![]() Thank you all for choosing to indulge in my blog after my long hiatus. My long hiatus was due to the state of my mental health, my hectic schedule, and significant life changes. Since my last post on 7/7/2020, so much has changed in my world and it doesn't feel fair to dive into blogging again without addressing those shifts in my universe. Many of my previous blog posts attempted to raise awareness for mental health in the Black community while aiming to provide strategies and tips for coping and minimizing the impacts of mental health. In the fall of 2020, I was forced to face my anxiety which at times manifests itself as depersonalization. This face to face encounter with my anxiety led me to begin my therapy journey. Future blog posts will definitely cover topics covered in my therapy sessions along with tools that I have gained from this journey. This past spring, I moved out on my own for the first time and am still learning how to exist in this space by myself especially on days where my anxiety flares up and I require a little more reassurance. Through all of this I continued to work a full time job as an educator while being enrolled in graduate school. As life happened and my schedule remained full with obligations, I had very little time for myself at the end of the day and found myself eating unhealthy, not working out, feeling depleted, experiencing Myasthenia Gravis flare ups, and trying to save everyone else. In the midst of this journey, I lost sight of myself and the lifestyle that made me feel balanced. This post is dedicated to others who feel out of touch with themselves and need help finding who they were before the chaos. To kickstart my journey of "getting back to the old me", I started a cleanse on July 5th that was dedicated to connecting with my old routines, habits, and people that made me feel like the highest version of myself. The purpose of this cleanse is to get back to the old me, fall in love with myself again, pour into myself, and manage stress and anxiety. I have divided up this cleanse into several categories and will provide that template for you all below. As you develop the structure for your cleanse, I encourage you all to first identify the purpose of the cleanse and what outcome you are hoping for then, align the categories and tasks based on realistic life changes that will guide you through your cleanse. This cleanse should embrace individuality and will look different for every person. My idea of a cleanse may look totally different from yours and that is OKAY. Below you will find each category of the cleanse I am following along with the tasks that I hope to fulfill. Physical - Walk or exercise at least 3 times per week - Water and green tea only - No food or snacks after 8 pm - Dessert only once per week - No alcohol - No sex Mental - Therapy sessions every Tuesday - Stress and depression management workbook in Therapy - Read "Well Read Black Girl" - Work through a guided journal (Let That Sh*t Go) - Recite at least 1 positive affirmation per day (Check out the Unicorn Affirmator Cards on Amazon). Spiritual - Sage apartment once per week - Charge crystals once per week - Register for a meditation course Social - No social media (i.e. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook) - Unfollow accounts on social media that don't align with the self-work I am currently doing. - Publish at least one blog post - Connect with at least 1 friend that I haven't connected with in a while Organizational - Clean out phone (i.e. pictures, videos, emails, and contacts that no longer serve me). Must do tasks I am not going to list my must do tasks, but this could include scheduling appointments (i.e. doctor, dentist, hair, wax, massage etc..), planning upcoming events (i.e. parties or time with loved ones), and completing tasks for work or school (i.e. scheduling meetings or registering for classes). If you are finding yourself in a space of feeling disconnected from yourself and your old routines, a cleanse could be beneficial. This cleanse could also include making a list of people you wish to repair relationships with or who you wish to remove from your life because their relationship with you no longer aligns with your higher purpose. Be open to accepting that some aspects of "old you" might not be meant to exist anymore and that is perfectly fine. It's okay to lose yourself sometimes and to feel uncertain in yourself and your purpose, but always remember to find yourself again and open your heart and soul to evolving versions of yourself. With love, Jay
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