How Autumn Got Her Groove Back

Guess who’s back, back again

Shady’s back, tell a friend

If you like Eminem, visit this viz by Jeff Plattner.

There really was no better way to start this blog. I decided to take a little bit of a break these past couple of weeks and not only do I feel significantly better but I really hope more people take breaks for themselves as well. In this blog, I’m going to talk about why I took a break (and why you should as well) and what I’m up to now.

Mental Health Days and Mom Appreciation

I’m not ashamed or shy to say that I’ve dealt with mental health issues for most of my life. Decades of growth and a few therapists later and I have gotten into a pretty good flow of helping myself along. It could be better, for sure. And I think a huge part of dealing with mental health issues is realizing it’s not something you’re ever going to ‘fix’ completely. But there are ways to make the days a little easier sometimes. One thing I’m really proud of realizing when I’ve pushed myself a little too close to the edge and need to give myself some room to breathe. And that’s what had been happening lately. Post-2020 madness (not that we’re really past it) had me excited for the new opportunities in the new year. I took off at the beginning of 2021 running. I had so many ideas and a huge fire to accomplish them. This blog, the initiative, some vizzes, and about half a dozen collabs later that fire I felt had just about burnt my ass to a crisp. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the things I’ve done, the connections I’ve made, and the people I’ve helped. But I might have overdone it just a tad. And in addition to feeling tired, I felt weaker. Like I was getting harder on myself, appreciating things less, and slipping in my self-care.

A drawing I did in March about looking up and turning lemons to lemonade and all that jazz

So what then? Well, this part goes back to the title of the section. A lot of people are wary about their kids wanting to skip school but not Shanny (my mom). I loved school for the most part and wanted to be there. I also cried if I had to break my perfect attendance record as a kid so there were no worries I wanted to stay home just ‘cause. But when I was in high school, my mom started what we call in our house ‘mental health days’. These essentially were sick days without obvious physical ailments. If I felt like I needed a day off school, she didn’t rush to a thermometer to see if I actually wasn’t feeling well. She always reiterated that she understood that sometimes you just need a break. So she’d let me have that. She instilled in me young that it was important to care for myself in this way and always supported my needs. This was the start of me prioritizing my mental stability just as much as my physical health and that’s what I did for most of March. No blogs, no projects, no collaborations, little to no social media. Just me, my couch, and three seasons of Vampire Diaries (some drawing and a little reflection as well). I even took a few days off work.

Also my sincerest apologies to anyone who had tagged me in anything or messaged me while I was away. I tried my best to get back to them all.

And guess what. The world didn’t stop turning. I can pick up right where I left off and I will likely have a much more enjoyable time doing so. I have so many things I’m excited to work on and towards and I have the motivation and energy to actually do it. I feel like lately I’ve heard similar sentiments from others as well. If you’re reading this and you’ve felt stressed, tired, irritable, frustrated, sad, or slow, THIS IS YOUR SIGN. Take care of yourself. You’ll be a better parent, sibling, friend, employee, and creator because of it. Love yourself as much as you love your work and others. Take a page from my mom’s book, have a mental health day*.

*I know this isn’t as easy as it sounds and I also know that ‘taking time off’ isn’t the cure for mental health issues. It’s only a start. If you ever want someone to talk to, my DMs are open. I also highly recommend seeking out a professional if that’s within your means!

Onwards and Upwards

I have so many things I’m looking forward to doing in the next couple of months. I get my second dose of the vaccine on April 19th. I haven’t seen anyone I know besides my mother since March 12, 2020. I also haven’t been in a restaurant since that month either. Or any establishment that wasn’t a pharmacy, grocery store, or hardware store. Stay tuned for a blog on things I hope to do after the pandemic!

As for community things, I hope to publish 5 blogs and 3 vizzes this month (April). I’m writing this here to hold me to that! And this is #2 so I’m part of the way there.

Thank You

Thank you for reading this and supporting me. I hope wherever you are in your life and journey you support yourself as well. Until the next blog.

Things That Have Made Me Smile

As a little exercise, I wanted to make a list of 10 things that have made me happy in the past month. I’m putting this at the end because it’s more for me than anyone else. But I wanted to make it public to encourage others to reflect on what’s made them happy.

1. Got my Tableau Partner certification. I’m not a very good test taker so I was a bit worried about this. But I passed and that made me really happy. It’s also my first ever technical certification. And I had maybe a goal to get 3 certifications this year so it was nice to be able to check one off.

2. I dyed my hair blue. To match my blog? Maybe. Because I saw a TikTok of someone with blue hair? Definitely. I used to love doing fun things with my hair when I was younger but haven’t since my senior year of college. I’m happy to say I work at a place that supports me in whatever form I’m in so I felt the confidence to go back to my wild ways.

3. I FaceTimed my best friend for 3 hours. There’s no better boost of serotonin than catching up with an old friend.

4. I’ve been spending a lot of time outside lately. It’s crazy the wonders sunlight can do for your spirits.

5. I got the first dose of the vaccine. I am excited to be able to start doing things again. For starters, I really miss the library.

6. Our team is growing at work! It’s been great having new additions to the team and seeing the successes of the company.

7. We’re having a Throwback Thursday party. And I’ve had the honor and blessing of coordinating information and pictures of my coworkers in high school and I was about crying with laughter.

8. Ravioli.

9. This playlist.

10. You guys!