The birds are singing, the clouds are pink, and there are flowers everywhere! Life is good, my friend.
Oh, yeah. And I'm back from my hiatus!
When I left, there was snow on the ground and grey, icky clouds above my head, and it was just bringing me down, yo. But now that the weather is better, it has given me a much brighter and happier perspective!
Before I jump right into the post, I wanted to talk a little about my break. To be honest, it seemed pretty short, even though I was gone a bit longer than intended (whoops). I actually was super busy throughout the rest of April and the beginning of May (still am). So, I mean, I was pretty occupied and distracted with the busy-ness of life (i.e. LOTS of cleaning, driving siblings to places, and finishing up the semester) to actually miss anything...
But I will highlight a bit of what happened during my time away:
- I won Camp NaNoWriMo!
I ended up writing double my word goal. o-o
- I went on an Instagram Live with author, Jennifer Niven!
Me and a few other friends have been hosting a campaign every year in honor of Finch from All The Bright Places, to bring awareness about mental health. This year we did videos (including pictures) to spread the word that you are not alone and we are here for those who need it. To top it off, my sister and I went live with Jennifer (eep!) and we talked about everything... books, Simon (from Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda), mental health, as well as dealing with the loss of a loved one. It was such a thrill to be able to talk about the subjects people are afraid to discuss and to answer questions from readers. (We also got the top live three times, or something? it's cool, it's not like i'm famous. no flash photography plz.)
- I finished the spring semester
I went to the library twice to do my schoolwork and let me tell you... It was so much more effective than doing it at home. Don't get me wrong, it's nice doing my work in my pjs (for the most part) but there are so many distractions at home for me. So, I decided to change up the scenery and it really helped.
- I received Julia Ryan's newest poetry book!
Julia Ryan is a fellow (totally awesome, beyond words) blogger and I am so excited to read this, you guys. Have you seen the cover of it?? GORGEOUS. You should click here and check it out. ;) I'll be doing a special blog post about it shortly.
- I took a two week long hiatus from Instagram.
I logged out of Instagram for two weeks and it felt pretty good. I think it really helped me feel less overwhelmed, if that makes sense? I get overwhelmed really easily and to unplug from social media felt like I was able to breathe a little better.
hehe yes, that is glitter on mah cheeks.
How to Take an Effective Hiatus (so you come back feeling refreshed as ever)
In the blogging community, I had noticed that A LOT of peeps were taking hiatuses. That's not why I took one, of course. I took one because I needed to recharge my creativity levels and clear my head. Despite having been super busy the entire time, I really think it did help me feel a bit lighter. It was long awaited and I fully support taking breaks. I loved reading hiatus posts and seeing other bloggers congratulating one another on taking their internet breaks. WE NEED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER ON THIS STUFF, MY DUDE. Anything that helps our mental health is very important. So, if you need to take a break, that's what you have to do! And here's how...
Set goals
Before I took mine, I felt as though I needed to plan my break. You don't have to do that. But it's nice to know a vague idea of what you want to get done so that you keep yourself busy, instead of reverting back to le social medias when you're bored. ~(o-o)~
Log out
When I took my break from insta, I deleted all my apps (including Pinterest and Goodreads). Because, I knew that if I kept them, my thumbs would automatically click those apps without me even thinking about it (I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER MY BODY ANYMORE it's crazy).
The longer, the better
My break did last a lot longer than I thought it would. I got so used to being on my break, I started getting kind of comfortable. o.O But I have been missing some things so I am eager to be back. Plus, I have some special moments in my life that I want to keep y'all updated on. ;)
Don't cheat
I know it's tempting to go on Pinterest for just a "few minutes" but you really need to stick to your main priority, and that is: do not log on.
If you go on social media before your break is over, you won't have that refreshed feeling when you come back. SO, NO CHEATING.
I did go on Pinterest a couple of times (ahh) but for the most part, I tried to stay away. o-o I have no self-control.
Come back only if you feel like you're ready
It's your life, do as you please. You'll know when you're ready to jump back into things.
TALK TO ME!
Have you ever taken a hiatus from anything? WHAT ARE SOME TIPS YOU HAVE THAT YOU CAN ADD TO THIS LIST? Does social media ever make you feel overwhelmed?? Are you glad I'm back? ;) WHAT DID I MISS WHILE I WAS AWAY? Lemme know.
xx Kenzie
p.s. I have such a busy few weeks ahead of me but I am super excited about it all, so I just have to share with you...
1. This coming Saturday, I'll be volunteering at our teen book festival and it'll be my 4th year there. I am so pumped because I'll be working around authors and fellow readers.
2. The second week in June, I have TWO concerts I'll be attending. I am super excited (and a bit nervours - I hate crowds) not only because they'll be my first ever concerts but because I'll be seeing Imagine Dragons (AHHH) and Harry Styles! \(o-o)/
It's very rare that I have fun things planned for the summer because I usually never know what I'll be doing. o.O What are your plans for the summer? Anything exciting going on? Or maybe you just want to sit back and relax? Let me know! I'd love to hear about it. :)
