The rise of social media has changed the way we view the world. More than 70 percent of Americans are actively engaged on at least one social platform, but if we’re talking about millennials, that number climbs to about 98 percent.

In business, these numbers are too significant to ignore. If every customer you want to reach is on social, it stands to reason you want to reach them in that way. It’s part of your marketing strategy, it helps you generate new leads, and it’s a way to stay on top of the competition.

And what about your personal social profiles? Everybody’s got a few. The average person in the United States maintains seven social profiles. At the end of the day, that’s a lot of time spent on social. At some point, if you don’t get a handle on it, it’s going to start to affect your real-world, terrestrial life.

But how do you turn away when there’s so much going on all the time?

The truth is, turning away will do you, your relationships, your productivity, and your psyche a lot of good. The problem is, that’s easier said than done.

Here are our five top tips for maintaining a healthy relationship with social media:

1.    Schedule your daily social media time

Determine a set amount of time to update your pages, post content, and respond to messages on social. Set the timer on your smartphone and don’t ignore it when it goes off.

2.    If you really want to talk to your friend, call them

Along with being a super-computer, a CMS, and a fabulous camera, your smartphone is actually an excellent tool for making phone calls. Miss that person? Give them a call! Don’t have their phone number? They’re probably not your friend.

3.    Disable social notifications

Notifications are a great way to kick your social media anxiety into high gear. In your settings, you’ll find that you can disable them. This way, you can check in during your allotted time (see #1) and otherwise just get on with life.

4.    Embrace the moment

Authenticity is cool. Authenticity is all about being who you are. However, you can’t be authentic if you’re always focused on what other people are doing. Take the time to revel in your own life. Make your own moments. Because there is nothing more authentic than just being yourself.

5.    Choose your social platforms wisely

In business, as in life, there’s no point in investing time into something that you’re not going to get any value from. Having too many social profiles dilutes your efforts, and if you aren’t active on them, it could actually do more harm than good. Choose the platforms that are most beneficial to you and delete the rest.

Do you have any great tips for maintaining a healthy relationship with social media? We’d love to hear about them! Drop by Lakeside Executive Suites for a tour and get some honest-to-goodness face time.