Ahem, ahem. Alexa, play “Welcome Back” by Mase.
Yes, I am back, and it feels sooooo good to be writing to you all again. It’s been a few months since I’ve posted a blog, but I don’t want to just hop back into the swing of things. No, you all deserve an explanation as to why I haven’t been writing, so here goes.
I’ll be 100% honest with you all — I’ve been mentally and emotionally exhausted for some time now. With the unjust murders of Black people like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, COVID-19 cases on the rise in many states, and trying to get through final exams and a virtual graduation, it’s a miracle that I haven’t gone insane yet. Seriously. I’ve had to delete my social media apps from my phone and just unplug from the world for a bit just to get my head on straight.
Naturally, because of this, I haven’t been in the best place mentally to blog. I felt like I would have been a hypocrite if I put a blog post out. How can I encourage and uplift others when I can’t even uplift myself out of the dark funk I was in? I knew that I would come back to writing eventually, and when I did, it would be whenever I felt that I was in a better space to do so.
Now that I’m back and feeling much better, I want to take a second to say that it’s okay to unplug and disconnect whenever you feel mentally and emotionally overwhelmed. If you told me that two months ago, I would have said you were crazy. At that time, I thought, “How can I just abandon my readers and not give them consistent content? I can’t just unplug!” Because I was in this state of mind, I felt pressured to just put out anything on my blog so that I don’t fall behind on posts, but that only added to the massive amount of stress that I was already under. However, I realized that there was no need to feel guilty or sad that I wasn’t putting out content. I knew that my readers would want me to be okay first so, I trusted the process and waited, and I’m so glad that I did. If there’s anything that I encourage you to take away from this post, it’s this — remember that you have to put your mental health first before anything else. I needed that time away so that I can be at my absolute best for myself, my family, and all of you. You’re not a failure for needing some time away from the thing you love to do, and you’re not selfish for taking some time for yourself. It’s a very brave thing to do to admit that you’re not at your best and to wait until you are to get things done.
“The opportunity to step away from everything and take a break is something that shouldn’t be squandered.”
– Harper Reed
Great post Jaz! Here’s to unplugging!!
Thanks for reading! 🙂
This is really very interesting post. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for taking the time to read it!
Good to hear that you are back. Hoping to see some motivational content from you
Thank you so much. You can definitely expect another motivational blog on August 6th!
I actually also took a very long break from blogging when the pressure became too much. I had to unplug totally from every social media platform, I just needed to rejuvenate. I came out stronger and better, so taking a break sometimes, is just what we need to put our head back on track. I’m glad you’re back, and I know you’re going to be stronger than ever. This was what actually prompted my latest post on my site. You have just inspired a lot of people with this article.
This just made my entire day. Thank you so much for your sweet comment, and thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I’m glad you’re back after taking your much-needed break, and I look forward to reading your future blogs!
That’s an interesting article. Really have fun reading it. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for reading!
Glad to see u back Jas! Hope u feelin better. And you are right it’s so nice to unplug once in a while to refresh our mind. I’m planning a me time to refresh and disconnect for few days to catch for my own being as well.
Thanks, Anne. I’m going so much better, and I hope that you’re time of unplugging works wonders for you! Good luck, and thanks so much for reading!
Great to hear that you are feeling better. Great to have you back. I look forward to reading more of your blog posts.
Thanks for reading — I appreciate you so much. My next blog will be out August 6th!
Hi Jasmine; I am glad you are better
Thanks for sharing. This is a really very interesting post
Thanks for reading!
Glad you enjoyed your break – I think I am overdue for one myself!
I most definitely encourage you to take a break if you feel you need it. Thanks for reading!
It’s actually good to have a break once in a while, I just had my sabbatical leave from writing last year and took me i think 4 months to reflect.
I’m glad that you were able to take a break, and I hope your time off was very fruitful for your reflection. Thanks for reading!
Sometimes you just need a little break, especially with trying to navigate through the new world norm. Everything is becoming virtual. I am glad you took a break and you are back better than ever.
Thank you so much, and I appreciate you for reading!
Every once in a while a nice break helps you recharge. I love breaks 🙂
They’re definitely a necessity, especially with all of this craziness going on in the world. Thanks for reading!
I keep doing this so many times, I go off social media, off my blog. I think your mind needs that sometimes. When you’re back, you feel so fresh and new. Thanks for sharing.
Most definitely! I felt so bad at first for taking that much time off, but I understand that I needed it. Thank you for reading!
Welcome back! You have some interesting niche. Hope to see more!
Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to check out my next blog on August 6th, and follow my blog via email sign up or WordPress to make sure you never miss a post!
We all need a little break sometimes. Great to have you back!
Thanks so much for reading!
I’m glad you are back! I went ghost for awhile too because it was hard to manage being a new mom, wife, student and blogger. It was indeed overwhelming.
Congrats on being a great mom, wife, student, and blogger. I know you are KILLING it!!!! Keep pushing through because I’m rooting for you. 🙂 Thanks for reading sis!