Short Break #1

I’m trying something new. Again.

I’d like to write a lot more, and I just haven’t been doing enough of that. Call it life, call it work, call it emotions, something always seems to get in the way. A lot of the time, it’s worrying too much or self editing too much.

I want to write more — more freeflowing, more unfiltered thoughts. Write whatever I can.

So with today’s post, I’d like to introduce a new series of writing.

I’ll call it Short Break.

The rules are simple:

• 15 minutes of writing
• Not allowed to edit after those 15 minutes
• Whatever is on the screen gets posted

It’s very possible that I’ve started this series because I recently deleted my social media, namely Instagram and Twitter. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this, of course. I’ve done this countless times in the past, most notably last year for 2 months while I was finishing my thesis.

And so my unfiltered thoughts are just swirling around in my brain instead of getting dumped on the timeline. I’d like to get it out.

I once read that it’s a completely unnatural thing to publicly say every single thought we have — yet that is basically a foundational concept of Twitter.

In the past, I usually left social media when I was feeling especially alienated, or lonely, or insecure, or depressed. But this time is different. This time I feel generally okay.

I just want some peace of mind.

I don’t want to feel pressure to have to let people know of where I am every single second, or tweet every half-brained thought that comes to mind. While it’s true that not everyone feels this pressure, for me, this pressure comes part and parcel with having the Instagram app and Twitter on my phone.

So for now, I’m stepping away.

I still have an Instagram account with no followers where I post and repost whatever I want. But that’s about the extent of it.

Unlike my past social media departures, I don’t have a specific goal or aim this time. But I don’t think I’ll be back on social media for a while.

I used to think I’d hate being invisible. But it’s not so bad. It’s nice to just live life, to see a view and not think about what song would be best to accompany this on my Instagram story, to not constantly refresh a tweet to receive a micro jolt of dopamine from one more like.

For now, I’m okay with where I am. Not present, not bothered.

It’s been good so far. I spent 2 hours catching up with a friend last night. I’ve spent all of today listening to my Discover Weekly (it’s pretty bad this week). I still have my closest friends chatting me on my phone.

For the past year, my life has been inextricably linked to my social media. And I’d like to cut ties for now.

At least I have you, random reader reading the gibberish I’m trying so hard to make sound comprehensible.

And at least I still have my writing.

And that’s enough for now.

See you in the next break.