Taylor Frankie Paul says she's trying to start fresh after a dark time in her life ... but she's still got a void to fill.

The 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star opened up on social media Sunday, updating fans on where he life and her head are at.

Taylor says she's still processing the 'Bachelorette' getting canceled and 'SLOMW' being put on ice after she "made some boys cry" and bawled herself. That's one way to sum things up.

She says she's trying to learn from her mistakes but it's important to let herself smile again and not forget to be silly too.

Taylor's getting less parenting time with her son, Ever, who she shares with ex Dakota Mortensen ... and she says she's doing lots of projects around the house to cope and distract from the fact she's seen her youngest kid only sparingly since we posted video of her accidentally hitting her other child with a barstool during an argument with Dakota.

Taylor and Dakota are scheduled to attend a hearing Monday to discuss "future child custody and parent-time issues" ... so she may get more time with Ever soon.

Stay tuned ...