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LEARNING TO MANAGE CONTENT OVERLOAD

So how do you manage “Content Overload”?

First, it’s great to get grounded in what it is…

Content Overload is the stress that comes with the constant barrage of information and content that shows up in your e-mail, on your news feed, in messages and in items shared by others. The shared content can be on social media, in your inbox, in messaging apps, and in other avenues.

YOU KNOW THE FEELING

  • The one you get when you see a notification on your phone.
  • The dread you feel when you first open your email during the day.
  • The number of likes you see on social media.
  • The shared items you get from your contacts.

It all leads to feeling overloaded and overwhelmed.

You feel like things are stacking up and you don’t know how to break free from the stress.

DON’T ALLOW CONTENT OVERLOAD TO BE THE NORM

It’s important to get this under control sooner rather than later. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. 3

What does it take?

It takes you finally saying “I can’t take this anymore!” Get fed up, get pissed, and then decide you are going to take action to make things different.

[Tweet “Don’t allow Content Overwhelm to be your norm.”]

WHERE DO I START TO CONTROL CONTENT OVERLOAD?

Here are three tips to get you started:

  1. Wrap your mind around the solution, not the problem. You can get this under control. Make a concerted effort to think about the things that you need to see and then the things that you want to see. These should be #1 and #2 on your list.
  2. Start where things are the worst – is it email, social media, messaging, voicemails? Do a quick assessment to determine your biggest pain points.
  3. Schedule time to handle your inbox, messaging, etc. Think about turning off the notifications during times you wish to focus in your business. If getting that “in the moment” notification is key to your business, then let it be and don’t stress over it.

[Tweet “Think about disabling distractions when you need to focus on your business.”]

TOOLS TO HELP YOU CONTROL CONTENT OVERWHELM

 

1. Managing Your Email 

The email management system you use probably has built-in tools you can explore and implement.

i. Outlook has a “focused” inbox setting which “learns” which emails you normally open, etc. You can check out the Outlook 365 service here.

ii. Gmail allows you to create email “categories”, such as Primary, Social, etc. This can help you focus on those that are Primary for you. You can create your Google Account here.

iii. Either email system allows you to flag, star, create tasks and assign, set up meetings, etc.

2. Managing Your Phone Calls 

There are services where you can get alternate phone numbers to ease your phone call burden. List these numbers instead of your main number and forward those calls or check voicemails when you have time. 

i. You can pay for a service to get a professional phone number and voicemail that can forward to your main number. You can even forward your calls to an assistant if you want. Check out the Grasshopper service here.

ii. Google Voice offers a free phone number and allows you to forward phone calls also. You can sign up for the Google Voice service here.

3. To Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Your email box is overflowing with ongoing emails from those that you subscribed to – knowingly or unknowingly. If the content is not something that resonates with you, go ahead and unsubscribe. 

There are services that can help:

i. This service is free and not only files things in your “unsubscribe” folder, but also notifies the sender on your behalf. You can check out the Unrollme service here

ii. This service is also free and is called Unsubscriber. You can check out the Unsubscriber service here.

Manage Your Notifications

Every app gives you options to manage your notifications.

Simply go to settings and take back control! There are many links I could provide, but I don’t know which apps your are using. The “Settings” feature can be your key to freedom from unwanted notifications. 

i. Pick times of the day or week when you will check your apps.

ii. Schedule times you will be open to receiving notifications and stick to those times.

iii. Establish response times to comments, tagging, etc. that fit with your schedule.

WHAT YOU DO NEXT IS IMPORTANT

How will you move on from here? What you do next will make all the difference. Don’t continue to be overwhelmed when you can take some focused action! 

It’s also important not to be overwhelmed BY TAKING FOCUSED ACTION!

I often feel more stress when I begin to undertake a solution that can really help me. It is far more comfortable sometimes to do what is normal for you.

Break out! Try something new…Click below and take a short survey so I understand where you might need to focus. Help me help you!

Click Here to Take the Survey – Tell Me Where You Need to Focus

 

Hi! I’m Tina Meilleur, an Executive Coach, Business Advisor, author and speaker. My mission is to help if you are struggling to grow your business because you don’t know what to do next. I can take you from UNCERTAINTY TO FOCUSED ACTION to get results AND help surround you with support from me and my community!  According to my clients, my coaching programs and CRAVE™ process provide gateways for making simple “tweaks” or a total up-level of your life or business. I am also the founder of Design Your Success, the online Academy for Business Success and the author of Your Next Chapter: Five Steps to Creating the Life of Your Dreams to help you create your own kick-ass future. I have a CPA designation in the State of Louisiana and received my MBA from Tulane University in their Executive MBA program. I’m a highly sought-after coach, facilitator of female CEO round-tables, business strategist, and speaker. You can click here to learn more about my story, or reach out to me at Tina@DesignYourSuccess.com.