I took a break from Steemit this summer. A long break. A much-needed break, where I (mostly) stepped away from all things digital and spent time focusing on my family, basking in the summer sun and reconnecting with nature. It was lovely, and I don’t regret a single moment of it. 

We all need a break sometimes.

![beach.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPU9DpfGqoJhmiGGpdJTqZSvehcVeqE8GsyCcdBEYDSe7/beach.jpg)

But when I returned to Steemit this past week, something had changed. I felt disconnected from the community, from the many relationships I had begun to form. I felt like I was brand new here, as though I was starting this journey all over again. I began to worry that taking a break was a mistake. I began to fear that I had been away too long, that perhaps Steemit had forgotten about me.

Melodramatic? Maybe. But not entirely wrong. 

I still don't regret taking a break. But I now realize that I could have done it a lot better. Here's are three things I did wrong, and what I learned in the process.

### <h3> I disengaged from the community

For the most part, I stopped creating new content for Steemit over the summer. That's fine. But I also stopped reading other people's content. And I stopped engaging in comments and discussions. I ghosted Steemit. I disconnected from the community. And now that I've returned, I feel like I've walked into a class reunion and am trying to make small talk with people I haven't spoken to in 20 years.

I care about the success of this site and as a result, I feel it's my responsibility to encourage those who participate in it by actively supporting their work. Plus, I really *enjoy* reading and commenting on the content shared here. While I absolutely loved reconnecting with family and friends in-person during my social media break, I missed the online community I discovered here.  

### <h3> I failed to share the wealth

Since I wasn't reading content or engaging with my fellow Steemians, it's no surprise that I also failed to upvote. Now, I know my allotment of the Steemit pie is small, but it's still so *so* important that we all do our share to ensure other content creators are justly rewarded. It may only be a few cents here and there, but it still makes a difference to Steemit's financial success and it's membership's morale. 

![quarters_dimes.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTrfWs5fVqSJSWQwXE5nGg3zm3VHthmpW2PAufhFDLBha/quarters_dimes.jpg)

### <h3> I resorted to shit posts

Ok. Not everything I posted this summer was garbage. In fact, I think many of the few posts I managed to create were pretty good. But many were also crap -- and certainly not up to the standard I'd like to maintain.

Part of this is because I'm still trying to figure out who I am as a Steemian, and what I have to offer the community, so there's sure to be some trial and error as I test out different things. But the biggest reason I resorted to tossing up some shit posts this summer was because I gave in to my vacation guilt and the anxiety-driven need to do something even remotely *productive*. Because sometimes, even though our souls reassure us that taking a break is a good thing to do, our brains simply can't shut off the ingrained message that we must *always* be doing *something.*

![scribble.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcqG6LLz3CELnYTqG3jgTJCrcoWgqhgB93tV7YtApGSh8/scribble.jpg)
*Courtesy of GraphicStock.com*

I know I'll take breaks from Steemit in the future, but next time, I'll try not to cut myself off from the site entirely. I may not post new content, but I can certainly spare a few minutes of time to upvote and comment on the work of others. 

#### <h4> If you enjoyed this post, please upvote, resteem and follow @redhens. You may also enjoy some of my other recent posts, including:

* [Is it Ever OK to Give Up on a Goal?](https://steemit.com/writing/@redhens/is-it-ever-okay-to-give-up-on-a-goal)
* [News Stories to Make You Smile: August 14, 2017](https://steemit.com/news/@redhens/news-stories-to-make-you-smile-august-14-2017)