I always hear about all the negative things that happen on social media as soon as I tell someone I work in the world of social media. It is like social media has become synonymous with bad energy, or even worse, it is a bad word. Since I love social media, I listen to why people do not like social media with an open mind. Yet, I cannot help feeling as if you have enough time to tell me why you do not like social media; you have enough time to practice some self-care tips.
So, here are some tips on taking care of yourself in the world of social media, whether you are an entrepreneur or just an everyday user.
It is a choice. - The first tip is that social media is a choice. In the fast-paced news and phone addiction world, we must remember that social media is a choice. It may be time to take a break if it is not suitable for you. A good indicator that you may need a break is if you spend too much time on it or live in everyone else’s negativity about it. Our egos would like to think everyone will miss all our status updates, but the truth is we are all bombarded on our newsfeeds, taking a break, whether for a few hours to a few days, and your friends will probably not even notice. Also, telling the world you are taking a break is unnecessary.
Restraint of Tongue and Pen. - You know when you are scrolling down your newsfeed or looking through your reels, and you cannot believe the audacity of one of your friends posting what they think politically or religiously? You have one of three choices, tell them precisely what is on your mind, keep scrolling, or hide the post altogether. I recommend one of the latter two. I know you are thinking, but what about opposing discussion, but the truth is, how important is it to be heard? Because even if you are having a debate, that does not mean the other person or their friends are capable of doing it too. All people on social media are well, so is it more important to be right or be peaceful? Let’s face it; you will not remember what your friend posted tomorrow. Think about it, can you remember everything your friends posted during the last election? Probably not.
Write and Erase. - I am sometimes so angry that I will write a scathing status update and remove the entire thing before I click post. It may be therapeutic to get it out; that part is taking care of yourself, but will it help if you post it? Probably not. A safer bet is to do an online private journal so you can go back and read it later to see if it is something you still want to post. Penzu has a free personal online journal if you have to get it out.
Keep it Separate. - Many Facebook users need to learn that they can separate their Facebook actions via the Facebook apps. When I often speak to entrepreneurs, they want to ensure they are mindful of their time on Facebook for their business. If your interest is your Facebook Business Page, there are apps for that. Do not go on your regular newsfeed while working on your business. If part of your business is through private messaging on Facebook, by all means, get on the right App without all the unnecessary distractions.
Set an intention. - I have done enough social media surveys that people spend anywhere from 5 to 8 hours daily on social media. Don’t believe me, start using your phone timer to time yourself from start to finish each time you check a social media app. More importantly, begin to track what you were doing on it. You will be fascinated that it might not have been as productive as you think. Once you realize the amount of unproductive time you spend on social media, write your daily intention of why you are on it. For instance, you could write, I intend to use my social media accounts to compliment the non-profit I am volunteering with this month. Go to give, not to get. Maybe, you want to do a status update, but be mindful of making it send some love and positivity even if you are writing about a difficult situation.
Time Management. - Along with setting an intention, set a timer for how long you want to stay on social media to do that intentionally. We only get one life. When you look back, do you want it to say I spent thousands of hours wasting time on social media? Or, do you want to look back and say, I used social media for the robust positive tool it is? More importantly, I spent time being there for my children, business, and community.
Going Down Social Media Memory Lane - I do not know about you, but I love when Facebook shares memories most days. But I have to be careful because, as beautiful as they are, they can give me the illusion that life did not exist before Facebook. Depending on my mood, it also causes me to stay in the past instead of what is going on in the present. So, don’t peruse your social media memories unless you are in the right mindset.
The Person Next to You Does Not Know More about Social Media than You! - Let me squash this myth, unrealistic guilt, because you think you should be more aware. Here is another myth that can be crushed millennials know more about social media than you do. I have worked with millennials, entrepreneurs, CEOs, teenagers, and parents who thought the person next to them knew more about this technology. The facts are that social media, along with the rest of the world of technology, is that no one knows everything. So stop giving yourself unnecessary guilt that you are out of the loop of this tremendous big technology secret. If you are not a social media expert or work in technology, it is okay to know as little as those around you. Feel united because it is not necessary to know it all.
You do not know everything about social media just because you know how to use it. - My favorite thing to do is teach others about social media, but I always seem to get that one person who is very suspicious about my knowledge. They appear to be sitting there thinking, what can she teach me? Moreover, just like the person next to you does not necessarily know more when thinking you know everything and you are annoyed at your boss for sending you to my seminar, remember this is your ego talking; instead, be open. And remember, this idea cannot be any more true for teens on social media. They may know how to use it, but that does not mean they learn to take care of themselves on it, so if they teach you how to use it, teach them how valuable things like boundaries are in all areas of our life, including online.
You do not have to be everyone’s friend. - I know some people who see a friend request, and they start an entire conversation in their heads about whether or not to accept the person. Please stop the talk; follow your gut. If you love to friend people, friend them and move on; if you have a system that they have to be friends with x number of your friends, follow your system. If you keep friends in lists, stick them in the correct list and move on. What you do not want to do is waste any time overthinking the process because, at the end of the day, if you were not going to be friends with them in real life, then you do not need to be friends with them virtually only.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to social media is that however you utilize social media, you get to make your rules about it. I love social media, and I can enjoy my intended time on it because the rules above are what work for me. What rules would you add or subtract from the list above as a parent, entrepreneur, or casual social media user?
Leave a comment and let me know.
