TMI And the Oversharing Social Media Hangover

That moment when you realize you just shared your entire current financial situation with about 150 acquaintances on your social media in the midst of minor emotional breakdown. HAha….yea, that’s a fun one….

In the throes of the uncertainty of my financial future I posted about the lack of funds coming in on time. Stupid. I know. Worst part is had I just waited 24 hours the problem would have already been corrected and that weight I had been carrying around for the past two weeks would have been lifted, sans making it public knowledge.

Look. I’ve been guilty more times than I can count of oversharing on social media. For one, I’m an open book. There are certainly things I keep private, but not a lot. A big factor is I live alone. When I need to rant or try to feel better about something I’m limited on outlets. So yes, I log in, throw it out into the social media universe, feel the weight lifted, and move on with my day. Sometimes, about an hour later, I’m struck by anxiety that I shouldn’t have hit “post”! What are people thinking? What was I thinking? How bad did this make me look? No one liked it! No one likes me! You know? Just a string of completely rational thoughts like that.

Then I get what I call the O.S.M.H, the oversharing social media hangover. Where instead of feeling like I lifted the weight, started a conversation, and/or stated my purpose thoughtfully and maturely… I feel like a kid. Embarrassed, regretful, unheard, and misunderstood. All feelings I place on myself. My old friend anxiety creeps in and a panic takes over. I start to post again to explain myself better, or drive the previous topic to something else, or to make a joke about the rantings and ravings of that silly little old… me. And guess what, the cycle has begun. Each post after causes just as much if not more sheer panic and regret. I feel mortified.

Have you ever had one too many (or six too many) adult beverages while you’re out and you wake up the next morning and start to think about the night before? Like oh my god did I do that? Did I say that? Where's my shoe? Was I screaming at people? Why? Why was I like that? And then you’re actually too embarrassed to face anyone who witnessed your intoxicated display the night before. You drank too much, you did stupid shit, and now you have that regret cloud of shame and guilt. You can feel an actual pit in your stomach. I get that sometimes when I feel like I reveal too much of myself when I share on social media. When I feel like I've hit post after post, like downing shot after shot. And honestly sometimes even just two posts feel like two too many. And there I am, feeling like I’ve overshared my life and that “hangover” creeps in, that cloud.

And then if you’re a truly special kind of stupid you start a blog.

And then blog about those said posts.

Hey, I never claimed I was perfect, or logical for that matter.

I often like to write until I’ve made my world feel right again. It may be dawning on some of you that the name of this blog actually has a purpose, “Make it Write”. Because it’s what I do. For the most part it works too. But for those of us who have that anxiety creature perched on our shoulder from time to time it can just be another trigger of doubt and panic. Or at least I think so, maybe it’s just me? I do feel like it’s something we (just me?) need to get over. We are living in a time of chaos, uncertainty and just pure panic. We may start to express more feelings on platforms like Facebook or twitter, or I don’t know… TikTok? Is that a thing?

We need to be unapologetic. If we are being true to ourselves, our feelings, our beliefs AND we’re respectful and thoughtful in the way we express them, there should be no regret sharing how we feel, or why we feel it. We try to be hush hush sometimes about anxiety, depression, and fears. The list goes on. Some of us even avoid posting triumphs as to not appear like we’re boasting (not me but some people). It’s important to share right now. Important to not feel alone in this. Important to speak our minds and our truths. Its. IMPORTANT. We matter. I matter. You matter. And maybe there is someone out there looking at something you’ve shared and thinks it’s a bit much, too personal, silly, or unnecessary. So what? Screw those people. Those who can’t muster up some sympathy, empathy, support, congratulations, or whatever the situation calls for, are not the type of people who are part of the solution. They are part of the problem.

So, until next time… Speak your mind, share your mind. Be part of the solution!