Hi - it's me (Nichole).
For those who have not been following me pretty closely on social media (I don't share much about my personal life on there, but implications have been made that would allude to some pretty big life changes), while I realize I don't have to, I wanted to explain a bit about why I've been pretty non-existent in updating my website / social media for the past couple of years (basically since mid 2020).
The simplest recap:
*mental health took it's toll, as it did for many that year
*my 13 year marriage ended
*I've spent the past year+ navigating everything that goes along with previous bullet points
I don't think some people realize how physically and emotionally taxing a failing marriage can be until you're in it...I definitely didn't.
The Covid shutdown killed the momentum that I had been putting my blood, sweat, and tears into over the previous decade in building my business to where it was. It was devastating.
Throughout that time, I would see a lot of people commenting on social media about using that time to grow / build knowledge in your craft, etc...which would have been great, if I hadn't also been a mom and schools were shut down as well. ;)
Not an excuse, but it is the reality. I became debilitatingly depressed without even realizing what it was. I was just so tired...all. the. time. Initially, I blamed it on having gotten Covid early in the year of 2020. However, after over a year since being sick, seeing multiple doctors/normal blood tests/etc., adding all the vitamins and exercise to my daily routine...everything that they said would help with energy levels, and having it have the opposite effect, I started to look at other outside influences. I started seeing a therapist in August of 2021 and, ultimately, came to the realization that my relationship was not healthy despite all of our efforts to build it into something fulfilling.
It was an excruciating decision to make, and with very little support to start with, it took me a long time to even come to grips with it.
That being said, through lots and lots of therapy and allowing myself time to heal and process, the past year and a half have provided so much growth and clarity. My energy and love of life is back and I couldn't be happier under the circumstances.
That being said, my activity through social media and updating my web pages took a pretty big hit. From a business standpoint, this creates quite a bit of doubt / questions from anyone visiting my page.
"Her last post was 2 years ago...where has she been? Is she reliable?"
The answer:
I was preserving my energy.
Being a sole business owner, there are a lot of hats involved. Social media / web presence felt like it affected the quality of my current clients' experience the least, so that got pushed back until I felt I was in a place where I could pick it back up again.
So here I am.
Still not perfect -- but compared to where I was a year ago, I'm proud to be where I am.
Again, this isn't to make excuses but rather shed light on where I've been and why.
Mental health is so important.
If you're struggling with mental health, I highly recommend seeking professional counseling. There are so many resources (some are even free!) out there now. You owe it to yourself. <3
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