Well, that is not totally true. I don’t like putting myself on social media or ‘out there’ in general. I’m a highly introverted and highly sensitive, behind-the-scenes kind of gal.
The thought of having to post something just for the sake of posting every day gives me a lot of anxiety. This anxiety is exponentially higher when I’m posting something that is really near and dear to my heart.
The moment I shared about my new offers in my IG stories was one of those.
But let’s back up a bit.
By early April of 2022, it had been a couple of months since my decision to change my offers.
Yet I hadn’t officially announced any of it.
I felt really excited about what I’ve created but I was scared to share it with the world. Scared of the reactions. Scared of not being able to live up to what I envisioned. Scared to step into the light and shine. So I took my sweet time.
Then on that first Monday in April, I finally published a few IG stories, announcing very briefly what my new package structure will be like.
Finally, progress. Or so I thought.
I was instantly hit with what Brené Brown would call a ‘Vulnerability Hangover’.
The Vulnerability Hangover
In general, a vulnerability hangover occurs after you’ve put yourself out there in a way that is deeply personal. It might happen only for a moment, maybe for a few hours or even days until you’ve recovered from it and carried on with your life.
Mine lasted for almost 2 months.
I wasn’t really consistently posting before that Monday in April, but at least I was doing something. After hitting publish on those stories, I felt paralyzed and completely stopped posting anything on social media. I was stuck behind this invisible barrier that I didn’t seem to get past.
It took me a while to understand what had happened and a bit longer to figure out how to move forward.
The short answer is: Posting these new offers was a move so far out of my comfort zone that I had to snap back fast and hide to feel safe again. Even though I understand now where I’m heading, I need to take a slower approach. Expand my comfort zone little by little and not with such a massive jump. It’ll still be scary at times and I’ll probably feel like puking more often than I’d like, but I will hopefully not end up in freeze mode again.
Moving Forward
So now I’m taking it slow. I’m posting on my terms and I’m doing that to be authentic and true to myself and what I need right now. Yes, I obviously want you to get value from this as well (and I really hope you do), but for right now, I just want to share my story with you. So if you’ve also been scared to show up authentically or have experienced a vulnerability hangover before, know that you’re not alone. We’ll get through this. Together.
This blog post is me being vulnerable and making a little step out of the comfort of the shadows and towards the light again. And I’d be honored to have you come along for the journey.
Love,
Jill
PS: If you haven’t already, please follow me on IG: @sensitiveandshining
