It's easy to spend an hour a day, or more, on Facebook or Twitter alone. Once you add other sites like Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and YouTube, social media activities can expand to fill as much time as you have available. Some people end up checking the latest postings on their phone almost constantly – at the dinner table, while out with friends, or even walking down the street. If you don't want social media to take over your life, here are some tips.
1.) Turn Off Sound Notifications On Your Phone.
If your phone dings every time you get a notification that somebody replied to your tweet or commented on your Facebook post, you will have a steady stream of sounds distracting you throughout the day. They get your attention, and make you curious enough that you simply have to look at your phone to see what just happened. The easiest way to regain your productivity is to turn those sounds notifications off.
2.) Turn Off All E-mail Notifications.
Social media sites love to send you an e-mail any time something happens on their site. Do you really need to get an e-mail every time somebody repins one of your images on Pinterest, or you have a new follower on Twitter? Not only is it a distraction, but it also clutters up your e-mail inbox, making it harder to see the messages that really are important.
3.) Keep Fewer Tabs Open.
If your browser normally has a dozen tabs open, with one for each of your favorite social media sites, then you can gain some time back by closing down those tabs. Having a tab open for Twitter makes it far too easy to click over and catch the latest stream. Keep that tab closed, so that you have to make a conscious effort to get your Twitter fix.
4.) Log Out Of Social Media Sites.
When you stay logged into a social media site, it makes it so simple to pop over and see what's happening. Any time you're curious and looking for a distraction, that site is just a click away. If you log yourself out each time, then you have to make the effort to enter your login and password in order to check the latest updates. That extra effort can make the difference, and keep you away from the site.
5.) Set Fixed Times For Necessary Activities.
If you use Facebook, Twitter or other sites for business purposes, then you need to stay on top of them. People expect you to respond, and building that social engagement has a valid business purpose for you. In this case, give yourself a fixed block of time each day for posting and responding, and stick to that schedule rather than checking it multiple times a day.
6.) Set Time Limits For General Social Surfing.
For non-essential social media activities, give yourself a reasonable time limit for daily use. You might decide that this means a half an hour each day for checking your Pinterest feed or catching up on YouTube channels you follow. Whatever time limit you set, make sure you stick to it. This keeps you from wasting another evening, mindlessly clicking through funny cat videos.