Empresses of the World | Written by Phoenix Rising — Ruth Moise
Good morning, Empresses of the World! It’s your girl Phoenix Rising coming through hot well, as hot as you can be when it is absolutely freezing outside back with another rising gem. Welcome back to Unapologetically Caged, the safe space built by us, for us, where incarcerated women, formerly incarcerated women, and every woman navigating life’s cages whether behind bars, behind fear, or behind other people’s expectations can come to breathe, be heard, and rise.
Today’s gem is a little different from our usual power-packed tips and mental health strategies, and honestly? I am so here for it. Today we are doing a straight-up community check-in a real, raw, no-filter conversation about how we are actually doing. Because sis, in a world that constantly tells us to push through, stay strong, and keep it moving, sometimes what we need more than a motivational quote is simply someone to ask, “Hey, how are YOU?”
So today, that’s exactly what we are doing. Drop everything. This is your moment. This blog is a conversation and I need you in it. Let’s get into it.
How Are You Really Doing? | Women’s Mental Health Check-In
Let’s start at the very beginning how are you doing on this beautiful and cold January day? And I don’t mean the surface-level “I’m fine” that we have all mastered as our armor. I mean how are you really doing? How is your mind holding up? How is your body feeling? How is your spirit?
Mental health awareness for incarcerated women is something we do not talk about enough in mainstream spaces. The emotional labor of simply surviving each day inside is real, and your feelings about it are valid. Whether you are feeling hopeful, frustrated, exhausted, inspired, lonely, or some complicated cocktail of all of the above — that is okay. All of it is okay. You don’t have to perform strength today. You just have to show up as you are, and that right there is enough.
I want to hear from you. Drop your check-in on our Instagram @Unapologetically_Caged or send us an email. I personally respond within 24 hours because every single one of you matters to me — not as a follower count, but as a human being.
Staying Warm and Cozy When Life Gives You Cold Nights
Okay can we talk about this cold for a second?! It is NO joke out here, ladies. Last night we had our industrial heaters running in the dormitories and even with those things going full blast, I still found myself burrowing deeper under my covers like a little groundhog trying to avoid its own shadow.
Usually I am very particular about my bed situation. I keep my main blanket and sheet crisp, neat, easy to fold in the morning because when your environment is structured for you by someone else, you find little ways to control what you can, and the way I make my bed is one of mine. But last night? Last night I pulled out the second blanket, climbed up under both of them, and said to myself, “Okay, Phoenix. You gon’ take that L in the morning and you are going to be at peace with that.”
And you know what? I slept SO good. We are talking deep, dreamy, cozy sleep the kind where your alarm goes off and your whole body is like, “Absolutely not.” But then life grabbed me by the collar like a West Indian mom on a Monday morning school day and if you know, you KNOW and it was time to get up and get moving. (Shoutout to every West Indian mama out there, we see you and we respect the hustle.)
So tell me what did YOU do to stay warm last night? What little acts of comfort and coziness did you create for yourself? Because finding those small moments of softness inside a hard environment? That is self-care. That is resilience. That is an empress doing what empresses do.
Giving Yourself Permission to Rest
Can we normalize rest? Like truly, deeply, unapologetically normalize it? Because I am here to tell you that this morning is a lazy morning and I have finally, finally given myself permission to embrace that without guilt.
As a CEO yes, I said CEO, because that is exactly what I am even from where I sit right now one of the hardest challenges I face is burnout from the lack of resources. When you are running a brand, managing content, building a community, and doing all of it from behind bars with limited access to the internet, phones, and technology that the rest of the world takes for granted, you have to work two, three, sometimes four times as hard to accomplish what someone on the outside can do in an afternoon.
And then on top of that, I have my husband who is right there ready to help carry some of that weight all I have to do is write it down and hand it off. But does Phoenix do that? Does she? No. Because Independent Black Woman Syndrome kicks in like clockwork, approximately 90% of my day, and suddenly I am trying to do everything myself when I don’t have to.
We will unpack that fully in a separate blog because it deserves its own conversation. But for today, I just want to plant this seed: rest is not laziness. Rest is strategy. Rest is how you refuel so you can go back into that battle with your mind sharp and your spirit intact. Burnout prevention for women, and specifically for Black women and incarcerated women who are juggling more than most people can imagine, starts with giving yourself the radical permission to STOP.
Self-Care for Incarcerated Women
Now this is the part where I need YOU to get in the comments and talk to me, because I genuinely want to know: what have you done for yourself today as a form of self-care? And if today you haven’t done anything yet — what do you have lined up? What is on your self-care calendar for the near future?
Because here is something I believe with my whole heart: your mind and your body have been working overtime for you. They have been carrying you through situations that would break people who have never experienced what you have experienced. They deserve to be thanked. They deserve to be honored. Self-care is not selfish — it is a love letter to the vessel that keeps showing up for you even when the world does not.
Self-care inside looks different from self-care on the outside, and that is okay. It might look like taking five extra minutes with your morning routine. It might look like writing in your journal. It might look like doing a few stretches in your bunk before lights out. It might look like calling someone who genuinely fills your cup. It might look like reading a book that takes your mind somewhere beautiful. It might look like getting under both blankets on a cold night without apologizing for it in the morning.
Whatever it looks like for you — it is valid. It counts. And I want to hear about it.
Building Community and Women’s Empowerment from the Inside Out
One thing that Unapologetically Caged has always been about is community. Not just content — community. Because let’s be real, there are plenty of podcasts and blogs and Instagram pages out there talking AT women. What makes this space different is that we talk WITH each other.
Women’s empowerment is not a solo sport. It is not one person standing on a pedestal handing down wisdom while everyone else claps. It is a circle. It is a community. It is women choosing every single day to say, “I see you, I’ve got you, and we are going to figure this out together.” That is the energy I want in this space. That is the energy I need YOU to bring.
So today’s blog is not just a check-in from me to you — it is an invitation for you to check in with each other. If you are reading this and something resonated, share it. If you are reading this and you have a story about how you stayed warm last night or what you are doing for self-care, drop it. If you are reading this and you have been going through something heavy and you just needed someone to ask how you are doing — honey, I am asking. How are you doing?
Your Voice Matters: Share Your Story with Unapologetically Caged
Here is your call to action for this week, Empresses. I want you to do three things:
First Check in with yourself. Seriously, right now. Put your hand on your chest, take a deep breath, and ask yourself honestly how you are doing. Don’t perform. Don’t polish it. Just feel it.
Second Check in with us. Head over to Instagram @Unapologetically_Caged and answer today’s daily check-in prompt on our page. Or send us an email with your thoughts, your stories, your wins, your struggles. I read every single one and I respond within 24 hours. Every. Single. One.
Third Check in with another woman in your community. Drop a kind word. Ask how someone’s day is going. Share something that made you laugh or made you think. Because community is built one small, intentional act at a time.
And while you are over on Instagram follow us, share us, tag a sister who needs this community in her life, and if you have ideas for future blog topics on mental health, women’s empowerment, navigating life post-incarceration, healing, relationships, entrepreneurship behind bars, or anything else you want us to cover slide into our DMs or send that email. This is YOUR platform just as much as it is mine.
Closing Words from Phoenix Rising: Keep Rising, Empress
Before I let you go, I just want to say this: the fact that you are here reading this, showing up for yourself, being part of a community that celebrates you that matters. In a world that has tried to cage your potential, you keep rising. That is not small. That is not ordinary. That is extraordinary.
So today, wherever you are, whatever you are going through give yourself grace. Give yourself warmth. Give yourself the second blanket. You have earned it, Empress.
Until next week — keep rising, keep shining, and stay unapologetically YOU.
With love always,
Phoenix Rising — Ruth Moise
Daily Instagram Check-In Guide | @Unapologetically_Caged
Use these daily prompts to drive engagement, grow your following, and build real community on Instagram. Post each morning and encourage your audience to comment, share, and tag a friend.
Monday — Mindset Monday Check-In
Caption:
Good morning, Empress 👑 It’s Mindset Monday and we’re setting the tone for the whole week. Before you do ANYTHING else — how is your mind sitting right now? Cluttered? Clear? Somewhere in between? Drop a word or a number (1-10) in the comments and let’s start this week TOGETHER. 💪🏾 #MindsetMonday #UnapologeticallyCaged #WomensEmpowerment #IncarceatedWomen #MentalHealthMatters #PhoenixRising
Engagement Hook: Ask followers to rate their mindset 1-10 and promise to reply to every comment.
Tuesday — Truth Tuesday
Caption:
Truth Tuesday, no filter 🔥 Finish this sentence in the comments: “The one thing I need to release this week is _____.” No judgment here. Only growth. Drop it below and let’s hold each other accountable, Empresses. 💜 #TruthTuesday #UnapologeticallyCaged #SelfCare #HealingJourney #BlackWomenHealing #WomenSupportingWomen
Engagement Hook: Fill-in-the-blank posts consistently get high comment rates.
Wednesday — Wellness Wednesday Check-In
Caption:
Happy Wellness Wednesday, Queen 🌿 Quick check — what’s ONE thing you’ve done for your body or mind today? Even if it’s just drinking a glass of water or taking 3 deep breaths — that COUNTS. Self-care isn’t always a spa day. Sometimes it’s surviving with grace. Tell me yours 👇🏾 #WellnessWednesday #SelfCareForWomen #UnapologeticallyCaged #MentalHealthAwareness #PhoenixRisingRuthMoise
Engagement Hook: Normalize small self-care wins to increase relatability and shares.
Thursday — Throwback Strength Thursday
Caption:
Throwback to a moment when you surprised YOURSELF with your strength 💪🏾✨ We don’t celebrate our own resilience enough. Today we fix that. Drop your moment in the comments — big or small — and watch this community cheer you ON. Tag another empress who needs to see this. 👑 #StrengthThursday #Resilience #UnapologeticallyCaged #IncarceratedWomen #WomensEmpowerment #YouAreEnough
Engagement Hook: Tag prompts expand reach organically.
Friday — Feel Good Friday + Weekly Win
Caption:
IT’S FRIDAYYYYY, Empress! 🎉🔥 You made it through another week and THAT is a win. Now tell me — what’s your biggest win from this week? It doesn’t have to be huge. Did you keep your peace? Did you set a boundary? Did you get through a hard day without losing yourself? Drop it below 👇🏾 and let’s celebrate each other because that is WHAT WE DO. #FeelGoodFriday #WeeklyWin #UnapologeticallyCaged #CelebrationMode #BlackGirlMagic #PhoenixRising
Engagement Hook: Celebration posts drive high emotional engagement and shares.
Saturday — Soul Saturday Reset
Caption:
Soul Saturday 🙏🏾✨ Today is for YOU. No hustle. No pressure. Just REST and RESET. What does your soul need today, Empress? Quiet? Laughter? Connection? A good cry? Whatever it is — give yourself permission. You’ve earned it. Drop an emoji that describes your Saturday vibe 👇🏾💜 #SoulSaturday #Rest #SelfPermission #UnapologeticallyCaged #HealingIsPossible #Empress
Engagement Hook: Emoji-only comments lower the barrier to engagement, boosting comment count.
Sunday — Set Your Intentions
Caption:
Sunday intentions, Empress 🌅 New week is knocking. Before it walks through the door — what is the ONE word you want to carry into this week? Hope? Courage? Peace? Focus? Boundaries? Drop your word below and PIN IT in your mind. This community is going to hold it with you 💪🏾👑 #SundayIntentions #NewWeekNewEnergy #UnapologeticallyCaged #WomensEmpowerment #PhoenixRisingRuthMoise #ManifestationMonday
Your next read: Bitterness and Resentment: Take Back Your Peace