Why I Had Taken a Break from Blogging/Life Update

by Brittany Hollie

I owe you all an explanation. I said in my Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale Bread Pudding recipe post that I would inform y’all on what’s been going on and why I had taken a break from blogging for several months. I assumed after I wrote that post I was going to type up this post and publish it the next week, but it wasn’t that simple for me.

Why I Had Taken a Break from Blogging/Life Update -- I took a much needed blogging break for several months and here's why. Don't be afraid to take time for yourself. -- lilsweetspiceadvice.com

I’m still learning just how to be transparent to all of y’all while also keeping some things private and close to my heart. What sense does it make for me to try to build a personal brand to authentically connect with readers and then feel like I can’t really share my life with them? If you follow me on Twitter (BTW, go follow me @merci_britte) then you get to see a little bit into my life, but there will always be certain things I just might not ever share. BUT I’m going to make a promise that from here on out I will share what I can with you guys!

Number 1 Reason for My Break from Blogging

One of the reasons I had to take a break from blogging was because of stress. Actually, that’s the biggest and most important reason! My Fibromyalgia and Dysautonomia symptoms exacerbate due to stress. You are nothing without your health and because my health is already “jacked up” I have to be cautious of how I expend my energy.

Now I know y’all are asking what had me so stressed out. LIFE, BABY! LOL Life happened and she wasn’t being too kind to my love life and other relationships. But before I delve into my personal issues I want to discuss my professional issues. The business of blogging can be stressful…especially while running other businesses that are just as stressful, if not more stressful. Here I am a new blogger trying to learn how to operate my new camera, set up photo shoots for my dishes with different tiles, wood, and other miscellaneous items, brainstorm recipes, practice the recipes, write reviews, share my posts on different social networks, creating different strategies for each social network, etc. I mean there is A LOT to go into blogging, specifically food blogging.

I’m not afraid of a challenge, but I don’t always have control over how my body responds to challenges. My mind is a lot stronger than my body and I can’t lie and say that it doesn’t bother my state of mind on most days. I fight against the pain that I feel everyday and try not to complain about it unless it’s completely unbearable at that moment. It can take a good thirty minutes to an hour to get out of bed when I wake up because my limbs might be temporarily paralyzed or my heart is tachycardic and there’s nothing I can do about it. But once I get myself together after I wake up, I say a prayer, think positive thoughts and go on about my day!

Why I Had Taken a Break from Blogging/Life Update -- I took a much needed blogging break for several months and here's why. Don't be afraid to take time for yourself. -- lilsweetspiceadvice.com

Because my days are so unpredictable, I literally have to take one day at a time. Planning upcoming days can seem like an impossible feat because I never know how my body will respond. Most bloggers are great at planning their blog schedules ahead of time and sticking to it. To be honest, I started to develop blogger envy because I would read posts about how well other bloggers could stick to their schedule and because of their consistency, their following grew exponentially. Struggling with growing my following on social networks was a big concern for me because I couldn’t be as consistent as them. That destroyed my inner peace and I should never have let that happen because most of those bloggers don’t face the same challenges as me and I shouldn’t have been comparing my grass to anyone else’s, to begin with!

People that know me personally know that I do not ever try to lean on my disabilities as a crutch. I have no problem with discussing my health when asked. It’s a part of who I am and I’m not sure if I can change it since there are no known official cures. My plans to be a serial entrepreneur will come to fruition: I WILL build a brick and mortar for my online dessert shop (Piece of Paradise) , I WILL grow my real estate investing business so that I can invest in commercial real estate, I WILL develop my fast casual restaurant concepts and franchise them, and I WILL accomplish whatever other goals I develop along the way! I must accept that my path and timetable will look different from others because of my diseases and disorders. 

Now in my personal life, I’m not going to expound too much. In the mid part of last year, I found myself dating all of the wrong men. (This affected my spirits and stifled my creativity to the point I didn’t feel motivated to blog.) Then I thought I had met the right man…I entered into a relationship with that man and eventually I thought I could spend the rest of my life with him. We actually had that planned, but things didn’t work out the way we planned. Consequently, life just kept slapping us in the face. Maybe I will share a little bit more about it one day…right now it’s still really fresh. I cannot say that the experience was a waste of time because I learned so much about myself that I didn’t know and God revealed Himself to me in a way He hasn’t before. I’m really learning to leave everything in His hands, walking away the first time He tells me to and being patient for the special man He has created just for me.

Why I Had Taken a Break from Blogging/Life Update -- I took a much needed blogging break for several months and here's why. Don't be afraid to take time for yourself. -- lilsweetspiceadvice.com

Anyway, I learned that sometimes it’s best that when life is happening to step away from some things to get yourself together so that you can return to it and give it your all. I cannot promise you guys that I won’t take another break in the future, but what I can promise is that the next time I feel like I need a break I will let y’all know. It’s not right to leave people hanging and for that, I truly apologize.

When is the last time you’ve had to take a break from something that was near and dear to your heart? Let me know in the comment section below or on Twitter.

Brittany Hollie

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Sandra Agola
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Sandra Agola

Great. I am truly happy to hear that you are in better spirits . I honestly want to take a bresk from everything but I am scared is that weird? But I have learned, me time is quite important to everyones growth. Stay strong girl and I know those goals you will achieve.

Vanessa
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Britt- You can only do what you can. I stumbled upon this post after experiencing that feeling just this morning. “How can I blog about recipes right now?!” You’re right. It’s so important to allow ourselves a break so that we can return to our best self later. Wishing you the best as well!

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