The value of time off from social media.

Things will be quiet on Mixtape Communications’s blog, Facebook Page & @zanarama’s Twitter feed over the next month. Here’s why.

I absolutely love my work. I get to spend a ton of time on social media learning about the latest trends and tools and then sharing those with nonprofits and foundations.

I also believe in taking a break. A real break. Not just an “I’m checking email while at the lake break.” But a whole month without Twitter, Google+ or email. (Yes, there will be occasional personal Facebook use, but not much). Breaks like this help me recharge my creativity and be productive the rest of the year. This annual break is also an important component  of my goal to ensure I’m running these tools  instead of letting them run me.

It goes without saying that I’m incredibly lucky to be able to take time off like this.

I’ll unplug starting on August 5th and will stay that way until September 5th. I’ll spend lots of time with my kids, get outside every chance I get, tune up the ukulele and read some of those books that are piling up.  I’m not going to lie – I’ll be craving a Twitter fix for the first few days. But I know that eventually I’ll be able to think in more than 140 characters.

Turns out I’m not the only one who does this. I read recently about danah boyd, a Microsoft researcher, who deletes all the emails she receives while on break. Just this week I got an email from Ameena Falchetto saying she’s on a social media blackout. And even Silicon Valley is encouraging people to turn it all off on occasion, according to this New York Times article.

As much as I’m looking forward to my time off I’m equally looking forward to getting back to all of you and Mixtape Communications with renewed energy and creativity in September.

Do me a favor – don’t post anything too interesting while I’m gone. OK?

 

Zan McColloch-Lussier is the DJ & Idea Generator at Mixtape Communications.