Ways We Overshare and How to Stop - MadameNoire

Stop checking in

Don’t be too surprised if people start showing up where you are located. Checking in to destinations and businesses might let your “friends” on to new cuisines and adventures, but it also lets too many people know what you are up to. If you need to talk about what you are doing that’s fine, but giving exact locations with addresses is just not safe.

Don’t take personal calls at work

While there are circumstances where this is unavoidable you should not get so comfortable at your job that you take personal calls. As much as you think you are keeping your voice down you always run the risk of someone overhearing business they shouldn’t.

Tweet erratically

Yes Twitter makes it easier to communicate with people and even businesses so we can share our experiences, but that doesn’t mean you don’t watch what you tweet. The American Psychological Association warns about the importance of using Twitter responsibly. Failure to do so can cost you your job.

Read Watch What You Tweet! Companies in the Hot Seat for Twitter Fails

Forget you are friends with your boss

Even if you are really tight with some of the management at your company (or coworkers), you still need to be careful how much you share on your social media. You just never know how a person feels about a hot button topic that can cause tension at the job. You also don’t want to paint yourself in a bad way that could make them reconsider future promotions and projects.

Tip: Create a list just for acquaintances and professional colleages in efforts to filter the information they see.

Read Request Denied: Reasons Not to Friend Your Boss on Facebook

Buy a journal

Why do you feel the need to share all of your business? Do you feel lonely or like you aren’t getting that much attention? One way to curb this is by writing your thoughts in a journal. Whether you are super happy, pissed off or feeling overwhelmed, having a journal can let you put your thoughts to paper. It also makes a good keepsake down the road when you need to look back to see how far you have come.

Tell everyone EVERYTHING you do

For heaven’s sake there is sharing out of excitement and giving everyone a rundown of your schedule. Do you need to let us know about what you are doing from the time you wake up until right before you go to bed? Check your social media and see how frequently you post. It’s one thing if you are following a special event or occasion — though that can get annoying to some people. It’s a completely different situation if you are sharing your business as if you don’t have to friend to call.

Overshare about your child

If you are a parent then you know how easy it is to want to share each and every precious moment. No one expects a proud parent to keep silent, though you should be careful not to overshare. Do people really need to see sonogram pictures, photos of your little one getting a bath in the tub, or common hangout spots you frequent? Hate to say it but there are a bunch of perverts out there — some of which you might not know about. As your child does not have a voice about what they do and don’t want online, practice restricting how much you share for the sake of safety.

Read Not My Child! Keeping Our Children Safe Online

Confide in co-workers about complaints

You might not think that a complaint or two about your job or company is considered oversharing, but it can be. In fact, some may take mental or even physical notes about your distaste for your current situation and use it against you — even to better their own situation. Sometimes it’s best not to say too much.

Read Am I Really That Toxic? Why All That Complaining is Bad for the Workplace

Care too much about what people think

At the end of the day there are many of us who overshare without knowing it as it’s a way to receive attention they are not getting. Or maybe you care about what people think.

Think before you share

One of the best ways to stop oversharing is to think before you do it. Ask yourself if what you want to tell everyone is really worth disclosing? Does it have the potential to put you or your family in danger? Can it come back to haunt you?