Let's face it: in this day and age, most (if not all) of us are signed into some sort of instant messaging service while we're at work. For better or for worse, this world of 24/7 connectivity has us chatting the day away, often while we'd be better off just getting our work done.

Many employers are aware that we do this. Some are more bothered than others, considering instant messaging anything ranging from "useful tool" to "fireable offense." But unless there's an IT crew working overtime at your office to make sure you stay disconnected at work, chances are that you're not thwarted by your boss's feelings one way or the other. Which is fine, really, as long as you get your work done well and on time. Is it me, or are we getting just a little more selfish, prioritizing ourselves over our professional commitments, making happy hour plans instead of getting our meeting agendas finished by the deadline?

So, if you're one of the many people out there who's reading this while sitting at your desk, logged on to GTalk or AIM, here are a few pointers for you:

Prioritize.
Sure, you want to tell your friend all about your weekend. But it's Monday morning and that deadline you didn't meet on Friday is looming over your head. Tell your friend your weekend was fab, but that you'll have to talk later and go get your work done. Maybe if you get everything done, you can even go have lunch together and talk about your respective weekends in person. Wouldn't that be nice?

Use status messages.
In a meeting? Say so. You may have your computer with you, but it's for taking notes. You really don't want to be interrupted by a message asking if you're up for karaoke.

Pay attention to other people's status messages.
Do not ignore the "busy" icon. Even though some people (like me) leave theirs up 24/7, it's still good to begin a during-normal-business-hours message to anyone who doesn't have that "come hither" available status on by asking if s/he is busy.

Be aware of your subject matter.
Even though it makes us feel kind of icky on a Constitutional level, some firms do use keystroke loggers and other means of tracking what their employees are doing. And if the employee who was chatting with you about your recent sexual exploits gets fired and sues for wrongful termination, your oh-so-private conversations may become a matter of public record. You may not be the one on trial, but your personal life will be.

Keep it light.
Your friends and family love you. They will do anything for you. But if you're mid-existential crisis, or you think your boyfriend is cheating on you, or you just can't stand your mother-in-law, keep it inside for a few more hours, until after 5:00. This may sound cold, but when it comes down to it, your problems are strictly your own, and distracting someone at work with a serious issue that will require serious concentration and a significant time away from the job at hand is just plain selfish. If you really don't think you can make it through to the end of the day without talking to somebody, call a therapist. I'd be happy to refer you to mine.

Image Credit: Flickr user lu_lu