Hermit by Jade Angeles Fitton

I stumbled across a memoir I’d like to read, Hermit. The problem? It’s only available in the UK currently. So I’m adding it to my wishlist (meaning: I’m telling you about it so that I’ll remember to read it later when it’s available to me).

Jade Angeles Fitton wrote Hermit  “about my time spent in solitude and how I came to love it— about more than loving it, as it felt like it loved me back: I rebuilt my life with the help of solitude.” Basically, Jade’s book sounds like a book about a woman who goes on a solo journey to find out something about herself, and I’m here for it.

While you wait to receive your copy of Hermit, read this interview of Jade from Emma Gammon of the Hyphen for a look at how Jade began logging off of social media and how that affected her anxiety and her ability to be alone in very good ways.

She says:

Studies frequently show that, although connection is important, the more online we are – typically (though not always) – the more unbalanced we become in real life. It’s finding a balance and not letting one world take over, not letting the online world prevent us from seeing and experiencing this one fully.

As you and I have talked about before, I took a break from Facebook and Twitter at the start of the year. I later began posting on Facebook again, and I occasionally throw a fun photo on Instagram simply to chronicle something fun happening in my life, typically travel related, but I no longer endlessly scroll through Facebook or Twitter feeds. And I only interact on Facebook on my author page.

This has enhanced my real relationships greatly—both online and in the real world. When readers of my books and of this blog email me directly or comment at the bottom of posts, I’m able to have real conversations with them about subjects I’m writing about. This is way more meaningful to me than joining in meaningless online banter.

Also, when we cut our social media scrolling time, we have time to meet up with friends in real life. There have been occasions since I escaped social media that I’ve met up with friends I had lost touch with during the past several years. Imagine cutting an hour out of your social media time each day, and instead meet a friend for wine or coffee on two different occasions during the week. Or if you need alone time, take that saved hour each day to add a new yoga or mediation habit.

For me, I’m intrigued by Jade Angeles Fitton‘s Hermit and her adventure into solitude, but for now, while I patiently await this book to be available to me, I’m concentrating on the thought of balancing my online time with my offline time and being sure that I’m getting the most out of the world I truly wish to live in. And just in case you’re confused, the online world is not that world.

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