The Medium User’s Guide to Finding Balance

Step right up!

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Confession: I frequently dream about my Medium stats. Generally, the dream begins the same way — I’m staring at my monitor and the numbers start going, down, down, WAY DOWN! WE’RE GOING DOWN IN FLAMES! SOMEONE WAKE ME UP SO I CAN STOP DREAMING IN ALL CAPS!!!

Ahem.

Other times, I wake in a cold sweat because I forgot to clap for so-and-so’s awesome poem about sunbathing ladybugs.

I like to think that I’m pretty self-aware, but I’m afraid I got caught up in the prevalent trend here on Medium of posting, clapping, and checking stats with such single-minded dedication that eventually I burnt myself out. Not in epic, cartoon smoke shooting out of my ears fashion— more of a slow decline onto the couch with a pint of mint chocolate chip. And there I stayed, metaphorically speaking, for four enlightening days.

Everyone needs to do what works best for them, but I hope that these takeaways might help you find your own sense of balance here on the wild ride that is Medium.

Take an honest look at your process

If like me, you’re compromised by issues related to anxiety and depression, balance is especially important.