Social Media Hiatus, August 16-September 6

So I just made an announcement! A big life-changing announcement! Attached to which was a brief summary of just how much work I need to do over the next two weeks.

In order to accomplish said work — moving, finishing essays, etc — I need to quit social media for the duration. Differently-wired people than I could probably get by without such drastic measures, but having come to terms with my brain’s idiosyncrasies where anxiety spirals and procrastination are concerned, I think this is the best thing for it. I’ve got to take a break — because there’s so much on my plate. The Hamilton-irony isn’t lost on me.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll have deleted Twitter and Facebook from my phone and blocked them on my laptop until the day after Labour Day. I’ll still be writing blog posts, which will still crosspost to Twitter, but I won’t be there to see replies or DMs. I won’t see Messages or friend requests on Facebook. Email, texts, and phone calls will be the way to reach me; I’ll still be approving comments here, because let’s be honest, hardly anyone comments on blog posts nowadays. (But what a treasure it would be to see discussions of books happening in comments here! Like the sainted days of Livejournal come again!)

I’m a little freaked out by quitting so cold turkey — Twitter especially is deeply important to me as a way to reach out and touch friends, share photos of beautiful things or silly observations, start interesting conversations, get advice. Being as on-the-move as I have been — always in between places, at bus stops, on long walks, in airports — it’s been crucial to me. But I need this — need to cool down an overheated brain, need to find quiet and focus in my work, need to find different ways of letting my friends know I love and care about them.

I hope you’ll still be here when I come back!