How to manage social media distractions

I’m often guilty of being constantly switched ‘on’ to the world and have found myself easily distracted by social media notifications.

So if 68% of us in the UK own a smartphone, are we slowly starting to recognise we are stuck on a dopamine hamster wheel through our cravings for attention and instant gratification?

And if those notification pings are no longer music to our ears, what exactly can we do about it?

Close social media apps and web pages

Let’s be honest, how many times do you have your social media accessible in the background while you work?

I’ve done it myself.

Closing out of your social media apps and web pages will mean you avoid even the slightest temptation to check when your project enthusiasm temporarily wanes.

Switch off mobile notifications

Having social media notifications ping regularly can be the perfect distraction when we’re not fully focussed on the task at hand.

I regularly switch my phone to ‘night mode’ which limits my unhealthy need to check my phone every time it pings for my attention and puts me back in control. Kinda.

Allocate a set time for social media

If your business relies on building a community environment and, well, being social on social media, have you thought about setting allocated time in your schedule for it all? That way you’ll plan your day around your social media rather than the other way around.

Work smarter on Twitter

With the average lifespan of a tweet a mere 18 minutes, I find Twitter particularly difficult to manage as it moves so darn quickly.

Then someone mentioned social media management tools and I have not looked back after settling on Tweetdeck. Its customised Twitter views help me filter content so I see specific tweets only, such as those by existing clients, prospects, other VAs, strategic partners, etc, meaning I stop the mindless scrolling through irrelevant promoted posts and retweets.

Ask for help with your online communities

If you run an online community, such as a Facebook or LinkedIn group, you will feel as though you have suddenly made yourself available 24/7. Urgh.

So why not look at existing group members who align with your brand and consider taking them on as group moderators? That way you share the workload and keep engagement high.

There’s an app for that

A desktop app called Cold Turkey was recommended to me a while ago and enabling it means you literally cannot access pre-defined web pages for a set amount of time.

Game. Changer.

Just don’t be tempted to pick up your phone to view social media on there instead (guilty as charged once or twice!).

Use a timing technique

I’ve written about Pomodoro Tomato Timer a couple of times now and continue to use it daily.

You might want to do, say, four Pomodoros and use your longer break for a cuppa and social media scan.