The Mental Health Digest - When to Overshare (My Recent Example)

When to Overshare (My Recent Example)

By Jordan Brown - Mental Health Newsletter Writer, Poet, Social Worker, and Advocate • Issue #236 • View online

I was interviewed on a mental health podcast a week ago, and I got into the nitty-gritty details of my mental health struggles.

It got me to thinking. Why do I share such details with a person who was, moments prior, a stranger to me?

And why do I not share these kinds of details in everyday life?

The answer lies in the definition of oversharing, and my definition of it may not be what you think–or what you’ve been told about oversharing.

Set boundaries. Be smart. Don’t overshare. Spare the intimate details.

Simple advice that doesn’t always apply.

So let’s get into the everyday realities of mental health, what oversharing actually is, and when you should overshare in your life.

My Recent Mental Health Podcast - Good Oversharing

I was on the Mirror Talk podcast recently hosted by Tobi Ojekunle.

He’s the kind of kindred spirit that made me feel immediately comfortable and understood. It may have been the best podcast experience I’ve had, and I’ve been interviewed on several.

But what made me share personal information with Tobi? It couldn’t just have been because he’s a nice person, surely?

Like anything, there were many concurrent factors that made me decide to “overshare.”

First, oversharing is relative. What I share in one scenario or one environment with close friends may not constitute oversharing. Whereas, if I shared the same information with work colleagues or even typical digital spaces like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, it would be considered WAY too much.

With Tobi, I talked about the year I experienced a mental health crisis. I talked about insomnia, major depression, and skin-picking. I talked about needing to go to the hospital as a last resort because the mental health care system had failed me and I felt dangerously close to ending my life.

It was a terrible time, and this kind of information is overwhelming for most people, most of the time.

It depends on the situation. And it depends on what others are expecting to hear.

If you walk into a new office on your first day of the job, and you tell people about the abuse you suffered at the hands of your family 20 years ago, it’s going to be viewed in a certain way.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve processed that trauma and feel prepared to share it with anyone. If your information doesn’t mesh with the current situation, it’s going to come across as odd and as a definite overshare.

But talking on the Mirror Talk podcast was another story. I did my research and saw the kinds of guests Tobi had interviewed in the past. I read Tobi’s background information and realized that he truly cared about other people’s stories. And so, when I finally got to hear his voice and see how he responded to my words, I knew this was someone who just got it.

All the factors came together, and my decision to overshare was an easy one.

But that’s not always the case. Not even close.

Next, let’s consider when you should overshare in your life.

When Should You Overshare?

It’s just not possible to come up with an exhaustive list that will apply directly to your life, so if you’re looking for that, you’re going to be deeply disappointed.

Like everything important in life, oversharing has its nuances.

You have to understand the environment you’re in.

What are the customs and the norms for the particular environment you’re in? Are you in a culture you know well, or are you stepping into a foreign culture where sharing something potentially risky could become absolutely devastating? All of this is important to consider.

You also have to consider what your goal is.

For me, when I’m on a mental health podcast, it’s to educate and inspire. Now, how that comes across is not always the same. I match my words with the situation and the individual on the screen who is interviewing me.

So, what are your goals?

Do you consider them when you enter a conversation or a room?

It might seem like a strange way to approach your life, but it has helped me SO much. Before a phone call, I think, What do I hope to get out of this? What would be a successful outcome?

Before I read a book, I consider, What am I hoping to learn? Because I read mainly non-fiction, this works well for me. If you’re a fiction reader, you may need a different approach–or you may need to discard this one completely. It’s YOUR life, and you call the shots.

Conclusion - Setting Boundaries or Not Setting Boundaries?

Let’s wrap up this discussion in a neat little bow.

If you’re on social media, and anyone in the world can see what you post, you may not want to dump all the intimate details of your life into the screen.

You’re probably going to want to have your guard up until you get used to the digital environment.

But if you’re among close friends, and if sharing details about your personal lives is common, then more topics could be up for discussion. It ALL depends.

One of the most challenging aspects of making the decision to share–and how much– is that oversharing is a social, collective process of establishing shared meaning.

Sure, you absolutely get to determine what oversharing means to you, but you’re not the final judge–because you’re not the only judge.

Even if we’d sometimes like it to be that way, we are not the only people in this world. We have to coexist with all kinds of interesting creatures.

And so we must learn to create a shared meaning…of oversharing.

Does this definition of oversharing match your own? Why or why not? I’d love to know. Just reply to this email.

Sharing is caring (So oversharing is overcaring?),

Jordan

P.S. If this helped you, or if my podcast helped you, I’d really appreciate if you shared it with others. Just forwarding it to one friend in need can make a huge difference.

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By Jordan Brown - Mental Health Newsletter Writer, Poet, Social Worker, and Advocate

The Mental Health Update is an inspirational mental health newsletter featuring authentic mental health articles that make mental health issues like depression, anxiety, OCD meaningful AND accessible.

This is different from typical mental health newsletters.

It's not just an Anxiety Email Newsletter or a Depression Email Newsletter - It's timeless mental health wisdom and inspiration to start your day in a thoughtful, uplifting way.

I was tired of other mental health newsletters blasting out generic lists of links. And I was especially tired of other mental health newsletters not focusing on the everyday reality of mental health issues.

So I decided to come up with a mental health newsletter I wanted to read.

This health newsletter is like a caring friend that just wants you to feel better.

Mental health awareness articles don't need to be all doom and gloom and filled with jargon.

With The Mental Health Update email newsletter, you'll get practical mental health information, tips, and new ways to view the world.

We discuss topics like anxiety, depression, OCD, the mental health to mental illness spectrum, social and communication skills, and much, much more.

This is what a few subscribers had to say about The Mental Health Update:

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The Mental Health Digest - When to Overshare (My Recent Example)

The Mental Health Update is an inspirational mental health newsletter featuring authentic mental health articles that make mental health issues like depression, anxiety, OCD meaningful AND accessible.

Mental health awareness articles don't need to be all doom and gloom and filled with jargon.

This is what a few subscribers had to say about The Mental Health Update:

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