At a certain point, I found myself lying in bed each night, with the light off, scrolling through my Facebook feed, watching cute and funny videos of cats and dogs and other cuddly animals for an hour or more past my bedtime. Or I’d be exploring on Instagram, reading the trolling comments on celebrities’ posts. I’d get sucked in and hypnotized by the comments, reading each one that looked as if it was negative, and reading every reply to them as well.
Then in the morning, I’d tap in the code to my phone and check my email. While lying in bed. Never check your email first thing in the morning while lying in bed. This is not the way you should start the day, especially if there’s a chance you could have work emails waiting for you. There’s been times when I read an email that caused me stress or anxiety right off the bat, before I had even gotten out of bed. I’d start my day on the wrong foot. This is not how you want to begin.
During the day, I’d continue to check my phone constantly to see what notifications may be waiting for me, mostly emails. Every time I passed my phone on the counter, I’d pause to tap the Home button. Always. I couldn’t walk past it to my intended destination. If I attempted to, I’d pause, backtrack, and tap. If I restrained myself, when I passed by my phone again a moment later, I’d cave in then. Pause. Tap.
I started to notice these nasty habits and longed for the days of the flip phone that didn’t have social media apps.
Confession: I now have an old-fashioned flip phone.
But my iPad is a constant distraction. To prevent those distractions, I turned off notifications for my social media and deleted the app for my main email account so I’d have to log in on my computer once a day to check it. After I did that, I shifted all social media apps to the next screen over. That way I don’t see those icons right away.
And it has helped!
Does any of this sound like you?
Social media may not cause writer’s block, but it doesn’t help when you are blocked. It’s just another way for you to procrastinate, not put in the effort, and lower your motivation levels for writing even more.
Evaluate your time spent on social media. Perhaps you log in to Facebook or Twitter while working on your computer, when you should be writing. Sound familiar? If it does, try hiding your web browser in a desktop folder.
In the past, I’ve given the tip to temporarily delete your web browser. With this technique, you must remember not to empty your waste bin and recover it when you need it.
Another option is to create two different user accounts on your computer. One would be for writing. I suggest using the administrator account for writing. The other account would be for your Internet usage. This keeps you from popping in to check on your social media when you should be writing, because you’d have to switch over and log in to another account. The bit of extra work to get there may stop you from spending time on social media.
A bonus to this method is that if a virus or malware affects that account, you can delete it and not lose any of your writing. This happened to me once, where I couldn’t even log in to the account I used for the Internet. I was glad I could delete it without any worry and run scans from my administrator account.
Social media can be great for many reasons, but not for productivity. And occasionally not for our sanity and health, either.
BONUS A TO Z
THEME: AVRIANNA HEAVENBORN
Q - Quiet, Please
That is some amazingly good advice. I fortunately don't have the "tap" habit, but having a writer & an social media in different areas to help reduce issues with losing work is really, really good. - a-to-z challenge (https://www.erinpenn.com/blog/)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Erin!
DeleteI try to stop checking email/social media after 9:30 PM, and to read from a real book (not electronic) before bed. I agree, Social Media can steal minutes (and hours) from us. Often, when I have to get something out, I will go where I won't be tempted to open social media. I like the idea of having a second computer that doesn't have social media on it (maybe I should do all my writing on my PC and my social media on my Mac?
ReplyDeleteHaving that routine is wonderful!
DeleteI used to do that...use my PC for my writing and my laptop for social media. Sort of like how I'm using my laptop for blogging right now.
If only I could convince the kiddos to get off of the TikTok. (Does that sound old enough? I think adding the "the" gives it that old girl vibe.) I see so many of them on their phones rather than on the two long Great Gatsby assignments they should be working on right now...
ReplyDeleteYou comment made me giggle. I bet your students would laugh if you said "the TikTok" to them.
DeleteDefinitely me. I keep scrolling on my phone in bed and it's 2am.
ReplyDeleteYup. Been there, done that.
DeleteI try not to check my phone or social media on my computer until late in the day. It helps.
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for Q:
My Languishing TBR: Q
Queen of the Gods: Hera
That's a smart habit to have.
DeleteGreat piece for the difficult 'Q.' I have to be very careful about my social media consumption in order to keep writing.
ReplyDeleteSame. Social media can disrupt our flow and make it hard to get back into writing.
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