I Thought I Was Slipping Into Depression

—But It Was Something Else Entirely

Well, sugar, let me tell you—I did not see this coming.

The other day, I sat down for lunch, turned on the TV, and the next thing I knew? Out. Cold.
Not just a nap. Not just a little doze.

I passed out.

The deep kind of sleep that makes your whole body feel like it’s been stitched to the couch. The kind where you wake up hours later, confused, groggy, not even sure what day it is.

And for a moment, I panicked.

Was I getting sick? Was I slipping into a depression? Why did I feel so drained when everything in my life was going so well?

But then I realized something.

I wasn’t breaking down. I wasn’t slipping backward.

I was absorbing a shift so big my body needed time to catch up.

WearyThe Crash No One Warns You About

See, just a few days before, I had done something major.
I reclaimed my name.

I didn’t expect it to feel dramatic. I thought it was just a legal thing, a formality, a name on a piece of paper. Nothing emotional. Nothing deep.

But turns out, I was wrong.

Because when I walked out of that courthouse, I didn’t just change a name.
I severed an old version of myself.
I let go of every tie that kept me bound to identities I had long outgrown.
And my body? My mind? My spirit?

Oh, honey. They noticed.

And when you make a shift that big, your whole system has to recalibrate.

But here’s the problem.

Nobody tells us about this part.

Why We Mistake This for Depression

We’ve been trained—especially as women—to assume the worst when we feel tired or “off.”

We’ve been told that exhaustion means we’re lazy.
That rest is indulgent.
That if we feel low, something must be wrong.

And because no one talks about how the body processes major shifts, we mislabel it.

• Why am I so tired?

• Why do I feel disconnected when things are going well?

• Why do I feel like I should be celebrating, but all I want to do is curl up in a ball?

We think it’s depression. We think it’s burnout.
But what if it’s none of that?

What if it’s growth settling into our bones?

How to Recognize When It’s an Energy Shift (Not a Breakdown)

When you finally break free of something that’s been wrapped around you for years—whether it’s an old identity, a toxic belief, or a way of living that no longer fits—your body and soul need time to adjust.

And that adjustment? It looks a lot like exhaustion.

So before you assume you’re "falling apart," take a minute and ask yourself:

✔️ Do I feel tired, but not hopeless?
✔️ Do I feel foggy, but not lost?
✔️ Do I feel different, like something inside me is rearranging?

Because sugar, if that’s the case, you’re not sinking. You’re expanding.

Your energy is shifting. Your spirit is stretching into a new space. And that means you don’t need to push through.

You need to let it settle.

What If We Stopped Fighting It?

What if, instead of guilting ourselves for needing rest, we actually gave it to ourselves?

What if we stopped labeling every low-energy moment as a crisis, and started recognizing it as part of the process?

Because here’s what I know for sure:

Rest is not losing momentum.
Feeling “off” after a major breakthrough is normal.
This is not depression—it’s integration.

So if you find yourself unexpectedly knocked flat after something big—whether it’s a name change, a decision, or reclaiming a dream—you are not broken.

You are simply becoming.

And becoming takes energy.

So let it settle. Let it unfold.

And don’t you dare call it anything less than sacred.

Now tell me—have you felt this?

Because I have a sneaking suspicion I’m not the only one.

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Now listen, sugar—some of you already have your Reclaiming Dreams Workbook in hand, and I see you putting in the work. I see you stepping up, stretching those faith muscles, and making moves you once thought were out of reach.

And for those of you who don’t have yours yet… well, let’s just say I’ve been hearing stories. Stories of women shaking off doubt, stepping into something bigger, and realizing—it ain’t too late for them after all.

We’re building something here. A community of realized dreams. And honey, if you’re feeling that nudge, maybe it’s time you grab your copy and see where it takes you….. Re-Claiming Dreams Workbook