Stop oversharing and limit the drama in 2016

A full month and a half into 2016, it’s easy to forget about resolutions we set for ourselves on December 31st. Today, I’m reminding myself, and the Internet, about how we can make this year a better one.

I’ve always lived my life like an open book. I seek advice from rational sources when my emotions keep me from seeing things clearly. I like to talk about my life, and I like to gossip…a lot. Like many of you, I’m a sharer.

I learned a lot of things my first semester of college: where to study, which fraternities to avoid and that geology is a lot harder than it sounds. But the most valuable piece of information I’m taking with me into 2016 is this: some things are better kept to yourself.

Deciding which intimate details of your life you want to share should be a two-step process. First, ask yourself, “am I comfortable with everyone knowing this about me?” Because as soon as you share that information, it’s no longer in your control.

And then, ask yourself if the information is even necessary to share. A lot of the time we don’t see the harm in sharing, but that’s just because we don’t see what’s coming next.

You may want to brag to the girl next to you in class about the cute guy you kissed over the weekend, but you’ll feel embarrassed when you find out her friend kissed him that weekend too.

You may want to tell people about the internship that you’re applying for, but you’ll feel hurt when they all ask if you got it when you didn’t.

You may even see nothing wrong with telling your friends you think your roommate lied to her boyfriend, but you’ll feel awful when they tell him about it. Especially if you were wrong.

These are a few (and some of the least catastrophic) examples of over-sharing I witnessed last semester. I saw how what seemed like harmless sharing caused a lot of unnecessary stress in the lives of people around me, and I realized that I was guilty of the same thing, too.

My point is this: it’s not about bottling things up or shutting yourself down. Tell your close friends all of the juicy details of your life, and then stop talking about them. It may seem insignificant in the moment, but you don’t know where that information is going to end up, or how much you’re really giving away. Plus, UNC might be a big school, but we know that doesn’t keep gossip from circulating.

It’s the small adjustments that can really simplify your life. So tell your best friends about the boys and the internships and your roommate. Then leave it alone.

My #1 tip for limiting the drama in 2016? A little privacy goes a long way.