AHA!!!!!!!!!
Alright ya'll. I think I figured out my issue with my hair breakage and loss of length and thickness.
The major culprit: Stress and lack of self care due to physical exhaustion mostly, and from some positive excitement, too.
- I fasted, as in zero food and water, for three days, every other day, every week from February to June. (Had to stop doing this.)
- I worked from March to July, six (6) days per week, Monday through Saturday. That's five (5) months of only 1 day of rest per week.. A co-worker had an emergency and was hospitalized for about 4 weeks. So, I took over some of that person's work. But still...too much.
- My commute was 2 hours per day, every day, six (6) days per week.
- In March, I started my apartment search after living in 'student residence' for the last ten (10) years. Money and paper work needed.
- In early April, there was an issue with my administrative processes in France. I had to scramble to get documents, including an affidavit copy and translate documents into French. I remember reaching out to my favorite translator by email, as usual, and receiving back an AUTOMATED email from her family to all her clients indicating that she had passed away. That really, really bothered me.
- In late April, a new company recruited me and I went back and forth with them until end of May to early June negotiating and finalizing the position.
- In mid May, I moved to a new apartment. More money and paperwork and turning off and on services.
- In mid June, I received the news that I became a French citizen. More money and paperwork for the final steps (passport and ID card)
- From mid July to mid August I travelled for thirty (30) days straight for the first time ever (positive excitement but still stress) in Sicily, and I did not have my usual hair tools or products. I rinsed my hair during this time but I did not wash and condition it.
- I have no family in France. Thus, I was managing on my own and with lots of prayer.
So, I can't fault my hair. I did the best that I could during this period of time for the health of my hair and my 'luscious ends'. I am learning to give myself grace. Thus, I grant myself grace.
As I put this in writing,
this is absolutely ridiculous in terms of the amount of stress and duress under which I was under. The current state of my hair is a reflection of all this. I had to just push through, though. Thank God I had seven (7) weeks off, before starting my new position in September. That was a tremendous blessing.
The next time you are considering berating yourself for some transgression or for something you may deem a failure, please take a good hard look at what you have been doing for yourself and for others. Appreciate yourself and GET SOME REST.
I've got four (4) months left in the year of 2022. I think that's enough to get my hair back on track and have my hair flourishing and getting me some luscious, healthy ends again by the last week of December 2022.