• Night Night Phone. I used to look at social media in bed. Before bed at night, before I got out of bed in the morning. One day I realized this habit was making me MISERABLE! So I stopped. No more phone in the bed, full stop. The result was amazing. I fell asleep easier because my mind was able to relax–screen-free. In the morning, I began a new routine, waking up, making coffee, and listening to a podcast while walking for 30 minutes before scrolling through social media. This set the tone of my day much better. I had some “me” time back and was able to approach the day with a better attitude.
  
  
• Family Time is Family Time. When I get home from work, the phone goes on the charger and stays out of sight. It was too tempting to have it near me. A reel here and there while I cooked dinner. A response to a client post while my loved ones were telling me about their day. No more! And you know what, I don’t miss it at all, and I haven’t missed anything for a client either. The concept here is pretty simple, when I spent 100% focus on clients during client-time, I was more productive during work time. I was able to really sit and think through ways to make client social media more efficient because I was fully engaged in the task. Essentially–the social media boundaries go both ways. No personal social media during work time, and no work social media during personal time.
  
  
• Intentional Presence. Nothing makes someone feel unimportant, like you doom scrolling through socials while they are trying to connect with you in person. Being intentionally present is one of the more rewarding things you can do with your time. This presence allows you to make more meaningful connections with people and makes people want to spend more time with you. This goes for both personal and professional meetings. I have been in plenty of professional meetings where folks stare at their phones instead of listening to me, and it’s incredibly frustrating. People want to do business with and be friends with people who make them feel important. Don’t let your phone get in the way.
  
  
• Second Screening. Who watches TV while scrolling through socials? Me! I was getting a fraction of enjoyment from both. Pick a screen and stick with one.
  
  
• Set Your Schedule
  Smartphones now have the ability to customize what notifications you see in personal, sleep, work, and do-not-disturb focus modes. To customize what you see and the hours of each focus mode, visit the settings area of your phone, select focus, and customize your focus modes. Don’t want to be bugged by social media notifications when you have personal or sleep modes on? No problem!
  
  
• Consumption Time. We’ve discussed ways to put social media in its box but what about when it is time to sit down and dig into the comments on either your personal or professional accounts? Of course, there is never a good time for negativity; most of us find it emotionally draining. Here are a few tips that can help:
  
  
  • • Don’t approach it with dread. Usually, the comments aren’t negative. Don’t let one negative comment ruin the good vibes you got from the 10 good ones.
      
      
    • Negative comments are an opportunity. If someone had a negative experience with your clinic, you’d rather they tell you than not…right? This is an opportunity to hear the feedback, address it, and in many cases, create an even stronger bond with your client by handling the feedback appropriately.
      
      
    • Don’t bear the burden alone. If you’re struggling with something you read or how it makes you feel, process the comment collaboratively with an appropriate co-worker. 

Now that you’re being more intentional with your social content consumption, if you’re also responsible for business social management and find it interfering with your personal social media use, these next tips are for you. If you don’t manage any professional social pages, there are some helpful book recommendations you won’t want to miss at the end of this post.