Online Overwhelm

I’ve got a bad habit when it comes to the online world.

I’m a hoarder.

I’ve spoken before about my relationship to excess ‘stuff’.

I think my online life is the same.

We look at so much regularly – various social media accounts, email accounts and websites – via laptops, phones, tablets…

There’s so much information and entertainment out there, how do you know when to stop?

There’s so much to consume and to learn and to read.

I’m a serial bookmarker.

Pressing that little star at the top of the browser is so easy.

I’ve got so many things to read later.

And the list build and builds.

Every now and then I have to set aside actual time to go through and digest some of the things I’ve been saving.

The problem is, there are some really great things on the internet.

So many articles, recipes, so much advice, so many ideas.

I subscribe to the newsletters of so many amazing people, all of whom share the work of other amazing people.

Sometimes my inbox alone could leave me with so much to read it would last me a few tube journeys and commutes to wade through it.

Sometimes it’s important to remember you switch off.

You can’t consume everything.

You’d keep going forever.

It’s not essential to read every single great article that drops into your inbox.

Don’t let it become a chore.

As soon as I’m feeling pressure to read things that really I’m only reading for pleasure, I take a look at that list of bookmarks and delete everything except the things that really excite me, that I’m desperate to read.

Enjoy the work of others, and enjoy the online world, but don’t let it take over.

It’s something I’m still learning, but I’m getting there.