WhatsApp overwhelm is real! It’s ridiculous how many messages I receive on a daily basis. In this post, I share my tips for avoiding WhatsApp overwhelm.
Tip one: stop sending messages
Avoid sending unessential messages, because messages are likely to receive a reply, and then you feel obligated to respond to that message and so it goes on. Which brings me to my next point…
Tip two: there’s no obligation to reply to every message
You’re not obligated to reply to, or even read, every message. As a recovering people pleaser, the thought of not replying to a message feels very uncomfortable. All the more reason to try it! The more we practice things that feel uncomfortable, the easier they become.
Tip three: call instead
Can you call instead of text? Then you can sort everything out in one call and it saves going back and forth. I make calls when I’m in the car or walking to make efficient use of my time. I’ve found voice notes to be a great alternative. They seem to use less brain power, and you can listen to voice notes whilst driving, walking, or doing jobs around the house.
Tip four: turn off read receipts
Turning off read receipts takes the pressure off the need to respond immediately, because people don’t know if or when you’ve read their message. The only problem with that is, what if I forget to reply? Which brings me to my next point…
Tip five: mark messages as unread
Mark messages as unread so you remember to reply to them. You can use the unread messages filter to make this easier. The unread messages filter shows only unread messages, so you can see at a glance who you still need to reply to.
Tip six: mute, archive, or leave busy groups
WhatsApp groups are the worst offenders for causing WhatsApp overwhelm. I’ve woken up to over 100 messages at times, and sometimes that’s just in one group! One option is to mute busy groups. That doesn’t work for me because I can still see the notification sitting in my inbox, and the need to open it is like a scratch I need to itch!
I could also leave busy groups, but I get FOMO (fear of missing out). My preferred option is to archive them. I can still see when someone responds to one of my messages or tags me, so, most of the time, I don’t miss anything important.
Tip seven: avoid getting distracted by WhatsApp messages
Avoid getting distracted by WhatsApp messages or other things on your phone by activating silent mode. You can also turn your phone face down to avoid getting distracted visually when a notification appears on your phone.
Tip eight: be mindful when sending messages to others
Be mindful when sending messages to others. I know a lot of people who find WhatsApp overwhelming. Ask yourself:
- Is this message necessary?
- Am I asking unnecessary questions?
- Has this already been answered?
- Could I find the answer on Google?
If someone asks a question you’ve already answered, resend the original message, with a note saying, “Resending in case it’s helpful”. That saves retyping the messages and might encourage them to check before asking next time. But be kind, we all have so much going on, and it’s easy to miss messages.
Tip nine: to avoid WhatsApp overwhelm use a separate business WhatsApp
You can buy an e-sim so that you can have a separate telephone number and WhatsApp for your business. Set up an automatic reply with your working hours so that people know when they can expect a response. You can turn the e-sim off at evenings and weekends. It’s a great way to set boundaries.
I hope you found these tips helpful. How do you manage WhatsApp overwhelm? Let me know in the comments.
About me
I’m Samantha Brook.
I’m a Happiness blogger and coach.
I am the Amazon #1 bestselling author of Happiness Club: Learn to Be Happy and Get What You Want.
At Happiness Club, I am on a mission to help 1 million people learn to be Happy and to make Happiness affordable and accessible for all.
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