How to Cut Down on Social Media When It’s Part of Your Job

How to Cut Down on Social Media When It’s Part of Your Job

I think most people who work online have had that moment where they realise they’re spending far more time on social media than they intended.

The usual advice is simple: delete the apps, turn your phone to greyscale, put it in another room, or just stop using it altogether.

That’s great advice… unless social media is actually part of your job.

As a freelance graphic designer, social media is a tool I genuinely need. I use it to share my work, connect with clients, keep up with the design industry, and manage content for clients. Telling myself I’m just going to delete Instagram and never open it again isn’t exactly realistic.

Before I get into this post, I’ll be upfront and say that I haven’t mastered it! There are still plenty of times where I’ll open an app for a genuine work reason and somehow end up doomscrolling 20 minutes later. But I have started thinking more carefully about how I use social media and creating a bit more separation between work and personal scrolling.

Keep work social media separate

One of the biggest changes I’ve been trying to make is separating client work from my personal social media use.

The problem isn’t opening Instagram because I need to check a client account. The problem is doing that from my personal phone, where all my own notifications and distractions are waiting.

Where possible, I now access client accounts through my laptop instead. It creates a clearer boundary of “I’m using this for work” because my personal account isn’t even logged in. For some people where social media management is their entire job, a separate work phone might be the best solution. But as social media management is only part of my job – Desktop is sufficing for now.

Add a little friction

If you do want social media apps on your personal phone, there are plenty of ways to make them less intrusive.

I’ve recently installed an app blocker where you can set limits on the total time you spend on an app, restrict how many times you open it, or only allow access during certain hours. The number of daily opens was particularly eye-opening because it made me realise how many times I would just click on Instagram out of habit, when I wasn’t even meaning to go there.

Another tip here is to remove your addictive apps from your home screen. Bury them deep in folders to make them harder to access. Or even better, delete the shortcut entirely so you have to search them out. These small barriers can be surprisingly effective because they make you pause and think before opening an app automatically.

The goal isn’t necessarily to remove social media completely. For many of us, that isn’t practical. It’s about making sure you’re choosing when to use it rather than falling into habits without realising.

The greyscale debate

Another common suggestion is turning your phone to greyscale. The idea is that removing all the bright colours makes your phone less appealing and reduces the urge to scroll.

I completely understand why it works, but it’s one I haven’t been able to commit to. As a designer, I spend my days thinking about colour, composition and visual details. I love beautiful branding, photography and illustration, so turning my phone into a sea of grey feels like a step too far.

Maybe one day I’ll give it a proper try, but for now it’s not one I’ve managed to embrace.

Still figuring it out

The reality is that I’m still working on this.

There are definitely days where I spend longer on social media than I’d like, and the line between work and scrolling gets a little blurry.

But I think that’s probably normal for anyone whose job involves being online.

The goal isn’t to eliminate social media completely. It’s to create healthier boundaries so it remains a useful tool rather than something that quietly takes over your time and attention.