This blog is a collaboration between myself and Georgina Thorne from She is Digital. She asked me to write something for her audience to give some tips around managing a healthy relationship with your phone and technology.
If you’re using social media to promote your business, it probably already feels like you have a pretty unhealthy relationship with your phone, and all you’re ever doing is checking your various accounts, from the second you wake up till the minute you go to bed.
Some of you may even take your phones up to bed with you and have one last look before you turn the lights out.
You’re updating, responding, checking your follower stats, while constantly being bombarded by accounts with thousands of followers, who all seem to be doing a far better job than you. Am I right?
And no matter how many times you tell yourself it doesn’t matter, a little bit of you wants to cry when your last post only got 2 likes.
It’s exhausting!
So, how do you maintain an active presence on social media without it taking over your life and leaving you feeling like a massive under achiever?
Cue Laura Duggal, Career Coach for Mums. She is going to share some tips that will show you how to maintain a healthy social media marketing mindset so you can continue being an active user without compromising your self-confidence, productivity, and sanity.
As a Coach I work with a lot of women who are starting their own businesses and use social media as a way to reach their clients. This comes with it’s own problems like comparisonitis, overwhelm and the need to be constantly attached to your phone!
I’m going to share 5 simple steps that will help you maintain a healthier mindset when you’re using social media.
1. Set A Daily Limit
It’s easy to waste hours scrolling through Facebook and Instagram pretending to yourself that it’s work, but in reality it’s just a drain on your precious time. By setting a daily limit you still get your social media fix but also make sure that the time you’re spending on it is useful.
For me, I set 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes in the afternoon and 30 minutes in the evening to be on social media. This includes commenting on my own posts and interacting with others. You have to be strict with this, set an alarm if you need to and listen to it when it goes off!
2. Turn Off Your Notifications
When I started working for myself, I’d sit at my desk to get started, then an e-mail would come in and I’d be off to answer it.
In the middle of that a notification from my Facebook group would ping and I’d look at that. While I was in Facebook, someone would send me a message on Instagram and I’d be off looking at that. I’m exhausted just thinking about it!
But you get the picture. All of these constant distractions are draining and unnecessary and can lead to us feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
The best thing I ever did was turn off the notifications for ALL of my apps and e-mail. The only one I left on was the ringer on my phone, because I still need to hear from nursery if there’s an emergency.
By doing this, I realised that I was spending all of my time working to other people’s agenda’s rather than my own. Now, I check my e-mail and other apps at a time in the day that suits me, after I’ve got my own work done.
3. Remember That People Only Share The Good Stuff
It’s so easy to get drawn into drooling over other peoples Instagram accounts. Look at what they’re wearing, where they’re going on holiday, how far ahead they are in their business.
Studies have shown that social media can lead to increased feelings of depression and anxiety, and it’s no wonder, given that we’re constantly comparing ourselves against everyone else perfect lives!
It’s good to remind ourselves that people usually only share the good things on these accounts and we have no idea what’s really happening in their lives. Plus, most of the time, they’re strangers on the internet we have never actually met!
4. Only Follow People That Inspire You
Have you ever found yourself following someone who annoys you? You disagree with what they say, the way they talk irritates you and you don’t like their outlook on the world.
Every time you see them, it winds you up and you feel bad.
Well, guess what… you don’t have to follow them! There’s something weirdly addictive about following someone who makes you react in this way, but it’s not good for your mood or your mental health.
If you’re worried about offending someone, you can stay ‘friends’ but just choose not to see so much from them in your news feed, making room for the people you do want to see who inspire you!
5. Put Your Phone Away When Your Working
If turning off the notifications isn’t enough for you and the temptation is too great, I would really recommend putting your phone in a different room when there’s something you want to concentrate on.
I do this when I have a piece of work to do at my desk, when I’m with my daughter and I also bought an alarm clock and left my phone downstairs at night, because sleep is a lot more important that social media updates!
Try it in short bursts and see how long you can be without your phone at a time. I found writing down at the end of the day how long I had been ‘offline’ a real eye opener and helped me feel motivated to leave it alone.