Brain Slog Self Portrait
Okay, now as the result of overstimulating myself into hypomania and over-work by obsessively and excessively engaging in social media and spreading myself too thin –> I’m totally exhausted, have a headache, and I’m experiencing serious BRAIN SLOG.
That’s the only way I can now describe my seeming inability to do what I should be able to do. My brain is on break. It is broke.
Permanent brain slog truly sucks. So sorry.
Yes! I’m old enough to have watched the original cast back in the 70’s.
Unfortunately, I’m in a permanent brain slog. I hope we both get better soon.
Me too! Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Dana Carvey…the good days!
Thank you!
Take care, Kitt. We’re all pulling for you.
I use WordPress Sharing (under Settings). Using Sharing, you can publish your posts on your other social media automatically.
Kitt, I don’t really use the link method because it doesn’t work well with pictures and some folks don’t trust links. I actually physically post the same material on G+. This works best for me, but you can experiment.
Thanks for the feedback, Phil. I’ve been debating whether or not to go back to publishing a link of every post to G+.
Hi Kitt, just one further point that might help you out. I spend most of my time on G+, it just is a better venue for what I am doing these days. G+ keeps track not only of followers and likes, but also views, much better than WP. I have works that might have 12 or 13 likes and 1000 views, and works that may have 3 or 4 likes and 2000+ views. I personally prefer the view metric, because at least folks are seeing what you are doing. But either is ok, it gets back to what your aims with you blog are. Best, Phil
Thank you for your concern. You are right.
I do, too. But that even gets out of hand. And then I try to read some who never like or follow anyone because I like something about them but that is not many. I try to rule out those who post more than once a day except for one. After you do this awhile, you make friends and so I feel I must follow them. And the exceptions I do follow are worth it. But it is hard. You will get many followers. I don’t think you have to go crazy following people and tweeting though you can get lots of followers from Twitter. The thing is I am not sure how many followers from Twitter follow WP blogs. I followed your instructions and will look at posts that way from now on. Much better. I’ll figure out how to stop the emails. You are a very generous person but you must take care of yourself or you will burn out. And burn out can be worse than brain fog. It can lead to deep depression. So please take care of yourself! Namaste, Ellen
On Sat, Jul 26, 2014 at 7:28 PM, Kitt O’Malley wrote:
> Kitt O’Malley commented: “I didn’t actively follow them, though. I > just kept clicking follow… I actively read a few blogs. When someone > likes or follows me, I go to their site and check them out.” >
I didn’t actively follow them, though. I just kept clicking follow… I actively read a few blogs. When someone likes or follows me, I go to their site and check them out.
GADZUKS, 600 blogs!! That would push me right over the edge!! Already close enough.
Thanks so much, Kitt. Going to print out and follow. I gave up trying to get followers– just blog for key issues that are burning inside. I totally appreciate the detailed, not geeky, instructions.
Good luck with pairing down. With mucho appreciation, Ellen
Wow, I have about 350 folks including WP and G+. Most though are not always active, so it is manageable. I try to focus on literature and art, primarily. Also I try to stay away from blogs that send out many posts a day, or who have really long posts. I try to do the same, keeping short and using graphic art. But you have to have exceptions I think. So I have guidelines but if it is worth it, I will bend them. I just don’t try to grow followers, that’s all.
Do NOT try to keep up with someone (like me) who’s ramping up. Not a good idea.
To follow (and edit your email preferences) from the WordPress Reader: from your blog or blog dashboard, hover over capital W (WP logo) at top left-hand corner, choose Reader. There you will see previews of all blogs you follow.
To edit the blogs you follow and your email preferences, at the top of the right-hand READER menu, click on “EDIT” to the right of “Blogs I Follow” > EDIT.
To delete following altogether, click X to the right of the blog.
To change email preferences, click EDIT beneath the blog name to the right of your current email preferences.
Hope that helps. (I’m a geek at heart, forgive me the detailed instructions.)
I am so glad you are having this discussion because I am following way more people than I can keep up with and they come in as email. I don’t know how to get the posts through the reader. And some feedback… I really appreciated your responses but felt bad because I could not keep up with reciprocating your work on Twitter. Since I follow so many people on WP I have had to leave Twitter to when my activism (also out of control) asks to push the Tweet button which I do. And WP is hooked up to twitter automatically when I post on WP. Glad to hear about what other people do because I have been fighting burn out and spreading myself too thin. Hope you can find your level. It is not easy because when I am manic I add people to follow like crazy and crazy it is.
I was “following” over 600 blogs. Obviously, I was not reading all the blogs that fed to WP Reader. Now I’m going through one at a time to delete almost all but mental health blogs, which is difficult because I also love literature, art, and spirituality blogs. But somehow I have to pare it down, WAY down.
Yes I know when we start out, that is the metric we are supposed to follow. And we want to be polite. But then you have to say, why are you blogging, what are you hoping to do? So basically if someone is a marketer, or food salesperson, or basically a business, I generally don’t respond to their follows and they don’t read or view anything I do! Then for folks that put up more than one post a day, if they are just posing and never interacting, then I start thinking about dropping that. The only exceptions are when a blog has information that only they supply and I am interested in that subject. Those are just some brief rules of thumb. Please share any others you come up with!
It is only too easy to get caught up in the idea of growing a following, with numbers and statistics all over the place. It triggers the competitor and the insecure self in me, as if I must work harder and harder and faster and faster and help more and more people. But, it is not sustainable, not healthy.
Your attitude is by far the healthier one. I am now trying to reel it in. But, unfortunately, doing so, in and of itself, takes time and effort.
Thanks Kitt. Here’s the thing. Some folks just want followers, like a fan club, they are not looking for a community, to learn and share. That’s ok but that is not what I am looking for. Each of us has different amounts of time at different points but for me, if all you are doing is posting multiple posts a day, clogging things up, with no real interest in what I might be up to, what is the point, as far as I am concerned. I am not looking to be in someone’s fan club! And I am not looking for a fan club.
Thank you. That’s helpful, actually. I need to delete many, many blogs from my Reader and use it to follow folks like you.
Hi Kitt. I am not sure what you mean by email? I only have email notification from one person because her web doesn’t seem to work with Reader. The rest are through Reader. Usually I try to keep up with those in Reader that seem to be keeping up with me. Sometimes if someone isn’t really following what I am doing at all, at they flood my Reader with many Posts every day, I just have to stop following them. Sometimes (not often) if I liked that person a lot I will try to explain. I could go on, sorry I have thought about it!
That it is. In fact, I’m getting ready to edit the blogs I follow. You have any insights about how to choose which blogs to follow in your WordPress Reader vs. email? I think I’m following way too many blogs!
It is amazing how much work it can be trying to keep up with everyone, that is for sure!
That it does!
it happens!
Just wrote you hoping you would heal from the dangers of social media and burn out. Go into nature or SNL shows, whatever. Hope you feel better soon!
Perfect! Love SNL…”laughter is the best medicine”!
I’m currently watching SNL reruns, fabulous for passive watching and laughter.
Oh no! I did not read this before messaging you, otherwise I would have tried to hold back. You know I’m in the same boat except for the hypo part – instead I have this horrid cold. Can you force yourself to have some “horizontal healing time”? Adjust meds? Thinking of you…I want you to feel better right away!