanine Ikekhua 16:37
Florida's like the "don't say gay" ban. But.
Alexis Grant 16:40
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 16:41
I will put this on radio and I'm really not scared. Governor- not Governor. Ron DeSantis. You are the worst governor in the history of Florida governors. You take the cake on that piece, but moving on.
Alexis Grant 16:51
Wow.
Jeanine Ikekhua 16:52
And I meant that.
Alexis Grant 16:53
Oh, blow out your candle. Blow out your candle. Okay, so, something that I do, I haven't done in a while, I'm thinking about doing it. Have y'all ever done social detox?
Jeanine Ikekhua 17:04
Yes.
Alexis Grant 17:04
I was about to say, Jeanine, you lowkey kind of live your life as a social detox a little bit.
Jeanine Ikekhua 17:10
Um, I think I'm on social media. I just don't make, and like, I don't leave my prints. So it's so funny because like, to most people, like, she don't be liking nothing. I be liking. I see everything. I don't acknowledge everything.
Alexis Grant 17:23
Yeah, it makes sense.
Jeanine Ikekhua 17:24
But like, I'm there. I see what y'all are doing. But like, you may just not see the like, see the thing, but. No, yeah, but social detox is good. But it's I take a phone detox.
Alexis Grant 17:38
Yeah. I've done that too.
Jeanine Ikekhua 17:38
So I step away. I think because I give so much energy to my friends and my family.
Alexis Grant 17:39
And it's through your phone.
Jeanine Ikekhua 17:42
Yeah. No, to my friends specifically, on social media sometimes. I take a step away from my friends. Like for a week. Like I go silent, which is what I did on my- hm, they came back. But I take a week off from my friends for a couple of days, and I let them know that I'm about to get up and leave. And they know that's how I roll.
Alexis Grant 18:04
I got you. I mean, you're not that super active on social.
Hamsata Mazou 18:07
Yeah, you don't like social media. You posted on your private story for like, the first time in a while. I was like, oh my god.
Alexis Grant 18:11
I know bruh. I was like, I didn't even know I was on here, I didn't know this existed.
Hamsata Mazou 18:14
Okay, it's definitely existed, because you're on the spring break one too, because you're like, make sure you posted, I added you to that.
Alexis Grant 18:19
Oh yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 18:22
I like posting on Snapchat and my story, but it's also in phases, like, they'll be like, less than a week to be honest. I'll post consistently. Good content too. And then I'll stop. It's moreso like, I guess like, being around Julie the last few days and seeing like, how you do like, the cute artsy stuff. I'm like, I kind of wanna get back into it. And like, also I found like, an interest in like media, and like film and stuff, like I went to second floor of Witherspoon and like, did like a little video montage of like, creating each artwork adding like a little song to it and stuff, like, I really like doing this, I want to like, start doing it more, so like, my private was kind of my practice, probably gonna stop because I need to do more schoolwork now.
Jeanine Ikekhua 18:14
No, yes.
Alexis Grant 19:02
Ooh, that April dump got me in a chokehold. I'm about to spend three, four hours on it.
Jeanine Ikekhua 19:06
As you should, like it makes you happy, by all means.
Alexis Grant 19:07
I do though. It does, it makes me so happy. Like, I just need the photos I need to be on there.
Hamsata Mazou 19:11
I do those but like, after like. So I have like, an account on Instagram. That's like, nobody has access to it. I kind of just photo dump memories and stuff on there. It's kind of like a photo collage. So like, if I ever lose my phone. But I do like the April dumps and stuff on that. I don't do it on my actual stuff, because I don't know, in my head, sometimes I'm like, nobody wants to see about your life. So just don't post it.
Alexis Grant 19:32
They do. Here's the thing, this is how I feel.
Hamsata Mazou 19:35
Or, sometimes, I don't want everybody to know about my life.
Alexis Grant 19:37
OK.
Jeanine Ikekhua 19:37
I think that's me.
Alexis Grant 19:38
But like, especially when it comes to people, like, who don't post. If I'm following you, it's because I do want to see when you post. Because if you don't post often, I'll just unfollow you.
Hamsata Mazou 19:48
Really.
Alexis Grant 19:50
Like, there's people I've even met in person, like, they're like, follow me. I'll follow them for a while but if they have zero posts, I'll unfollow them. Because why am I. Like no, you're looking at me crazy, but why am I following you?
Jeanine Ikekhua 19:58
Nah, because you finna unfollow me?
Alexis Grant 20:00
Nah, nah, because when you do post, I'm gonna want to see it.
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:00
Oh, I post.
Hamsata Mazou 20:05
No, I feel like you do well with your story.
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:07
Yeah, I repost a lot.
Alexis Grant 20:08
Yeah, but I'm talking about posts on Instagram too.
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:12
I be scared though, like, I have social media anxiety.
Hamsata Mazou 20:14
But, you're on my private, on, like, my close friends on instagram.
Alexis Grant 20:17
But like, y'all, I'm talking about like, there's, like, like, I'm talking about the people who have zero photos.
Hamsata Mazou 20:21
I have zero photos on my Instagram.
Alexis Grant 20:23
Yeah, but like, I want to see when you post, and like, I'm friends,
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:26
Because you know it's coming.
Alexis Grant 20:28
I'm gonna force y'all to post at some point.
Hamsata Mazou 20:30
Umm.
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:31
Let's end our friendship. Nah, I'm playing.
Alexis Grant 20:33
I've forced friends to post before.
Hamsata Mazou 20:35
I know, they were telling me. After my little spring break. They're like, Lexi's gonna force.
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:40
You go places. Nah, I'm on her side you, I feel like you go places that are worthy of pictures.
Alexis Grant 20:43
Yeah, I never went through those spring photos. But we'll talk about that later. We'll talk about this after the podcast.
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:50
You funny.
Alexis Grant 20:50
You funny, hilarious.
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:51
So funny.
Alexis Grant 20:52
Jokester.
Jeanine Ikekhua 20:54
Yeah. Yeah, just sit there and laugh, just sit there and laugh, because we gonna get at you.
Alexis Grant 20:58
Yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 20:59
Um, I think these are really funny comments, that aren't gonna be taken in-
Alexis Grant 21:02
You mean truths? Anyways. But yeah, there's people like, I'll meet one time, like, oh, follow me. Or, like, I have this thing where I have a really hard time not responding to people on Instagram. Like, I don't know, like, I just don't like the notifications there. Because I have hella notifications on my, my phone. Like, all my texts. So like, Instagram is where it's clean. So I'll just, I always, like, I'll always respond, because I feel like leaving you on seen is kind of like, rude.
Jeanine Ikekhua 21:29
It is.
Alexis Grant 21:29
Unless you just piss me off. So there'll be times, like, I respond to people I, like, I don't really know. Or like, they follow me, I don't follow them back. And when they ask me to follow them back, I'll do it. But in the back of my head, I remember who they are just so I can go back later and unfollow them.
Jeanine Ikekhua 21:42
I'm done. I just don't even pay attention to those at that point.
Hamsata Mazou 21:46
Wow. Me too.
Alexis Grant 21:47
Because, especially if it's a compliment, I don't, like,
Jeanine Ikekhua 21:49
Oh, yeah.
Alexis Grant 21:50
Because it'd be a compliment. And I'll respond and they'll be like, Oh, follow me. Yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 21:54
Okay. Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 21:54
I just leave them on delivered.
Alexis Grant 21:55
Yeah. And I'll follow them back-
Jeanine Ikekhua 21:57
Actually, or I- see, I forget.
Alexis Grant 21:58
I can't, like I'll leave it on delivered, even sometimes a month, and I'll always be in the back of my brain, so, I just end up responding.
Jeanine Ikekhua 21:59
Really.
Alexis Grant 21:59
Yes, like, it'll nag me, but like, I'll follow back. But like, I'll remember what your count is. Just because, if we don't start interacting after that, like, I'll give you a chance to start interacting with me. If we don't start interacting after that, why am I following you?
Jeanine Ikekhua 22:16
I agree.
Alexis Grant 22:17
I don't know you. There's no reason me for follow you. Like, it's not even me trying to be disrespectful or anything like that. I just don't know you. You're either cluttering my feed. But if you're not posting, like, there's no reason for me to follow you. It's just unnecessary number. But sometimes it's hard because I be wanting to unfollow people that go to this school, but then I meet them later on, and it be a little awkward.
Hamsata Mazou 22:17
Do people notice that? I don't think people notice if you unfollow them. Because-
Alexis Grant 22:44
I don't know, they might. If you meet them. It's not that, it's, it's the problem that I meet them later in person.
Jeanine Ikekhua 22:50
Yeah.
Alexis Grant 22:51
That's a problem. There's been times I have unfollowed people, but there's been times I unfollowed them and then I met them in person. And then it's like, I see the little follow back button. And they're like, standing right next to me looking at it, I'm like, wow. That's crazy.
Jeanine Ikekhua 23:01
No, I feel like navigating social, social media while being black at NC State, I feel like that's a different ball field. Because I feel like, everybody know everybody. Everybody knows everybody. And it's like-
Alexis Grant 23:11
There's a, there's a need to follow.
Jeanine Ikekhua 23:13
Yes, it's like a, if I've met you once and like I know of you, like follow me. And I don't.
Alexis Grant 23:18
Even if you're just black at NC State, I see you follow me, I'm like, damn, and then I follow back. I feel like, a necessity to.
Hamsata Mazou 23:24
Yeah, or for me, I feel like if a lot of the people I follow, follow you, I'm like, Oh, no brainer, just follow them. Because you're already like-
Alexis Grant 23:32
In the circles.
Hamsata Mazou 23:32
-with like, people.
Alexis Grant 23:33
That's the other thing. That's another reason I like unfollowing people, because then it's like, oh, we have 30 in common, but I don't know 20 of these people.
Jeanine Ikekhua 23:40
Oh, no.
Alexis Grant 23:41
You know what I'm saying, because I keep following people that I don't know because we have mutual.
Jeanine Ikekhua 23:44
See, I never have that.
Alexis Grant 23:45
Mutuals are too- you see what I'm saying.
Hamsata Mazou 23:47
I just created my Instagram too, so it's really just NC State people. Like, my people that are like, back home. I don't think they even know, for real. Like I haven't even posted on like, cuz my main social's probably snap, I haven't posted on there that I have Instagram yet. I don't let people know either.
Alexis Grant 24:01
I'm weak. They don't know. But yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 24:03
Oh, they know now.
Hamsata Mazou 24:05
Don't follow me. Please.
Alexis Grant 24:06
Oh-
Hamsata Mazou 24:07
I'm playing. I play.
Jeanine Ikekhua 24:08
Follow her.
Alexis Grant 24:09
I'm weak.
Hamsata Mazou 24:10
I'm playing, you'll probably find me really easily.
Alexis Grant 24:14
Besides those little habits that you guys have with like, social media and stuff. What are other habits you try to implement to stabilize your life?
Hamsata Mazou 24:21
Wait- I never answered if I did a-
Alexis Grant 24:24
Oh, I'm sorry.
Jeanine Ikekhua 24:24
No, go.
Alexis Grant 24:24
Go crazy.
Hamsata Mazou 24:25
Yeah, um. Oh, the question was just like, I do a social media detox.
Alexis Grant 24:30
Yeah, phone detox. You do those?
Hamsata Mazou 24:33
I don't think I do. But also because I'm not like-
Alexis Grant 24:37
You're on it like that.
Hamsata Mazou 24:37
-a daily, like, user of social media. Like, for me specifically, Instagram. I recently got it because of college, one. And two, I don't really go on there. Unless I'm like, oh, somebody mentions it. And like, oh, I forget I have this app. I'll go on there. I start looking at stories and stuff. Or if I'm like, extremely bored at some point. I go in there and like use it. So that to me is not really social media. Facebook, I go on there. I know it's kind of weird, like Facebook, why, that.
Facebook is important when you're in college, like, it can be really useful from time to time.
I've had that since like high school, because like, all my friends from middle school, before I left to go to Africa, like had it and also-
Jeanine Ikekhua 25:14
Go to where in Africa?
Hamsata Mazou 25:15
Oh, I went to Togo.
Jeanine Ikekhua 25:16
Okay, continue.
Hamsata Mazou 25:17
Oh, uh, they like all had Facebook. So that was like, my way of like, reconnecting with them, you know.
Alexis Grant 25:23
That makes sense.
Hamsata Mazou 25:24
I like seeing that. And I only follow people that I know for the most part. And if I don't, like, Facebook has this feature where you can, like unfollow somebody, but still be friends with them. So they won't show up-
Jeanine Ikekhua 25:33
Oh, really?
Alexis Grant 25:35
Oh.
Jeanine Ikekhua 25:35
I did not know that.
Hamsata Mazou 25:36
-on Facebook, but I'll still be friends with them. But my feed is basically catered to like, my friends from back home, or people that I feel like are from the same school that I went to there, cuz that school has-
Jeanine Ikekhua 25:46
I wish Instagram had that.
Hamsata Mazou 25:47
-this huge lineage of like-
Alexis Grant 25:48
They started that thing where you can favorite accounts, and then you can go to a separate little like, side page, where you can just see your favorites.
Jeanine Ikekhua 25:55
Imma, imma start doing that. Because I, like, there's certain people.
Alexis Grant 25:59
I don't care.
Jeanine Ikekhua 25:59
Yes, where like, I follow you because like, we're in this, like, I know people, know I'm like.
Alexis Grant 26:01
Yeah, we're in the same circles. Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 26:02
They know you, they know you.
My Instagram is like, which I'm glad like, my feed shows me the things I'm more aesthetically inclined towards.
Yeah.
Alexis Grant 26:04
But like, there's some people like, we're not close. And like-
Jeanine Ikekhua 26:06
I don't want to see what you post.
Alexis Grant 26:07
-your posts aren't that interesting to me as far as aesthetic standpoint. And like, since I don't know you, that's all I really care about. So I would want to unfollow you, but might look rude.
Jeanine Ikekhua 26:22
No, I would, I would do that. Because there's some people I see, I'm just like, ugh, why she year? But it's not like, it's just like, I don't want to see your stuff like that.
Hamsata Mazou 26:29
Yeah, so that's why I like Facebook for that. I like go on there, and like look at that. And the snap, for honestly, that's like my mean of communication for people who, I think that's the only way I can really like text through. Other two, I really use Facebook and Snapchat, and on there, like, I like looking through my friends, because that one has like, more of my high school friends. I feel like each social media app for me has different, like, parts of my life that I met people through. So yeah, and that one I like going through that and just watching the stories, but even then, I feel like Snapchat to me, can be quite informative and educational because I like watching the snap stories.
Jeanine Ikekhua 26:29
Yes.
Hamsata Mazou 26:35
I have to describe to people like, that.
Alexis Grant 26:49
I used to-
Hamsata Mazou 26:49
To keep it, people.
Alexis Grant 26:52
I just, Snapchat is just, it's too fast paced for me.
Jeanine Ikekhua 27:08
Yeah, I think that's what it is for me too.
Alexis Grant 27:09
Like, like when I'm using it. I feel like I'm really using it. And then I just don't, like I just don't use it.
Jeanine Ikekhua 27:16
I like the stories, like, I like when it play back, like plays back what you did in March.
Hamsata Mazou 27:20
Yeah, yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 27:22
What did you, you know, what you were doing six years ago?
Hamsata Mazou 27:24
Yeah.
Jeanine Ikekhua 27:24
I'm like, no, let me know.
Alexis Grant 27:27
Have to let me know.
Hamsata Mazou 27:28
But yeah. Because I feel like I'm not a heavy user of social media- I may be, and then I might not notice until I do the detox. Never done it. But I'll be open to doing it. Yeah.
Alexis Grant 27:36
Yeah, it's been very beneficial for me, it's helped me grown a lot. Because there's been times like, it was more like I use social media as like, a way to distract myself. Or like, like, if I'm anxious for like the, what is it, the serotonin, like, because I've done a serotonin detox. If you guys have never done that-
Hamsata Mazou 27:54
I've heard of that.
Alexis Grant 27:54
I would try it.
Hamsata Mazou 27:55
I've heard of that.
Alexis Grant 27:56
So you eliminate basically everything that gives you immediate gratification.
Hamsata Mazou 28:02
Like what?
Alexis Grant 28:03
Like watching TV, any social medias.
Jeanine Ikekhua 28:09
What do I do in the meantime?
Alexis Grant 28:11
You do stuff that's gonna benefit you more in the long run and gives you satisfaction in the long run.
Jeanine Ikekhua 28:15
Like, maybe that's-
Alexis Grant 28:16
So like, more like, more like reading books, like keeping your health up, like-
Hamsata Mazou 28:20
Jeanine.
Alexis Grant 28:21
-doing passion projects. She looks stressed y'all. Jeanine looks so over it already. She hasn't even done this. Like, I'll send you a video. Guys, if you don't know what it is, I think was Matt D'Avella. He did it.
Hamsata Mazou 28:21
I love his content.
Alexis Grant 28:31
Yes. He's done a serotonin detox, I would highly recommend watching it. And I would recommend it to everybody. It grows you so much as a person, and it also helps-
Jeanine Ikekhua 28:40
When do I find the time?
Hamsata Mazou 28:42
You could do it over summer, possibly.
Alexis Grant 28:43
You could, easily. And like.
Hamsata Mazou 28:46
It's not mandated.
Alexis Grant 28:47
Yeah. And it's like.
Hamsata Mazou 28:48
allergies and stuff. So, yeah. I mean, depending on, I don't know what you're doing.
Jeanine Ikekhua 28:51
No, because I'm, like, I'm doing work. I don't even know that. But like, Imma be working. Actually, take a break. Maybe I will try it. Serotonin detox.
Alexis Grant 28:58
You should definitely do it.
Jeanine Ikekhua 28:59
Imma look into that.
Alexis Grant 29:00
It's really nice. And like, it also helps you, because like, because everything's so fast paced. First, our attention spans are short. So if you do it for a long enough time, it helps like, lengthen your attention span again.
Hamsata Mazou 29:12
Yeah, it does.
Alexis Grant 29:12
Just like resetting.
Hamsata Mazou 29:13
Because you know how like TikTok-
Alexis Grant 29:14
It's resetting your system and how your brain's working.
Hamsata Mazou 29:16
-kinda shortens your attention span. So that makes sense.
Alexis Grant 29:18
Yeah.
Hamsata Mazou 29:18
How it like, helps elongate it.
Alexis Grant 29:20
Yeah, like are you on TikTok?
Jeanine Ikekhua 29:21
No.
Alexis Grant 29:22
Okay.
Jeanine Ikekhua 29:22
Like, TikTok be doing too much.
Alexis Grant 29:24
Yeah, I had to get rid of it.
Jeanine Ikekhua 29:25
It be moving too fast.
Hamsata Mazou 29:25
I have it on my other phone. And so I don't have access to that phone because I leave it in my dorm. So I only go on it at nighttime. And even then sometimes, I feel like it's still bad because sometimes I'm like, oh, I should be going to sleep right now, but I feel like I need to get my TikTok of the day, you know.
Jeanine Ikekhua 29:31
Really? I be like, forgetting the TikTok of the day.
Hamsata Mazou 29:44
But sometimes,
Alexis Grant 29:44
That's me with Pinterest.
Hamsata Mazou 29:45
Sometimes I'm like, mmm, I'm too tired. I really, like, I'm sleep over everything. So like, if I'm really that tired, I'll just put it down. So. But, I wanted to ask, oh, I was gonna uh, say like, what does a detox look for you guys? Like, when you guys do your detoxes?
Jeanine Ikekhua 30:02
I think mine will always be tied to like, stepping away from social media. And like, the most, like my favorite one, and I think it's just like what I was saying, like, I heavily invest time into people. And sometimes like, I just want to, I don't want to be- not responsible, but I just don't want to be accountable to people and things anymore.
Alexis Grant 30:19
No I understand.
Jeanine Ikekhua 30:19
So I detox from people. Like I told my mom, I'm like, Mom, I will see you in two days. Like I'm not dead, but I will see you in two days. And I literally turn all my notifications off, but my family, and they rarely ever contact me, like, for immediate stuff. So.
Alexis Grant 30:32
Yeah, that's me too. I just have to ignore everybody and like, off of like, any social medias or anything like that. I feel like I've done so many Instagram and social media detoxes that like, even though I used like Instagram a lot, I'm not addicted to it anymore. And I don't use it as like, a safe goat or anything like that. So, I don't have to detox from Instagram anymore. Because it definitely used to be like, something I relied on. And like, had to go back to a lot. Same with like YouTube, like I used to just like, if I had the littlest bit of stress, I'd go to YouTube and waste hours on YouTube.
Jeanine Ikekhua 31:04
Really.
Alexis Grant 31:04
Yeah. So that's why I was doing them, because I was like, I was like, wasting my life away lowkey. But I've like, done it so many times, I've gotten, I have good relationships with those things now. But yeah, but, yeah, guys. That was it.
Hamsata Mazou 31:20
Yeah.
Alexis Grant 31:21
Real quick, short, sweet, simple.
Hamsata Mazou 31:23
Yeah. Let us know if you guys do detoxes.
Jeanine Ikekhua 31:25
Yes.
Hamsata Mazou 31:25
And how you do 'em.
Alexis Grant 31:26
What's your favorite detoxes?
Hamsata Mazou 31:28
And what's your feeling on social media? Like, what apps do you feel like have the most like, addiction maybe, or you are more attached to?
Jeanine Ikekhua 31:35
Yeah, what are you addicted to?
Alexis Grant 31:36
Yeah, and if your life is balanced, and you know where you can tell us that? On our Instagram, on blog- oh. Hamsata.
Hamsata Mazou 31:46
onblack.podcast on Instagram.
Jeanine Ikekhua 31:48
Black. On the Black.
Alexis Grant 31:50
Dot podcast.
Hamsata Mazou 31:51
Yes.
Alexis Grant 31:53
And we'll see you next time.
Jeanine Ikekhua 31:55
Bye, everyone.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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