In an ideal world, there wouldn’t be an ‘ok’ time to neglect social media, but over the last few months I have struggled to keep up with the constant attention that my social media accounts need.
My social media accounts are not the only things which have suffered neglect, this blog for instance, my eBook Formatting Tips video series and my new eBook Formatting website. Unfortunately all of these have had to take a back seat because they don’t pay me by the hour like my clients do.
So because I feel extremely guilty for not writing a blog post for nearly 2 weeks, I have decided to drop by and publish this one for you, which will most probably be shorter than normal.
Here is my list of ‘ok’ times to neglect your social media
(and other online pursuits):
1. When you are very busy with client work
This is the main reason I have not been attending to my social media over the last few months. I have a lot of clients, new clients who need me to be on hand to format their eBooks, set-up their websites/blogs, provide virtual assistance too. My clients pay me, so my first priority is them, the same should go for you, your clients come first!
2. When it’s the summer
A bit flimsy I know, but there’s been a bit of a heatwave here (France) the past couple of weeks and you just can’t sit at a desk for long when the temperatures outside are reaching into the late 30’s. But not just the heatwave, I moved to France to have a better work/life balance and I want to go out and enjoy the weather when it’s nice… which is one of the reason’s I bought the puppy a couple of months ago, we can go out and enjoy long walks along the river and get away from the desk at the same time.
It’s a fact that if you have time away from the desk, you will be more productive when you’re actually working, some time back I wrote this post – Do You Take Enough Breaks?
3. When you’re unwell
Nobody can work well when they are sick, it’s impossible to give 100%. Take the time you need to get well again, and then you can get back to work refreshed and ready to go. I used to get sick a lot when I worked in the UK (as an employee), since my move to France and working for myself I don’t get sick anymore… and if I do feel under the weather, I just take a couple of hours out and lay on the sofa and do something relaxing like read a book or watch some TV.
4. When you’re on holiday
This is something I find difficult. I have a week off work next week as my brother and nephews are over for a visit… will I check my iPhone for mentions on Twitter? Will I feel the need to respond to emails? Probably yes… but I won’t feel bad if I don’t write on my blog, or post updates to my Facebook page. As long as you let people know you are on holiday, they should be able to cope without you. Again, your clients are the most important people to your business, so ensure they know you’ll be away and then you can relax.
5. When there is a special occasion
Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas… Enjoy yourself and don’t feel bad for neglecting your social media. I took the day off work for my birthday and had a lovely day, my anniversary is coming up but that falls on a Saturday so no issues there! Take time off to enjoy yourself, you’ll have a much better relationship with work when you are back at your desk.
Do you have any other suggestions?
I am sure there are more than 5, I just don’t have the time to come up with them. In the meantime, take a look around my blog and see if there are any other articles you’re interested in, it’s pretty varied, there should be something for everyone.
