Social media platforms have undeniably enhanced our ability to connect with people across the globe. They’ve provided us with a virtually boundless venue from which to communicate with consumers, stakeholders, and friends. They’ve also presented us with a time-wasting distraction that is never out of arms reach, that can be an echo chamber of the same ideas, or worse, stagnant and inane ideas. Social media isn’t going anywhere, and while you certainly aren’t forced to participate, you won’t find a more powerful tool in the 21^st century for projecting your ideas or message. In her latest post on Copyblogger, Sonia Simone breaks down this catch 22 of social media, and provides some pointers on how to better leverage social media platforms without getting sucked into time wasting and unproductive habits. Here are a few of my favorites that I use myself:

Schedule your distraction time: Blocking your time to better schedule your day is an excellent habit to get into. This applies not only to work, but for leisure as well. If you work straight through the day, you’ll inevitably get sucked into distractions such as social media as you lose your focus. If you block off short breaks for some shallow distraction on Facebook or Twitter, you may find it easier to stay focused during times when you need to be.

Practice being disconnected: When you’re waiting in line, on an elevator, or walking from place to place, try to stay off of your phone. Instead, take a closer look at the world around you, or start a conversation with a stranger. If you fill every second of your life with distractions, eventually you won’t be able to tolerate a single moment of boredom without going crazy.

Know when to log off: A handy rule to keep tucked away is to have a breaking point for your engagement on social media. To avoid getting sucked into flame wars in comment sections, make yourself log off or step away as soon as you see something that makes you roll your eyes or just scream and the mindless stupidity of it. Adding to unproductive arguments online doesn’t change anyone’s mind, and only contributes further to the echo chamber.

Read more tips like this in the full article from Copyblogger here: bit.ly/1Q4rWxF