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The Most Important Ingredient in Successful Webinars

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Woman Presenting a Webinar on Chemistry

What is the most important ingredient in a successful webinar, and how will you spice up yours? If you really want to be a downer — call your exciting, fun, online learning event a webinar.

Somehow we’ve learned along the way that work should be just that — work — and that having pleasure is somehow incompatible with getting everything done at work. Fun, especially at work, is frivolous and unprofessional, according to some. As a result, even having fun working makes it unsuitable for serious business people.

What’s the attendance rate at fabulous online learning events like?

The majority of webinars are uninteresting. When was the last time you went to a webinar that made you feel energized, successful, and ready to up your productivity game? You’re likely more inclined to call your webinar uninteresting. Here are a couple more webinar adjectives: Bland. Beige. Boring. And boredom is like poison — it deteriorates mental health and learning, according to scientists.

Boredom is an abnormal condition for the brain; thus, any activity that keeps you from being bored is healthy.

Why are webinars so uninteresting?

Webinars don’t seem to be all that different from previous online meetings, for starters. We can go from a team meeting to a learning webinar and have the same experience.

Webinar designers and presenters often don’t approach their job with a unique perspective; it’s simply another task on their to-do list. However, having a good time should be one of the host’s primary goals. Having fun while learning provides unique cognitive resources, correlates reward and pleasure with knowledge, and toggles abstract thought and concentrated attention — according to Cognition Today.

“People tend to forget the majority of webinars. Many are in the category of “forgotten” soon after you’ve attended them. Positive emotions extend our attention capacity and help us pull additional mental resources, and boost access to memory networks,” Cognition Today continues.

Most online presentations do not elicit favorable feelings and are not very engaging. These speakers, bosses, and assigned team members seem to have a bad attitude about attending their own event — and they aren’t enjoyable in the least.

However, having pleasure, social contact, and sensory engagement during a learning process increases neuronal alterations. That is to say, it stimulates numerous brain areas to store a high level of information throughout one event.

Why work harder?

Webinars can provide additional benefits. Inherently, the webinar presenter has to work much harder than in in-person learning programs, necessitating special consideration in their design and execution. They have to work harder because, by design, these presenters are to accommodate, even promote, distraction. But how much extra time and initiative would it take to make it a happy distraction?

When you’re in a room with other people, multitasking is less possible. Furthermore, there’s some social pressure to keep you from doing so. Multitasking seems to be a good notion while you’re sitting at home in front of your laptop or phone screen. And our do-it-all, busy-ness society makes it very difficult to resist distracting ourselves.

“A society that values productivity implies that grownups have less time to goof around,” writes Stuart Brown, a Stanford consulting professor in Johns Hopkins Magazine. “It’s a matter of public health. Although we may believe we are ultra-productive, just 2% of individuals can multitask well.”

But — during a webinar — you feel like multitasking in any way possible. “Where are my games? Can I watch a reel without being seen? And holy cannoli  — I can’t take this meeting one more minute.”

So, if you’re the creator of webinars or you create and deliver webinars — what does all of this knowledge and neuroscience of learning data mean to you?

Pump up the joy.

If you want to provide something successful, you must blatantly pump up the joy, human connection, and interactivity. When you finally decide to engage your audience, you’ll distinguish yourself from your colleagues. You can spur your team and employees to greatness — and likely deposit a large sum of money into your brand bank account when you take the time to pump up the joy.

Here’s how to make your webinars unique and captivating.

Make your stuff attractive.

Instead of words, consider images and video. Vary your material as much as possible, using statistics, ideas, thoughts, stories, and other elements. To engage both halves of the brain and make your material remember, tell tales. Make sure that 85 percent of your slides have no more than 15 words on them.

Use your slides as a teleprompter. To keep it lively, use animations and transitions.

Increase the humor.

“If you’re looking for indicators that you’re having fun, one of them could be laughing,” said Robert Provine, a neuroscientist and psychology professor at the University of Maryland. When was the last time you burst out laughing in the middle of a webinar? People will be delighted and hooked to your presentation if you use hilarious short films, Instagram reels, pertinent jokes, and exciting tales.

Create a sense of belonging.

Most professionals do not want to disappoint their coworkers. Participants are more likely to connect, support one another, and learn and develop as a team when the webinar leader is visionary. The leader allows the development of cohorts, groups, and partners. You also allow everyone to have a good time.

Throw in a breakout to assist in fostering a stronger cohesiveness and involvement with your team. Even a one-hour webinar may include one or two entertaining breakout sessions.

Boost interaction and engagement by increasing the number of people who interact with you.

When individuals are doing something rather than watching something, it is easier to hold their attention. Fill the webinar with competitions, polls, whiteboards, hand raising, Q&A, and other activities to keep people engaged. The more you change things up, the more interested your team will be. If you’re doing webinars for clients? Watch your customer retention stats for your services and predict what will happen next.

Increase the entertainment value of your presentation, and your audience will be hooked to your display, oblivious to even the most urgent email pings.

The Most Important Ingredient in Successful Webinars was originally published on Calendar by Angela Ruth.

Featured Image Credit: CottonBro; Pexels. Thank you!

5 Unique Time Management Hacks That Have Been Proven to Work

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Unique Time Management Hacks Proven Work

Modern reliance on technology by most companies today means that the same devices that we use for work are also where we get our distractions. Some say it’s not your fault if you often fall victim to technology — many of us have. But come on, you are in charge of yourself, even if the nature of the technology is a constant connection.

While it may seem like the only solution to manage your time is to spend it away from your devices (which does help, of course), that’s not always possible or even necessary.

Find the productivity you need with some of these hacks for time management that have been proven to work.

1. Stop Letting Tech Suck You In

The truth is that one reason technology distracts us so strongly is because it offers a comfortable, relatively predictable escape from our tasks. If you’re tired from being hard at work for a few hours, why not take a second to look at Instagram? One second can lead to an hour away from your responsibilities — and a lot of the time, it’s not because you’re distracted but rather because you want to relax. And as long as you’re fulfilling your responsibilities, don’t be afraid to enjoy what you enjoy on social.

Not letting tech suck you in can be done in many ways: cutting off work communications as soon as the day ends, working and relaxing in different rooms, etc. The most important thing is that after hours, you are giving yourself fully to your relaxation needs. When it’s time to return you’ll feel refreshed, alert, and much more able to focus because your needs have already been tended to.

2. Utilize Timers for Each Task

Realistically, the duration of any given task can vary in uniformity and length. But setting a timer creates a new psychological environment, one in which you are present for this amount of time and this amount only, regardless of how long it is. When the timer ends, you are free. Believe it or not, setting a timer requires focus, even if you aren’t sure about the length of time a task will take. However, your timer will help you focus and work faster and makes it easier to stay on task by providing this target of freedom.

Say you have a short story transcript to be edited by the end of the day. You don’t know how long it will take and are avoiding the task out of dread. Instead of scrambling at the last minute, set a timer for one hour, clear your mind of anything but the task (including the deadline), and begin. You’ll find the task to be a little easier when you know better how long it will take — and give a concentrated push to be finished.

3. Create an Environment for Focus

Alongside your timer, try to adapt your surroundings to the task at hand. Keep an open mind at this point because even the smallest change can make a difference for you. You can move a pen that you keep hitting with your arm or move all electronics out of your sight. Part of creating this environment can be put into action in advance as well, even just by outlining a plan for the day and setting the kinds of rules for yourself as mentioned in this article by Calendar.

To continue the previous example, let’s say you’re doing your transcript editing at home. To craft the ideal environment, you can turn off your electronics, dress comfortably, make a cup of tea, put on a sound generator in some sound-dampening headphones, and close everything on your computer but the transcript. Whatever makes you feel focused in your space will work best.

4. Steer Clear of Your Unique Distractions

Read up on distractions and take some notes about the ones that affect your time management. Here is a great list of distractions such as this one you can put far away from yourself. Your needs will likely be different from anyone else’s. Chances are, you have particular things that distract you uniquely more than others. It’s easy to forget these distractions are even there, or to get used to them in the space, without being freed from their influence. Take a moment to sit in your space and note everything that draws your attention in a distracting way.

These distractions can take the form of imagery to be changed, like a decoration on the wall, or a bright light shining through your window. Maybe you’ve found that your emotions are distracting you the most, in which case you can take a break to do some mindfulness exercises. You should do everything that you need to make this your space of focus, even if it seems strange or unconventional.

5. Experiment With Your Time Management System

Above all, managing your time is just that — managing your time for the sake of your own productivity. It’s easy to try different methods that many people use, but it can be difficult to stick with them because they aren’t tailored for you. You might find that what works best for you may even be the opposite of what you’ve heard (like letting yourself get distracted so you can come back with fuller focus). In the end, it doesn’t matter what you do as long as it helps you achieve your time management goals.

Remember, the objective is not to implement time-saving methods, but rather, succinctly, to save time itself. Try not to get caught up in common methods that aren’t helping just because they might down the line. The concept of a method that will always help everyone is one of many time-saving myths. Just sit down, look around, and do what you need to do to manage your time.

5 Unique Time Management Hacks That Have Been Proven to Work was originally published on Calendar by Deanna Ritchie.

Image Credit: Ono Kosuki; Pexels; Thank you!

14 Alternatives to Picking Up Your Phone

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14 Alternatives to Picking Up Your Phone

When IBM unveiled the first smartphone, the Simon Personal Communicated and not the iPhone, in 1992, only 50,000 units were sold. Today, there are more phones than people on the planet. Back in the late 20th Century — we couldn’t wrap our heads around the potential of mobile phones.

Obviously, we use our phones to call and text others. We also communicate through email, direct messaging, video calls, or social media. They’re now our cameras as well. We also use them to shop, play games, watch videos, or listen to podcasts.

Moreover, we capture thoughts and ideas on digital notepads or apps like Evernote. Airplane, concert, or sporting event tickets are stored on them. They’ve also replaced the alarm clock and can aid us in our ongoing quest to be more productive.

In short? Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives. But, at what cost?

Alternatives to Picking Up Your Phone

After reviewing data of 11,000 of its users, RescueTime found that, on average, they spent 3 hours and 15 minutes a day on their phones. Similar findings were found by eMarketer, who found that US adults spend 3 hours and 43 minutes on mobile devices.

However, both of these findings took place before the pandemic.

In India, for example, it’s been reported that smartphone usage has risen 25% to 6.9 hours daily! App Annie stated that during H1 2020, consumers spent 1.6 trillion hours on mobile. “The coronavirus has advanced mobile usage by 2 to 3 years — accelerating our transition to a mobile-first world,” said Lexi Sydow, Sr Market Insights Manager, App Annie.

So, if phone usage was a concern in a pre-COVID world, it’s only gotten worse. And, that can be a big problem.

The problem with being glued to your phone.

58 times. That’s how often we pick up our phones each day. And, that can set off a chain reaction.

For instance, a study by the University of California Irvine found that once you’ve been distracted, it takes about 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain your focus. Additionally, experiments involving multitasking shows “that even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time.”

But, wait. It gets worse.

Too much screen time also encourages a more sedentary lifestyle. As a result, this can lead to obesity, a higher risk of diabetes, and increased blood pressure or cholesterol.

Because they’re emitting blue light, electronics can disrupt the brain’s sleep cycle. In turn, a lack of sleep can cause you to make more mistakes, impair your decision-making, and put your health in jeopardy.

Also, being glued to your phone can lead to chronic neck and back pain. And, it can increase depression and anxiety. Of course, this has only exhilarated within the last year, thanks to the phenomenon known as doomscrolling.

Suffice to say, being glued to your smartphone damages your productivity and overall well-being. It’s also interfering with interpersonal relationships. The reason? You’re dividing your attention between what’s on your screen and the individual(s) you’re interacting with in person.

At the same time, phones are a necessary evil. So, what’s the answer to this quandary? Find ways to limit your smartphone usage. And, to help get you started, here are 14 alternatives to picking up your phone.

1. Have a conversation.

I’m talking about a real conversation. You know when you’re actually talking to someone and not through Facebook Messenger or Slack.

For example, maybe you see a colleague taking a coffee break and stop by and shoot the breeze with them. When you’re home, designate tech-free zones so that you can talk to your family members without being distracted by your phones.

What if no one else is around? Well, you could make a phone call rather than sending a text or email. The key is to give the person on the other end your undivided attention. Or, if you’re in public, have a friendly chat with a stranger.

Why’s this so important? Because this will strengthen your relationships with others. And, if you weren’t aware, embracing community helps us live longer and be happier.

2. Read a book or newspaper.

While it’s more convenient to read the news or books on your mobile devices, it’s just not the same. In fact, reading on paper can be incredibly beneficial to your health.

According to a 2016 study published in Social Science and Medicine, those who read on paper expanded their lifespan on average by 23 months. So, instead of reaching for your phone in the morning, grab a newspaper or a magazine that contains in-depth and fact-checked reporting. However, your favorite book should also suffice.

3. Make a plan for later.

Date night? A meeting with your time? Scheduling your priorities?

All of the above doesn’t magically happen. They involve some level of planning. So, instead of mindlessly scrolling through your social feeds, grab your notebook and jot down ideas for future plans.

You don’t have to get too in-depth. Just think creatively about what your family could do during a long weekend or how you’re going to spend your time at work. You could also list meal plan ideas or chores that need to get done around the house.

Once you have ideas generated, you can determine which ones to follow through with. And, you can then develop a plan of action to achieve them.

4. Go for a walk outside.

Personally, I cherish my daily walks. I usually go in the mid-afternoon when my energy is dipping. When I feel this way, I take my dog for a long walk without my phone.

For me, it’s a brief escape from the chaos around me. It also gives me time to clear my head and organize my thought. And, studies also show that make walking a part of your daily jaunt can:

  • Walking reduces stress, lifts your spirits, and increases your self-esteem.
  • You’ll lose weight — even if it’s just walking for 30-minutes.
  • It lowers blood pressure.
  • Walking improves your sleep and gives you a burst of energy.
  • You’ll have fewer snack cravings during and after.

5. Pick up a hobby.

Different types of hobbies provide various benefits.

For example, yoga or martial arts are good for you physically. Gardening, coloring, or cooking have mental and emotional health benefits. Playing an instrument can do wonders for you socially and interpersonally.

But, that’s not all. Activities like writing, making homemade items, or meditating can spark creativity and boost self-esteem.

So, carve out 20-40 minutes a day to work on your hobby. You’ll still have several hours left to get back to your phone.

6. Practice gratitude.

“In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness,” states Harvard Health Publishing. “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” All of this can help you become more productive and motivate others.

How can you practice gratitude? Some suggestions include;

  • Write a thank-you letter
  • Keep a gratitude journal
  • Count your blessings
  • Thank someone mentally
  • Pray or meditate

7. Take a nap.

Obviously, you don’t want to fall asleep on the job. But, a quick 15-minute nap during the day restores alertness. Rather than spending your break glued to your phone, catch a catnip.

8. Move your body.

Just 11 minutes of exercise per day has been found to boot your lifespan. That’s welcome news considering that in a post-COVID world, we’re just experiencing prolong sitting. And, that’s damaging our productivity and overall health.

The next time you’re tempted to pick up your smartphone, do something that encourages physical activity. It could be as simple as standing and stretching to jumping jacks. You could also try office exercises, dancing like no one’s watching, or going for a run.

9. Do five minutes of deep breathing.

Breathing exercises are a simple and effective way to relax, reduce tension, and relieve stress. Best of all? They can be done anywhere at any time.

10. Organize and declutter.

Marie Kondo might disagree. But, a little bit of clutter isn’t always the end of the world. Some people even boost their creativity when surrounded by a little mess.

At the same time, too much clutter can be distracting. It also can make you feel more anxious or stressed. To avoid this, organize and declutter a small space at a time.

For instance, if you have 30-minutes to kill in-between virtual meetings and you’re well-prepared, out the phone down and clean out a junk draw. The next time you have a couple of spare minutes, organize a filing cabinet and so forth.

11. Play games.

Definitely not the games you have downloaded on your phone. I’m talking about physical brain games like sudoku or a crossword puzzle. I’m also a fan of chess or playing catch with my dog.

Playing certain games can get the blood flowing and put a smile on your face. But, these games can help exercise your brain. In turn, this may be able to improve your memory, speed up decision-making, and increase your concentration.

12. Sharpen your math skills.

Throughout my life, numbers have the power to make me cringe. However, I do realize that math is vital to everyday life. We need it to tell time, create a budget, cook/bake, or leave tips.

Besides — Math skills increase brain power, self-confidence, and hireability.

While there are YouTube videos and apps you can use, also try:

  • Use the “9 trick.” Do you need to add 9 to any number? First, add 10, and then simply subtract 1.
  • The “5 times” trick. To multiply any number by 5, multiply the number by 10 and then divide it in half first.
  • Do your multiplication in parts. If you want to multiply large numbers in your head, this can be a helpful strategy. Let’s say you want to find 3 x 89. Multiply 3 x 80 (240) and 3 x 9 (27). After that — add the two numbers and you’ll get 267.
  • Calculate square numbers easily. Want to find the square of 24, for instance? Dropdown 4 to the closest and easiest number, which is 20. Next, balance it by going up 4 to 28. “The first calculation needs to be 20 x 28. Start with 2 x 28 = 56, and then multiple by 10 to get 560,” adds NCC’s Nick Cooper. “Now you just need to add the square of the number you went up or down to get to the easy number, which in this case is 4. 4 x 4 = 16, and then 560 + 16 = 576. In summary – 24 x 24 can be done as such: (20 x 28) + (4 x 4) = 576.”

13. Embrace nostalgia.

Don’t just look at your Facebook albums. Pull out an actual photo album the next time you want to reminisce.

“Memories of the past can help to maintain current feelings of self-worth and can contribute to a brighter outlook on the future,” said Dr. Tim Wildschut, who leads a study on nostalgia. “Our findings do imply that nostalgia, by promoting optimism, could help individuals cope with psychological adversity.”

As a result, you’re more optimistic about the future.

14. Do nothing.

You may be thinking that you have too much to do to literally do nothing. Here’s the thing. There are plenty of opportunities to disconnect for a couple of minutes and let your mind wander.

Case in point, when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store. Since you aren’t doing anything else, you pull out your phone. Next thing you know, you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed with all the information you just consumed.

Instead, just stand there. Get bored or daydream. Even that brief timeout allows you to rest and connect new dots to form novel ideas.

Besides, being alone with your own thoughts can make you more empathetic, resilient, and productive.

How to stop looking at your phone?

For some of us, this may not be problematic. I know plenty of people who can go hours without looking at their phones. In fact, some of them — like my mom — are known to misplace their phones frequently.

That’s not the case for everyone, though. Checking your phone can be a behavioral addiction. And, that’s not by mistake, as many apps were modeled after slot machines.

The good news? It is possible to put some distance between you and your phone, such as;

  • Keeping your phone out of sight, like leaving it in another room or behind when walking. Start gradually in 15-minutes intervals and increase the time periods.
  • Stop using your smartphone as an alarm. If you want an alarm to ensure that you don’t oversleep, go with an old school alarm clock.
  • Set time limits. During a break, for example, only permit yourself 10-minutes of phone time.
  • Let technology help. Most smartphones and apps like RescueTime will monitor the time you spend on your phone. They can also block phone usage at specific times or if you’ve exceeded a certain time limit.
  • Establish tech-free zones like your bedroom or dining room.
  • Remove unnecessary and time-consuming apps, such as Facebook, from your phone — or at least your home screen.

What if you’re still struggling? Consider downgrading. If you went back to a flip phone, then what purpose would have to be on it as much?

Think Before You Post: Don’t Let Social Media Bring You Down

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Think Before You Post: Don’t Let Social Media Bring You Down

We all know that social media has become a part of daily lives and will continue to be controversial. Recall the many stories about how social media takes people out of the moment, and instead of enjoying a concert or sporting event — people are preoccupied with taking selfies. Most of the time, I say, “so what?”

I’ve also come across stories about teachers losing their jobs because they shared a picture of themselves on summer vacation with a glass of wine in front of them. And, more recently, Facebook and Twitter have banned the President of the United States of America. Obviously, this has sparked a debate on everything from free speech to tech regulation.

Advice from Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben

When it comes to social media, we may want to heed the advice that’s usually attributed to Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

If you don’t play by social media rules, aka their terms of service — that’s all on you. If you receive blowback because you shared a sexist or homophobic meme, well, that’s probably well-deserved. I mean, even Parler, which has described itself as “the last place for free speech online,” has rules that users have to play by.

In short, if you misbehave on social media, don’t be appalled by the consequences. But, these “little” rules only scratch the surface when it comes to our reliance on social media.

A few issues with social media.

Getting banned or facing backlash is nothing to balk at. While undoubtedly frustrating, it can damage your professional reputation, have financial implications, put your privacy at risk, and can affect your personal relationships. But, these consequences are far from the only concerns with social media.

Becoming ingrained in the very fiber of our daily lives — social media has come with the following negative side effects.

It wastes your time.

“On average global internet users spent 2 hours and 22 minutes on social media per day, though trends differed widely by country,” writes Katharina Buchholz for Statista. “In many of the markets that Global Web Index surveyed, social media use had shrunk or plateaued in Q1 2020 when compared with 2019 and 2018 figures – the 2021 report will reveal if the coronavirus pandemic has reversed this trend.”

However, I think most of us can agree that we’ll continue to be spending a lot of time on social media in 2021 and beyond.

Why’s this a problem? Well, 2 hours a day may not seem like a while. But, if this is a daily occurrence, that can quickly add up. I mean, that would be 10 hours each week that you’re devoting to social media.

Personally, that’s time that could be better spent. Whether that wasted time could be better spent reading, exercising, engaging in a hobby, or connecting with friends or family, only you can determine that. Remember, time is your most valuable resource. Time really shouldn’t be squandered on something that can cost you your livelihood, ruin relationships, and drain you emotionally.

Impacts your mental and physical health.

Numerous studies have found that frequent social media use disrupts sleep, reduces physical activity, and physical health effects like eye strain and poor posture. It may even alter your appetite.

Time and time again can contribute to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. Why? You can thank factors like cyberbullying, doomscrolling, and comparing yourself to others.

While this won’t be the case for everyone, one study did find that those who decreased their regular use of social media by limiting it to just 30 minutes a day reported reduced levels of depression and loneliness. And, they even felt better after just three weeks.

Affects communication skills.

“Social media has some damaging effects on communication skills and unfortunately lasting damaging effects when social media is used in excess or obsessively,” says Colette Lopane-Capella, M.A., LMHC, LPC.

“One, it affects the ways individuals react to emotions, social cues, or nonverbal cues, as it erases this important aspect of the basis of communication,” explains Lopane-Capella.

“Secondly, it often elicits this normalized lessen social activity face to face interactions, as individuals will associate social media communication as effective communication and then in hand lessen the likelihood to have face to face interactions.”

“Lastly, self-esteem and self-confidence are negatively affected often through social media, unrealistic expectations that are viewed.” How does this impact communication skills? Well, it leaves “individuals with negative feelings about themselves and hindering there communicating with others, as internally are struggling and not feeling adequate.”

Accelerates groupthink.

“Social media encourages groups of people connected to each other online to share similar ideas and beliefs,” says psychiatrist Alex Anastasiou, DO. “Basic human psychology suggests that people have a tendency to conform to their ‘group’ so that they can fit in and be well-liked. Over time, the values and beliefs shared by a group become more similar.”

Moreover, social media can further groupthink.

“Like-minded groups assemble with remarkable ease on social media platforms, which can also cloud our judgment,” clarifies Nick Wolny over at Fast Company. “In groupthink, the quest for unanimous opinion can override our ability to objectively consider other opinions.”

What exactly is groupthink? Irving Janis defined it in his 1972 book Victims Of Groupthink as “a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment.” Eerie how that was written 30 decades before social media was a reality.

What’s more, a 2015 YouGov Omnibus survey “found that 57% of Americans who use social media have posted or texted something that they regret afterward,” adds Wolny. And, “one in six of those respondents claimed to regret a post at least once a week.”

“There’s also a mountain of research that connects increased screen time with a reduced capacity to regulate self-control or finish what you start, particularly in young people,” he states.

It makes you worse at multitasking.

To be real, multitasking can get hairy. For instance, it is possible for you to be on a conference call when doing a mindless or repetitive task, like folding laundry. However, only a very small percentage of people can do challenging activities at once. In other words, it’s not possible for you to be on an important video call while engaged in deep work.

However, switching between various social channels could make you even less effective at multitasking. According to a 2018 review published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, frequent social media multitaskers didn’t perform as well as lighter media multitaskers when it came to a variety of cognitive domains.

Can lead to information overload.

I have said this before, but the simplest definition of information overload “is exposure to excessive amounts of information or data.” And, that definitely includes the amount of content you’re absorbing from social media each day — remember, that’s over 2 hours daily.

Why’s this problematic? Well, information overload can make us more stressed, impact our health, and fracture personal and professional relationships. As if that weren’t enough, it can make us less productive, impair decision-making, and might make us stupider.

It’s distracting.

And, last but certainly not least, social media is distracting. In fact, social media is the fourth biggest distraction at work, ensuing emails, pointless meetings, and interruptions.

The reason? We’re constantly pressured to post updates, as well as like, share, and comment on other’s posts. And, we’re also expected to reply to social media messages instantly.

How to keep yourself in check with your social media use.

I know that I might have come across as too anti-social media. But, there are positive aspects to it. These include:

  • Being able to communicate and stay up to date with friends, family, and customers.
  • Connecting with new friends and groups.
  • Promoting and spreading awareness about worthwhile causes.
  • Providing you with a creative outlet.
  • Discovering and sharing information.

But, to reap these benefits, you need to keep your social media use in check. And, that’s possible if you use these four tactics.

Refresh yourself on social media 101.

I get it. There’s always a learning curve when it comes to new social media apps. For new users as well. I mean, my mom joined Facebook and is still getting the hang of it.

But, for a majority of us, let this sink in. Facebook and Twitter have been around since 2004 and 2006, respectively. At this point, we should have a solid grip on social media etiquette.

What does that mean? Well, for starters, no matter your settings, whatever you share on social media isn’t private. Furthermore, even if you delete a post, it truly never disappears. If you posted something repugnant and offensive, you can bet that someone will grab a screenshot of it.

Additionally, whether you realize it or not, you’re not just representing yourself. You’re also representing your family, friends, community, business, or school. Why let them receive backlash because you couldn’t control yourself on social media?

I’d also suggest that you block out some time to reacquaint yourself with the following do’s and dont’s.

Dos:

  • Complete and update your profiles — primarily checking your privacy settings and keeping your profiles current.
  • Share thoughtfully. Ask questions like, “Does this provide value?” or “Is this something that grandmom would be ashamed of?”
  • Prioritize your networks. You might not have to be on Twitter if your audience isn’t. Or, you may just want to stick with LinkedIn if you’re using social media for professional purposes.
  • Post regularly and keep it positive and meaningful.
  • Interact with others and encourage conversations. It would be helpful to have pre-written“rules” that are posted on your social media accounts.

Dont’s:

  • Never bully, spam, complain, or abuse hashtags.
  • Post anything that will offend others or violates the TOS.
  • Share or publish anything with grammatical errors or from questionable sources.
  • Avoid being “that” person. You know. The individual who seemingly is on social media 24/7. When it comes to promoting your brand or business, stick with the following formula: post one promotional post for every four non-promotional posts.
  • Share too much information or be too opinionated, like why your political candidate is the best choice.

In the words of Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, “Read each tweet about 95 times before you send it. Look at every Instagram post about 95 times before you send it.”

“A reputation takes years and years and years to build and it takes one press of a button to ruin it,” added Watt. “Don’t let that happen to you. You’ve done so much work; you’ve put in so much effort. Don’t let one moment ruin your entire life because you wanted to be funny or you were mad or because you had a mood.”

“If you use it properly, you can use it unbelievably. You can interact with your fans and share with the world what you’re doing. Just be smart about it.”

Think twice before commenting and posting.

“Don’t respond to a post or comment out of emotion,” communications expert Leslie Shore told My Domaine. “Take time to process what you have read or seen, and allow yourself time to reflect on your thoughts before commenting out of anger or frustration. Remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinions.”

I’d also add that you avoid social media when you’ve indulged in one too many adult beverages. Nothing can ever come good from social media when mentally impaired — even if you think you’re not. Thankfully, apps, such as Drunk Locker or Drunk Mode, can prevent you from making this mistake.

Additionally, restrain yourself from sharing every aspect of your life. “Keep your personal conversations personal,” Shore says. “There is no need to take your private life public. Posting about your partner’s choice of a birthday present for you or gossiping about your S.O. are communications best left out of the public eye.”

In the same vein, you may want to have separate channels for various facets of your life. For example, you could have a personal account and another for your business. Just keep in mind that there are a lot of sleuths out there who will find out these accounts belong to the same individual. But, it may provide a buffer between your personal and professional life.

Reduce screen time.

Finally, you can’t get yourself into trouble if you aren’t spending as much time on social media. And, if you recall, this will also enhance your health, wellbeing, and productivity. But, how can you realistically make all these “better options” happen?

In a previous Calendar article, Choncé Maddox recommends that you do the following if you want to limit your time on social media.

  • Utilize your phone’s alarm. “Set a timer or alarm each time you get on social media so that it goes off just a few minutes afterward,” she says. “If you usually spend 30 minutes scrolling on Facebook each morning, try to limit this by setting your alarm to 10 or 15 minutes.”
  • Delete your apps. Perhaps the easiest solution is to delete these apps from your phone. Since you have to log in from a browser, it won’t be as easy to access your accounts, which in turn will reduce the time browsing social feeds. Also, this removes the temptation to overshare.
  • Leave your phone in another room. Another easy trick? Just leave your room in another room when you’re working or spending quality time with your family.
  • Block apps and websites. There are plenty of apps out there that will either block or limit the time spent on social platforms, such as Forest.
  • Engage in healthy distractions. It’s easy to be tempted to scroll through your feeds when you’re watching TV. So, find healthier alternatives like going for a walk, cleaning your workspace, decluttering your home, or learning something new.
  • Designate tech-free zones. Don’t allow your smartphone into certain locations, like your dining or bedroom.
  • Change the layout of your phone. If you don’t want to uninstall your social media apps, then you can move them off your home screen so that they aren’t front and center.

Batch your social media efforts.

How can you still active on social media and thwart FOMO if you aren’t connected 24/7/?

Give batching a spin.

“For those unfamiliar with this productivity hack,” batching is “where you simply arrange tasks in set groups,” my Calendar co-founder John Rampton explained in Entrepreneur.

“Spend two hours Monday morning (or whatever time is the best for you), creating and curating social content for the week,” he states. “This time may be spent brainstorming your content calendar with your team for the entire year. Or, your goals may require and include engaging with influencers or customers twice a day.”

“By grouping similar tasks together, you’ll avoid multitasking and frequent distractions — and you’ll likely find that batching makes you feel less stressed,” John adds. “Most importantly, the times that are set aside give you structure and boosts your productivity.”

However, to avoid feeling anxious about missing out, research conducted at Duke University’s Center for Advanced Hindsight “found three to be the magic number.”

“The researchers found that three batches of notifications are perfect,” says Rampton. “They recommend that your first batching timeframe should be during your morning commute or right when you get to work. The second batch takes place at the end of lunch. And, the final batch, block, or timeframe — you’ll schedule — will be when you’re heading home for the day.”

Getting started with social media batching.

  • Determine the best times to batch and brainstorm content ideas.
  • Create a content calendar so that you aren’t “scrambling around every day trying to create or find material to publish.”
  • Figure out the best way to batch. For example, you could do this by platform, topic, or calendar days.
  • Schedule and monitor your content using SMMS tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social.
  • Block out specific times to work on social media. “Finally, reserve specific times in your calendar exclusively for social media, just as you would for any other important task,” John advises. “In my calendar, every Monday from nine a.m. to ten a.m. — I block an hour and schedule my posts for the week. I also block out 15-minutes every morning, midday, and late afternoon to check-in.”

Final words of advice.

How you decide to run your social channels is totally up to you. Just be aware that if you’re going to have a social media presence, be careful and consider your words and reputation.

And, to sweeten the pot, you won’t be wasting more time on social media than you have to burn. In turn, you’ll be healthier and more productive — it’s a win-win.

How to Realistically Go on a Tech Detox Without Destroying Your Schedule

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11 hours. That’s how much time the average adult is interacting with media per day. More specifically, another study found that 42 percent of the time Americans are awake, their eyes are fixated on the television, smartphone, computer, tablet, or another device. That comes out to 7,956 days over a typical lifespan. We can’t just turn it all off in this world we live in, but here is how to realistically go on a tech detox without destroying your whole schedule.

We don’t rely on tech to merely to keep us entertained. It’s become essential. After all, tech has drastically improved communication, networking, and work efficiency.

It can assist in employee engagement and discover new opportunities for growth. And, with an unlimited supply, tech is the most powerful tool to learn and gain valuable insights.

Why you need a tech detox.

At the same time, too much of good thing can be bad. And, tech is no exception because of the following reasons.

So, what’s the compromise here? I mean tech has become an integral part of our lives. But, it also has its faults. So, the easiest solution may be going on a digital detox.

Don’t get too hung up on the term here. A digital detox is simply a period of time when you unplug and disconnect from your electronic gadgets. And, by doing so, you can counter those negative effects — and rebalance.

Here’s the problem though. Doing a digital detox can also destroy your schedule. Can you just imagine the chaos it would cause if your family, business partners, employees, or customers couldn’t contact you for several days? Additionally, you probably need technology to get your work done and accomplish your goals.

1. Put it on your calendar.

Like anything else that you really want to do, whether it’s getting work done or starting a new hobby — you have to make time for any additions. And, the same is true when disconnecting. You’ll have to make time for the disconnect.

Making time for this effort will be a challenge. So, start small. Let’s say that you’re using a productivity hack like the Pomodoro Technique. During the times you’re not working go on a min-detox. Even ten-minutes would suffice since the world isn’t going to burn down in such a small amount of time. Even better, that time can be spent going for a walk, resting your eyes, or meditating.

I’d also suggest that you designate tech-free times — such as when eating meals or the first hour after getting home from work.

From here, gradually work your way up. Are you going on a weekend getaway? Great. That’s a perfect time to go off the grid for a day or two. You’ll know this time in advance, you can give everyone a head’s up, and you prepare for the shutdown. You could even create an out-of-office message notifying people when you’ll be returning. But you’ll have to get ahead on your work, or this won’t work for you.

2. Block apps at certain times.

Completely turning off your devices, particularly your phone can give some a serious anxiety attack. I’m not being facetious either. The main culprits for this are FOMO and that a lot of people view their phones as an extension to themselves.

Researchers believe that “defined and protected” periods of smartphone separation “may allow consumers to perform better, not just by reducing interruptions but also by increasing available cognitive capacity.” Adding these expected periods in your calendar is a start. But, so would blocking distracting apps at certain times.

There a number of apps that allow your set time limits or screen time on your Android or iOS device. For example, you could shut down your social media apps when focusing on deep work. Other apps let you set a schedule. In this case, you could block work-related apps or sites during family game night or when embarking in your evening routine.

3. Designate tech-free zones.

Examples of a tech-free zone would be an unused office that you or employees could use to mediate or nap-in or lunchroom. At home, a tech-free zone might be your dining room or bedroom.

Besides banning electronics from these areas, which makes it easier to unplug, it shouldn’t interfere with your schedule. The reason? You probably have scheduled times to be in these zones. For instance, if you’re lying in bed until it’s time for sleep or waiting to eat a meal until you’re on a break — you can accomplish another activity in this timeframe.

4. Incorporate boredom into your day.

Sometimes we get glued to our gadgets because we’re bored. For example, you’re waiting in a line to pay for your groceries or for a meeting to start. Instead of just sitting there, you scroll through your phone or tablet.

Like exercising, start building your boredom muscle. Keep your phone in your pocket and let your mind wander. As a result, this will make you more creative, self-aware, goal-oriented, and productive.

5. Get less social.

It’s unlikely that you can permanently quit social media. But, there are ways to reduce the time spent on these channels.

For starters, remove the apps from your phone so that you aren’t getting bombarded with notifications. If this isn’t an option, then at least remove the apps from your home screen so that you aren’t tempted to look at them.

Secondly, you may want to do a little spring cleaning and delete the accounts you aren’t using. Even glancing and using brain power passing over apps or accounts you don’t use, uses up seconds of brainpower. Snapchat may have been cool a couple of years ago when all your friends signed-up. But, now it’s an unused app because they got tired of it. I need this app because of my family, but you may not need it.

Thirdly, automate or delegate recurring tasks related to social media. You could use a tool like Hootsuite or Sprout Social to schedule social posts. Or, you could assign this responsibility to someone else.

Finally, block out specific times to log on. Ideally, this would be before work, after lunch, and after work. It’s a simple way to fight back against FOMO, while also limiting your usage.

6. Keep your inbox in check.

The average person spends five hours a day on email. What’s more, 13% said that they check their inbox while still in bed. And, 25% of Millennials and Gen X admitted that they check their work emails multiple times a day while on vacation.

To keep your inbox in check so that it’s more manageable, block out specific times to go through it. A perfect time would ben when updating your social accounts. You could set up filters, labels, and unsubscribe from newsletters that you never open.

You should also find ways to reduce the number of messages being sent. One way would be to use “EOM” at the end of your subject line. Standing for “end-of-message,” this lets the recipient know that there’s no need to respond.

You could also use a tool like Calendar. Sure. It’s not an email-specific app. But, it’s a scheduling tool that eliminates those back-and-forth communication when planning a meeting.

7. Spend more time in places where electronic devices aren’t permitted.

Yes. There are still some places where digital devices aren’t embraced with welcome arms. For instance, a yoga class or a place of worship. Even locations like coffee shops and libraries can at least limit your usage. Let’s say that you’re productive at a local coffee shop. You may need to be on your laptop. But, taking a phone call or not silencing your notifications will definitely earn you some dirty looks.

8. Schedule a call or one-on-one.

The other day I had a colleague text me a question. As I went to respond, I realized it would be more efficient and less consuming if I just called him. And, that’s exactly what I did. Instead of exchanging texts all day, it took me all of five minutes to answer the question.

9. Be respectful of others’ time.

As I’ve mentioned, technology can be distracting. But, that’s just not when you’re trying to work. It’s also during meetings or talking to others. Think about it. There’s someone speaking and your attention is elsewhere. That’s rude and can bring things to halt since you’re missing key information and have to constantly ask the other party to repeat themselves.

10. Go old school.

Finally, stop relying on technology so much. I know it’s awesome. But, as opposed to jotting down notes on your phone’s notepad, use a pen, paper, or a whiteboard. The reason? It will prevent you from getting sucked into an app.

Another option would be to use an alarm clock and not your phone to wake-up. The same can be said of using your old wristwatch instead of a smartwatch. And, think about printing out your calendar or using a paper calendar so that you can see what your schedule is like without being reliant on tech.

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