How You Can Digitally Disconnect in 2023 and Beyond
How many times have you heard that you have to constantly be on social to be successful?
There is a difference between constant and consistent. You can be consistent on social media, without being on it constantly.
I am a big believer that we’re not meant to be connected all the time. And we are better business owners, marketers and humans when we are not.
The good news is that it is 100% possible to not be on your phone 24/7 and still be successful at social media!
As we enter a new year with new goals, it can be difficult to figure out where digital wellness fits in. New goals, especially for business owners, are often tied to work that needs to be done digitally! While this is great, it’s easy to get sucked into the world of constantly being tied to our devices.
I’m here to show you that being successful on social media does not mean you have to be on it constantly.
You would probably be shocked at how little time I spend on my phone, even as a social media strategist.
The reason I’m able to step away from my social media is because I have a strategy and system in place that includes:
Getting clear on your brand
Honing in on target audiences
Developing goals and determining what success looks like
Determining which social media channels are right for you
Creating a content calendar and system to save you time
Having this strategy and system in place is key to success, and key to spending less time on social media in the new year.
Once you have a strategy in place, you need boundaries in place to keep you from wasting hours on the never-ending social media scroll hole. These boundaries will look different for everyone! Embrace what you need and what you know will work for you.
Here are some boundaries that have worked really well for me and my clients:
Organizing or re-organizing your home screen (keep it minimal!)
Turn off notifications from apps you tend to get a lot from
Timeblock a few slots in your calendar to respond to emails and social media messages
Control your feed. Unfollow accounts that don’t bring you joy!
Never touch a message more than once. The second time open a message - take action. Don’t waste time reading the same email over and over again.
Take email (or other apps) off your phone. Then, you only check those notifications while you’re at your computer.
Schedule time for a social media break to check notifications, post, and respond to messages. (So you don’t do this multiple times a day!)
Approach your digital devices with mindfulness of what you’re consuming
Turn your phone on airplane mode when you don’t want to be distracted or want to unplug.
The best part is that some of these you can implement in seconds! No matter what boundary you set, just remember: you are in control. Your phone and digital life is not in control of you.
As we start the new year, acknowledge that you need time to disconnect, unplug, and be kind to your mind.
If you’re feeling ready to see success on social media, and not be constantly digitally engaged, it’s time we meet.