7 Ways a Social Media Vacation Can Help You

TwitterJoin the Conversation. Are you taking a Social Media Vacation this holiday season? Post your comment here.
Are you taking a Social Media Vacation this holiday season?
Or are you worried that if you take time away from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram or your blog, people will forget about you or you’ll lose valuable momentum?
Lately, I’ve become a fan of taking becoming deliberately and intentionally “anti-social” on the Internet for a while in order to become more social later on, as I shared recently on this Sugar Shock Blog.
FacebookI contend that occasionally, you may need a Social Media Vacation. To begin, you need time off if youo’re facing family or personal emergencies.
But you don’t need to suffer your Dark Night of the Soul to step back from social media.
You need a Social Media Vacation at least twice a year for a few days at a time, I contend.
It’s simply not healthy to be “on” all the time.
For at least of the holiday season, I believe, you need to turn off your social media mind for a few days or even a couple of weeks for the sake of your health, relationships, and state of mind.
Here are 7 benefits of taking Social Media Vacations:
You can spend precious time with loved ones, who you may not see enough.
When you’re absent from social media, you can become more fully present in your life. For instance, you’ll better enjoy your significant other, children, siblings, nieces and nephews, friends, etc. Plus, you’ll have more fun and be more open to new, exciting experiences.
When you’re not distracted by social media and you’re not overly focused on the kinds of and number of responses you get on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram or your blog, you can get clearer about your long-term goals.
When you’re inactive on social media, youi “fill yourself up” in a way that food can never do. Like a car, you need to refuel and put healing, rejuvenating “gas” into your tank.
By giving yourself what you need — necessary R & R — you can emerge with more energy, passion, and enthusiasm to share valuable information to your fans through social media.
You also can gain valuable perspective, insights, and ideas by turning off your social media brain.
Social Media Vacations, like regular vacations, are good for your health. For instance, when you take vacations — something most Americans don’t take enough — you’ll gain better focus and relieve stress..
Learn more here about how Social Media Breeaks can help you when your heart is breaking.
New to this Sugar Shock Blog?
Bestseller Beyond Sugar Shock BSBlog founder Connie Bennett is a bestselling author of Beyond Sugar Shock and Sugar Shock, which been praised by such acclaimed health gurus and celebrities as “America’s Favorite Doctor,” Dr. Mehmet Oz; as well as “Tthe Father of Motivation” Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Daniel Amen, Brian Tracy, Bernie Siegel, Marci Shimoff, John Assaraf, JJ Virgin, and Jimmy Moore. Connie’s sour-to-sweet story kicked into gear in 1998, when after reluctantlyly quitting sugar on doctor’s orders, all 44 of her baffling ailments vanished, including brain fog, heart palpitations, mood swings.
Now, 15 years later, the compassionate, self-mocking Connie is acclaimed as The Sweet Freedom Coach, and she has helped thousands of sugar and carb addicts worldwide discover that Life is Sweeter When Sugar Doesn’t Seduce You™. Connie is also an in-demand motivational speaker, a popular blogger (Sugar Shock Blog), a widely published journalist, a certified life coach, certified health coach, and tapping practitioner (now completing EFT training). Subscribe to this Sugar Shock Blog and like Connie on Facebook..
– See more at: http://www.sugarshockblog.com/#sthash.tvCR8MMx.dpuf.
Join the Conversation. Are you taking a Social Media Vacation this holiday season to become more energized, enthusiastic, and refreshed. Post your comment here.

Best Times to Post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest & Your Blog [Infographic]

When should you post updates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn or your blog?
That’s the big question we all want answered so we can get lots of eyeballs to grace our fan pages, read and retweet our tweets, connect with us on LinkedIn, right?
Well, Woo Hoo, now, thanks to Fannit for sharing this infographic, you get answers about when to put your social media feet forward.
Bear in mind, though, that it’s a good idea to check out if these times hold true for your audience.
Post at the right time and bump up your online presence to a high degree; post at the wrong time and you’ll fail to reach your audience. – See more at: http://www.fannit.com/social-media-infographic-when-are-the-best-times-to-post/#sthash.Kf92uPRj.dpuf
Fannit’s Isaac Campbel advises: “Post at the right time and bump up your online presence to a high degree; post at the wrong time and you’ll fail to reach your audience.”
Share this with your friends and fans. And tell us about your experiences with different posting times.
Source: Special thanks to Isaac Campbell of Fannit for the great infographic. And special thanks go to Social Buzz Club founder Laura Rubinstein for letting us know about this.

Win a Year of Typepad: Blog Contest in Honor of Beyond Sugar Shock’s Book Launch

Today marks the official launch of my new book, Beyond Sugar Shock, and I’ve been seeking to provide lots of fun programs and activities for you.
To my delight, Typepad, the easy-to-use blogging platform where I’ve been hosting this Sugar Shock Blog since 2005, has generously offered to help me hold a contest.
Calling all would-be bloggers or current bloggers (on other platforms) — because the winner of this contest will get a year of Typepad Unlimited ($179.40 value).
I love BloggingNow, if you’re a blogging newbie, this contest should be especially appealing. And it’s also ideal if you’re a person with a strong, savvy voice about a certain topic.
In particular, sugar and carb addicts and people with weight goals, this is your big chance. If you’ve been thinking about writing a blog about going sugar-free, leading a healthier life, or sharing tasty recipes, I urge you to apply. This is an ideal opportunity for you to write about a topic that’s dear to you — and get support from your readers in the process.
By the way, in my book, Beyond Sugar Shock, I discuss the value of blogging or journaling to help you release your sugar addiction.
You even get some helpful blogging pointers from veteran journalist Dana Kennedy, who ran her popular Year Without Candy blog from Feb. 28, 2010 to Feb. 28, 2011.
Entering the contest is simple. In order to win, you have to be either new to Typepad, or have to want to migrate your blog from another provider to this more-user-friendly platform.
Here’s how to join the contest:
To enter, leave a comment on this post, stating why you want to win a year of Typepad Unlimited.
Tell us about the blog’s topic and title, too. Will this be a weight loss blog? Will this be your safe haven where you can write about eating sweets instead of splurging? Would you post recipes?
Your deadline to enter the Typepad giveaway is three weeks from today, Tuesday, June 19 at midnight (EST).
To select a winner, I’ll confer with Typepad and a panel of two other experts (like on a TV show) to select that special person, who seems most motivated to use her or his blog to further an important goal.
I’ll announce the winner on June 20. And please, of course, only entry per person, please.
Remember this giveaway is only open to those who aren’t already blogging with Typepad.
So why would you want to be with Typepad? From my perspective, as a non-techy kind of person, I’ve found it easy to learn. What’s more, their customer service is excellent — you can actually reach a live person via a Help ticket.
That’s one of my favorite features of Typepad. If I ever have a question about how to use a particular function or program, I just fill out a support ticket, and a Typepad representative generally gets back to me within about 24 hours with a detailed answer.
I just love that Help section. It makes life so easy for me. Because they’re so good at explaining things, I no longer have to scramble to find answers.
So, what are you waiting for? Enter this blogging contest now.
Typepad-featured-weblog-125Please note that while Typepad agreed to sponsor this giveaway, I will choose the winner.
In addition, all opinions are my own, and I wasn’t compensated by Typepad in any way to sing their praises. I’ve just been a happy customer for seven years, because it’s so easy to use!
By the way, I’m thrilled to report that Typepad is also doing something else very nice for me.
Any moment now, my Sugar Shock Blog will be featured shortly in the Everything Typepad section.
Stay tuned for details.
Now just post a comment here to enter the contest and get one year free at Typepad.