How To Manage Internet Overwhelm + Still Get Stuff Done

Are you suffering from Internet Overwhelm?

I certainly am. I’m on the internet all blessed day.  I need to be online for my business and I genuinely enjoy reading blogs and watching videos of cats and weird Japanese game shows.

Even though I’m a die-hard, dyed-in-the-wool, down-to-the-quick-of-my-bones Internet Super Fan, it can get overwhelming. The never-ending email, the constant updates, the perceived need to be awesome across so many different platforms.

Here’s how I manage internet overwhelm without going off the grid or dropping out of modern society

1. I unsubscribe from newsletters

There are some newsletters that are really, genuinely helpful that I really, actually open and read.  Then there are the people/businesses who add you to their list without your permission and bombard you three times a week with promotions.

Good day to you, sir.  I’d like a heaping helping of unsubscription, please.

2. I turn off updates from Twitter, Facebook, and my blog

For YEARS I’d get notifications every time someone commented on a Facebook status, or followed me on Twitter or left a comment on my blog. This meant that opening my inbox was an exercise in exhaustion and anxiety.

Adjust your settings so you get only the most important notifications - if you get any at all.  Set aside a time once or twice a day to log into your accounts, check the comments, and then get back to work or (better yet) get away from a screen and do something awesome.

3. I schedule everything in advance

95% of my social media is scheduled in advance. Sit down every Friday afternoon and spend an hour or so scheduling your tweets and Facebook updates then go enjoy your weekend.

4. I block myself from social media

Left to my own devices, I’ll check Facebook and Twitter every 45 minutes.  BECAUSE WHAT IF SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING FUNNY AND I MISSED IT?  Shockingly enough, this is not a recipe for productivity.  I use LeechBlock to bar me from social media and other tempting websites during work hours.

5. I’m reevaluating my need to use every social media platform

Do you want permission to opt out of Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Vine? This is it. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. There are super successful people who don’t use these platforms. You don’t need to do everything all the time.  Alex Franzen doesn’t have a Facebook account - like, even for her friends!

6. I’m reevaluating my need for a data plan on my phone

What?  Yes. Up until 2014, I didn’t have a data plan on my phone. I only got one for the gps! Do I really need to read a tiny screen on the bus when I could look out the window?  Do I need to play Angry Birds while I wait for my friend at the coffee shop when I could be reading the newspaper?  I do not.

7. I use Google Docs offline

Wanna get real crazy?  Activate Google Docs offline and then go somewhere that doesn’t have wifi (I’m fairly sure these places still exist). And then work. In beautiful, uninterrupted internet silence. Drink something yummy and revel in your amazing low-tech productivity.

8. Every few months I empty my folders, ‘mark all as read’ and unfollow

You know that blog that you always skip in your RSS feed? Why are you still subscribed? And that Instagram account that makes you feel bad about yourself? You can unfollow it! And if you, like me, have a ‘professional development’ folder filled with blog posts you’re never going to read, g’head and delete the whole thing.

If you want to know something, you can just google it.

Now I’d love to hear from you! Do you ever struggle with Internet Overwhelm? How do you deal with it?

P.S. The life-changing magic of intentional ignorance