Short cutting switchbacks is never appropriate. Short cutting saves little time and causes erosion and gully formation. During rest breaks, try to find a durable surface such as rock or bare ground that is well off the trail. This enhances the feeling of solitude for you as well as other travelers. If the vegetation around you is thick brush or delicate tundra plants, take your break at a wide spot in the trail so others have plenty of room to pass.
Some judgment is required to minimize both social impacts and damage to trailside vegetation.
Choose an established campsite. This is perhaps the most important aspect of minimum-impact backcountry use. Arrive with enough time to scout so you can select a durable and safe site. Some popular backcountry areas have officially designated campsites. Other areas have obvious established sites that have lost their vegetation cover.