Recently, I took a break from blogging. A break that was supposed to last one week lasted over six weeks!
You may ask why. The short answer is, I was tired.
But if you ask me on a deeper level, I'd say:
I was tired of putting in the energy, time, and money while not seeing the expected results. I had a mental breakdown about it. I started making excuses about not having any creative topics to blog about. I knew that the moment I stopped blogging, any ideas that sparked creativity in my head would die. Eventually, I stopped creating content.
People started leaving comments about my absence on my content. This happened right after I started a vlogging partnership with a friend. I almost felt like I was losing myself. This was not me. I'm used to being the life of the party. Suddenly, I was at a party, but it still felt dull. Maybe it was my quarter-life crisis. Maybe it’s because I’m turning 26 soon and I’m not quite where I thought I’d be. Imposter syndrome, maybe? Sigh...
"Hush," is what I told my mind.
It's okay to go through episodes like this. It’s very human of us to put in the work and love into something and expect results, but in reality, results don’t show up quickly. In fact, results start showing up the moment you feel like quitting. Maintaining consistency is one of the hardest challenges, especially during tough times.
I read a quote today on Instagram about how it’s easy to go to the gym when you’re feeling all hyped and good, but what really matters are the days when you’re tired, aren’t seeing the results, and feel like quitting. During these dark times, depression normally creeps in. Your worst insecurities throw jabs at you, and finally, your health decides to play games with you too.
The moment you start losing interest in your daily activities and avoid any social interaction
should be your cue that you need to take a break. The burden of things can easily accumulate and spiral into a big black hole, making it really difficult to dig yourself out. While some people like to talk about these episodes with their friends and family, I find that doing this escalates the situation for me and makes me feel guilty.
The best way for me to cope with these episodes is to go underground, spend time by myself without any technology, and come out when I’m ready to bloom.
What are my "underground" activities?
I look back at my goals, read them out loud, go for solo walks, spend time in nature, spend time with pets, go for a drive, organize my space, and remind myself why I work so hard and why I can’t give up.
I bet you have your own version of "underground" activities. And if you don’t, you better come up with something because, let me tell you, these are essential loner wolf survivor techniques, and you should have them ready to go before you absolutely need them.
Now that I have somewhat bloomed, I’m going to get back into my routine of consistent blogging without any expectations. I’ll let time, hard work, and consistency do their thing. :) Until next time, Peace
You took six weeks off? I barely noticed 😆