Staying Active = Staying Sane

 I know I said I was going to do better with posting regularly, and I think I am off to an okay start. At least it's only been about a week since my last post. That's significantly better than the years that passed before I rediscovered this space earlier this month. But it's still not where I want to be. When I write, even these little digital diaries, I feel more me. That makes a lot of sense because writing has always been part of who I am. I love to write. In fact, before I decided to return to school, writing was what I did.

Back in 2014 or so, I began working as a freelance writer. I loved it! Over time, I worked my way from crap one-piece assignments with no attribution to becoming a featured regular writer for a specific website with not only a signature line but an entire biography page. I even managed to write a couple of viral articles. Then 2022 hit, and I returned to school to pursue the path I am currently on. In those early days, I wasn't confident I could work as much as I was and still find time for school and family. So, I stopped working as a freelancer. I know it was the right choice at the time, but it was still hard.

Since 2022, my writing has been almost exclusively academic. Not to brag, but APA 7 formatting is my forte. The problem is that academic writing doesn't fill the same space as freelancing or writing for pleasure (yep, that's a thing, lol). So, I'm glad I found this blog again, and I'm going to view making posts as a form of self-care. For now, I'm not going to go insane with it because of other factors (details in the next post!). I'm making a self-commitment to post at least once every week. That may not mean one every seven days, but it will mean that there will be at least one new post every calendar week. If I track correctly, that means the maximum number of days between posts if I post at the beginning of one week and the end of the next would be 13 days. 

It's important for me and my mental health that I take the time to care for me. I have a lot of obligations and my life is made of so many moving pieces, but I also know I cannot give what I do not have. Writing, even just these posts, recharges my battery in a way I didn't realize I had been neglecting until I came back to it. I'm actually rather excited to be back here and I look forward to being able to look back at this season in my life with a clear picture of what this time will hold for me.