Y’all! It’s been so long. It was almost 2 months ago that I took to this very blog and let you know that I would be taking an indefinite break from publishing new material. I’m still on the break, but I’ve been working hard behind the scenes and I thought now would be a good time for an update.

First of all, let me say that I’ve missed you. Though I’ve still been around on social media for the last few weeks, I’ve missed sitting at this computer, pecking away at the keys. Honestly, until recently, I haven’t been doing much at all. I spent a good month or so just cooling out. I’ve been nurturing friendships and spending time with my kiddo, dabbling in my hobbies, and doing a lot of scrolling on my phone.

Next, let me announce right off the top…The Winter Of My Discontent is coming back! I will relaunch with a brand new post on Tuesday, August 3, 2021! I’m so excited and I can’t wait to finally be writing for you again.

Non-functioning

I’ve not been up to much at all. If I’m going to be honest, my executive functioning is in the valley of despair. It has been for a year or more. I’ve been making strides with my mental health; healing, and getting the physiological aspect under control. However, I was still not showering, not cleaning my house (to his credit, my husband picks up my slack when I’m like this. I wish I was different. I really do.), and unable to stick with any sort of a plan or schedule. Just generally sort of existing somewhere between the next hyperfocus and the next breakdown.

The blog has been extremely helpful in my healing, not so much when it comes to my ability to focus. You see, I hyperfocus on this blog to an extreme. I will lose myself for hours and not even realize it. I’m trying so hard to reach as many people as possible with this information; build the biggest community possible. I want it to be successful. I’m going to be really real with you here…I want it to eventually pay my bills or at least lead to things that will pay my bills.

Anyway, this is something that I’m just now realizing about myself, so it’s something that I’m resolved to improving on. I don’t know…executive functioning issues have hampered me for all of my life. Maybe we’ll learn together.

Therapy

Soon after I announced that I was taking my break (I keep seeing Ross from Friends in my head when I type that), I also made another big decision. I put all of my therapy session on hold, indefinitely, except for Dr. W. Still, I’m only seeing her once a month now. There were a few reasons behind my decision, some I don’t really want to share here. Mostly, though, I was just exhausted.

I’d been going to therapy 2-4 times a week for 6 months. I was doing hard work while also trying to get my medications back on track. Plus, I had added the weight of a full time blogging schedule on top. Now I was back to work and I was feeling the strain that it puts on my brain and therapy just didn’t fit so well anymore. I needed a break.

I still plan on resuming my EMDR therapy and I will see Dr. Webb tomorrow, in fact. And the best part? We finally got my ADHD medications straightened out. It took 9 whole months, but I think I’m right where I need to be on that front. Honestly, I was at a point where I was going to tell her that I didn’t want to try anymore for a while. That, too, was taking it out of me.

I was worried at first that all of these big decisions might be a sign of an impending mental health episode. I had been feeling the low hum of apathy and…dissatisfaction(?) for a while. Because of Persistent Depressive Disorder, depression is my operating system. Ever present, even when it’s barely detectable. Life is not one thing. It is made up of a million different pieces to the same pie. I might be blissfully happy in one area of my life and miserable in another. Happiness is moments, not a state of being.

Some Announcements

Now for the fun stuff. Since I started the second iteration of The Winter Of My Discontent last October, I’ve been laser focused on 3 things.

• Creating trusted, honest, and engaging content
• Building a backlog of quality work
• Extending my reach, so as to help more people

I recently started to ask myself, where I want to go next. I know that I want The Winter Of My Discontent to be successful. I’m realizing now that I don’t want it to just be successful as a blog, but as a brand. A series of channels where people can learn about brain disorders and find community. I want to be able to focus on that mission fulltime. In order to do that, I have to monetize. Here are some of the changes that you may see over the coming months.

TWOMD Podcast

While Dorene and I started out with a solid plan for the podcast, we sort of fell into a disorganized and unscheduled mess. We were getting better and more comfortable with podcasting, but we weren’t staying topical. We’ve met and identified the things we want to work on. In the coming months, you will start seeing a few things with the podcast:

• Two, regularly-scheduled episodes per week
  • One episode on a relevant mental health topic and one Teatime Tangent episode.
• We have quite a few guests lined up to talk to our audience about different aspects of mental health
• We promise to stay on topic this time…we won’t forget the message again

Newsletters

I’m about to start ramping up my newsletter game, so make sure you sign up on the form listed directly below this paragraph so you never miss an email. It will be full of news & updates, sales in the merch store, and special discounts for subscribers! PLUS, I’m about to run a contest and anyone who is subscribed to my email list will be entered to win a super awesome mental health sticker pack, put together by Sticker Soup.

Download Library

I am currently working on a printable download library where I will offer free and paid PDF printables. We will have everything from bullet journal printables to mental health printables; infographics to uplifting art. It is a work in progress, but I hope to have most everything ready by the relaunch of The Winter Of My Discontent on August 3. Definitely be on the lookout for some great digital materials! Some examples:

• Habit trackers
• Mood trackers
• Anxiety Worksheets
• Bullet Journal Spreads

Brand Collaboration and Affiliate Links

I got an email today from someone saying they had stumbled across my blog and wondered if I would be interested in brand collaboration. It turns out, I am! This will afford me more opportunities to get paid to write. I assure you that I will never post anything on The Winter Of My Discontent that does not pertain to mental health or something relating to mental health. I’m not selling out here, just trying to get as much exposure as I can…while also making a little bit of money along the way.

THE MERCH STORE!!!!

I’m going to be honest here, I might have buried the lead, but I think I saved the best two announcements for last. Some of you may have noticed, but I opened a store! You can now own your very own The Winter Of My Discontent merchandise. We have everything from blankets and socks to notebooks and phone cases. Come and take a look and help support your girl by buying some super cool stuff! Look how cute this stuff is!!

You can also book Zoom session with me; Content Creation, Peer Support, Coffee & A Chat, or a Journal With Me session.

Mental Health Blogging Course

Lastly, I hope to have a full-length e-course up on the site by the end of the year. The course will focus on teaching beginner and new bloggers how to create a blog on WordPress, how to write quality blog posts that people want to read, and how to start marketing those posts to an audience. I want to help people get started on this journey that has helped and healed me so much and I cannot wait to start working with you!

I’m going to be honest, most days I don’t know how I’m going to do all of this. I’m a mother and a wife, I work 40 hours a week, and I plan to keep posting 3 times a week. It can get overwhelming when I think of it sometimes. The truth is, this is what I’m here for. Spreading the word, fighting the good fight. This is my reason for being on this rock. I will advocate and fight for us until my last breath.

Love an light! Keep fighting the good fight!! 💜💜