7 Simple Tips to Spend Less Time on Social Media
March 16th, 2018
Anyone else have a love/hate relationship when it comes to social media?
I admit there are times when all I want to do is disconnect, but at the same time it feels like a necessary evil for business these days.
Sometimes it feels like there’s just too much noise and clutter online. It can be total information overload.
There’s also a feeling of pressure to keep up and it’s easy to feel like everyone else has it all figured out.
Every time I catch myself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or Facebook, I notice that I end up feeling a little bit worst.
Can you relate?
Truth is what you see on social media is just a tiny slice of someone’s existence (and a carefully manicured one at that). You know that delicious and beautifully styled salad or smoothie you just liked? Have you ever thought about what’s going on behind the scenes when that photo was taken?
What you’re not seeing is the messy kitchen, a stack of dishes piled high in the sink and the toddler having a tantrum in the background. All you see is what they want you to see.
This year I’ve committed to spending less time on social media and cutting out the noise in general.
Here’s a few simple tips that have helped me:
1) “Create before you consume”
I heard this quote by Marie Forleo at the start of last year and it was a huge eye opener at the time. I realized I had really been spending way too much time reading other people’s stuff instead of focusing on my own. Now I won’t allow myself to go on social media until I’ve created something for my business FIRST.
2) Post & Run
I create all my posts offline and when I’m ready to post them I head to Facebook or Instagram, post what I need to post, and then sign off as fast as I can. It helps that I’ve installed a Facebook Newsfeed Eradicator (see #5) so I don’t get sucked into mindless scrolling.
3) Start your day strong
Do you start off each day checking your emails and social media? Be honest…
I used to do this too, but have cut out this bad habit because it’s really not how I want to start my day. You never know what you’re gonna find when you open your inbox or social media, so why risk starting the day off with negativity.
4) Pick 1 or 2 platforms
You do NOT need to be everywhere. Keeping up with Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Snapchat, to name a few, is impossible and not a great use of your time. Each platform has their own intricacies for growth and community building so it makes sense to learn 1 or 2 really well.
How do you choose a platform? Think about where your ideal clients are MOST likely to hang out. Choose that platform and invest your time in sharing great content there.
5) Facebook Newsfeed eradicator
How did I not know about this sooner? Now when I login to Facebook, all I see is a lovely quotation on my main screen rather than getting sucked into the newsfeed. It’s awesome!
6) Turn off notifications
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but makes such a huge difference! Notifications are majorly distracting. It’s hard to be productive when you’re constantly getting interrupted and switching between tasks.
7) unroll.me
This makes it SO easy to unsubscribe from tons of mailing lists all at once and to “rollup” all your favourite subscriptions into only one email. This will seriously help you cut down on inbox overwhelm.
Ok now it’s time to take action. Information is great, but action is where the magic happens!
Pick one of the tips and commit to trying it out for at least a week.
And if you’re looking for some accountability to help keep you on track, come join us in the Health Pro to CEO Community
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