Overcoming my postpartum book blues…
Hi friend!
The one-year publication anniversary of my book BODY NEUTRAL: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Body Image Issues is coming up in June, and I’m feeling excited about the possibilities.
Unfortunately, when the book actually came out, I was in a state of such extreme burnout from writing and editing it that I didn’t really get to enjoy the experience.
I remember being so mentally and emotionally exhausted that the only feeling I really had about it was relief, like… oh thank god, it’s finally over.
It wasn’t really over, though; in truth it was only just the beginning.
In an ideal world, I would have been able to throw myself whole-heartedly into promoting and marketing the book I had worked so hard on— but instead, I almost immediately got very, very sick.
Then I got sick again… and again.
For months, I could only manage to do what I absolutely had to do when it came to work, and I spent the rest of my time painting, sleeping, watching TV, and reading science fiction. I did the podcasts and the interviews my publicity team secured for me, and I tended to my existing coaching clients, but nothing more.
I remember feeling vaguely aware that maybe I “should” be working harder to promote the book or leverage the publicity I was getting into more clients, but I just… couldn’t.
If I’m being really honest, the intensity of my post-book burnout was a gift. It’s like having a debilitating injury, and being forced into a bedrest that we never would have chosen to take for ourselves, you know?
I found there to be something incredibly peaceful about simply not having another option. I might have felt guilty for choosing to put my business in low gear right when it was begging to take off, but this wasn’t a choice. This was an injury, so I just surrendered to the bedrest.
For what felt like months and months, I would wake up and spend an hour or two responding to private coaching clients on Voxer, and then start painting or reading… only to find myself startled to discover that the whole day was gone and it was time to go to bed.
I suppose it felt like self-care, but only in the sense that it had to be done. It wasn’t the magical, nourishing, or feminine “wellness culture self-care” of bubble baths and spa days… it was more like the self-care of drinking water after running a marathon in the desert.
Slowly, as my drive and passion started coming back, I started catching up on all the areas I’d let slide, like work, relationships, projects around the house, and more. At some point I realized the fog had lifted, and I was having interesting ideas again (my favorite thing in the whole world). I started to get excited about work again, and have been slowly rebuilding my private coaching practice ever since.
All of this is to say that as my book’s first birthday gets closer, I’m feeling more excited and available to promote it than I did when it was born.
This book is the most important thing I’ve ever created, and like a new mom crawling out of postpartum depression, I’m finding myself finally able to really connect to it—to how good it is, and to the fact that I freaking did that.
I want to take advantage of the book’s first birthday to both promote it and celebrate it, in a way I simply couldn’t do last June. And for me, there is nothing more exciting than connecting to other people who are as passionate about the power of body neutrality as I am!
So I have a few requests for you as June gets closer…
If you haven’t bought or read BODY NEUTRAL yet, please do! (And when you’re done: leave a review, and pass it on!)
If you’ve read it and loved it (or it helped you), I’d love for you to hit reply and tell me about it! (Seriously, I want to hear your thoughts and stories!)
If you’re a therapist, coach, podcaster, or media creator who wants to collaborate in some way (or just chat about body neutrality) please reach out and say hi!
My personal goal for the next few months is to get the ideas in this book (include the four body image avatars, and the body neutrality blueprint framework) in the hands of as many people as possible, and connect with folks who love this work as much as I do, so don’t be shy! Hit reply, share your stories, or put me in touch with someone who would love it.
To that end, I also want to remind you that I’m running a live community call on Zoom tomorrow night at 6pm ET for anyone subscribed to my Patreon at the $5/month level or up! This month’s topic will be “emotional labor,” but these calls are designed to facilitate connection and community, so there will be lots of time to share your thoughts, experiences, struggles, and questions, and I would love to see you there.
Also, for every month that you subscribe to my Patreon at the $10/month level or higher, you’ll be entered into a quarterly merch raffle, and in April, I’ll be giving away a signed copy of my book!
Big hug,
Jessi
PS: If you’re looking for help overcoming your own body image issues, I currently have two private coaching spots available starting in April. Check out the options here, and fill out an application!