2014 is going to be a huge year for our house…A year where we go from two kids {manageable} to three {meaning way outnumbered.} I have no doubt this will add a whole new list of challenges to my work-from-home life, so until this baby comes, I am working on getting my life in better working order. For me, a tech addict, this means cutting the tech clutter in my life so I can be the best parent and social media manager as possible.
These are the adjustments I am currently working on:
- Decluttering my personal email. I used Unroll.Me, which helps to unsubscribe from lists and “roll” those email subscriptions you want but don’t really need daily, into one email. I can quickly glance through this email to determine if there’s anything I can’t live without.
- Getting rid of apps that take away from my kids. For example, I’ve stopped using Foursquare. I love it, but taking time to check-in when I’m with my kids is just pure chaos. Plus, ya’ll don’t need to know how often we go to our favorite pizza joint.
- Turning off nearly ALL Facebook notifications. I was getting a ridiculous amount of notifications for groups I am in. I turned them all off. If I need something, I will seek out those groups.
- Hiding people who bring me down on Facebook. You know those friends that post negativity all the time? Yeah, I have a few of those. I truly love those folks, I just couldn’t handle the doom and gloom on a daily basis, so I hid them…and deleted a few folks, too.
- Trying not to insert my opinion on Facebook. This is a hard one for me because I am super opinionated and an emotional Facebook user {I get very worked up over silly things like politics and mommy ignorance}. What I’ve learned though, is that whatever I say typically doesn’t matter. So why try to offer my perspective to a stranger unless it truly is something that will help them? I’d rather invest my words in people I know care or just private message them. This one has been a hard habit to break because I like feeling helpful, and I just FEEL so much.
- Turning off all phone notifications. I don’t get any notifications on my phone for emails or social networks. I don’t need another distraction while I’m out. With kids, I’m usually only gone from my home for a couple of hours. Unless I am attending a social media event, anything to do with being “online” can wait until I get home.
- Putting the phone away — period. There’s no excuse unless you are alone with nobody to talk to. Nothing is THAT important.
- Ignoring all tech between 5-8 p.m. Unless it’s a client emergency, or I know it’s going to be a quick conversation, it can wait until the kids are in bed. That is our family time and the time our kids are the most needy. I need to be present.
- When I am online, trying to make the best use of my time. Stay on task — for example, finish drafting client content before starting a blog post or moving on to my next task. Avoid getting distracted by the rabbit hole of the Internet…and only have a few tabs open at once {another HARD one for me!}.
I have to say, just making these small changes has made me feel worlds better. I want to truly be present for my kids and these are simple fixes for me. I am excited for a more productive 2014!
What techy decluttering tips do you have?
These are great. I found I was doing the same things. I tried to get off Facebook completely but, well, you know my line of work. So, I turned off all notifications and notifications to my email. I didn’t install the messenger app on my phone. It does help. My husband noticed that I’m not as tuned in to my phone when I should be spending with the family and that made me happy.
Yeah, getting off of Facebook isn’t an option for me either of course! And I do love it, I was just noticing it was distracting me too much. I also refuse the messenger/emails — every little bit helps for sure! Glad your hubby notices. I hope mine does too 😀
Do you know of there’s a way to stop your FB newsfeed from showing you everything all 800 of your friends “liked” today? I just want to see everyone’s babies and dogs, and I feel like the “likes” get in my way! It would significantly cut down my FB time!
Do you see it in your actual newsfeed or just on the sidebar? I only see it in my sidebar, so I just ignore it there. But yes, it is annoying being all up in everyone’s business!