I can’t be the only one who’s experienced crazy burnout since the beginning of 2020. Ya’ll this pandemic took me completely out.
I remember when we were a couple months into this global pandemic. Even though I was starting to feel the effects of what was going on around me, I still tried to keep up with maintaining my life and businesses as normal. That didn’t last long. In June of 2020, I had been infected by the coronavirus, and it was NOT pretty. Thankfully, I was able to recover within a few weeks and I didn’t get any of my loved ones sick. However, it really put into perspective just how serious everything was.
Even after all of this, I actually felt guilty that I wasn’t able to figure everything out and just make things shake like I’ve always had – which was weird, now that I think about it. I’ve always been the “it doesn’t matter, just figure it out” type of girl, but this time it was different. Why did I feel guilty or incapable? WE’RE IN A PANDEMIC – something that we had experienced before. Why did I feel like I should have been able to have the all of the answers?
In times like these, it’s important to remember that we are human, and we can’t always just seamlessly move through life when the world around us is falling apart.
– nITA J
Once I realized this, I was able to feel better, and just allow myself to maintain as best as I could. The last few months have just been my family and I – working, homeschooling, and trying to stay healthy. Now that we are slowly starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with this pandemic (hopefully), I’m finally starting to feel motivated to get back to business.
It’s been a little bit of a struggle, because I feel that I’m picking up the pieces after a year of not running things the way that I normally would. I have been implementing a few things that have really helped to pull me out of my funk and help me find the love of my businesses again.
- Think about a time when things were smooth. What was working for me then? I sat down and did a little retrospective reflection and wrote down some of the things that I really enjoyed or what really worked to help me build my businesses. Sometimes, we learn new methods and techniques for things which may work for some people, but may not for you. When we do this, we get away from what was actually effective. See if you can mesh a few of the old strategies that you loved with your current strategy.
- Boundaries/Time Management. I am no longer trying to do it all for the sake of being a business owner. One good thing that came out of the last year was teaching myself the importance of setting boundaries in my life and business – which has helped me to excel with time management; a skill that I’ve always struggled with. I will say ‘no’ or halt something if it doesn’t serve or enhance my life in the right ways. There is nothing wrong with this. So often, we try to please others by accommodating them, even if it means us being stretched thin, taken advantage of, or us taking losses. No more. Some of the ways I’ve set boundaries are only taking consultations on 2 days out of the week, rather than everyday. Also, I set expectations with my audience on how to reach me and the communication process. Small changes like this have been reflected in my schedule and my stress levels. I encourage you to evaluate where you can practice setting boundaries in your life and business.
- Simplification. I’m keeping it simple and to the point from now on. I used to overexplain things, constantly creating new projects for myself, and always try to implement new strategies that I saw everyone else doing – even if it made no sense for me. This is stressful! Getting back to simplicity has increased my productivity, my creativity, and made me excited about work again. Think about it – if you’re making more work for yourself and making things more difficult, are you really going to be happy about it? Just a thought.
- Think about what’s missing. Is there something in your life or business that you feel is creating an empty space that you need filled somehow? For me, it was making connections. Even though I’m a bit of an introvert, the pandemic has created an urge in me to get out and connect with others again. In both business and life, I have been craving interactions with others. I have made a conscious effort to reach out to friends and family more, network with other business owners and even engage more on social media. What’s been missing for you?
- Create a Plan. One of things that can cause entrepreneurs to become frustrated with their business is them not have a clear plan for success. What do your day to day operations need to look like? How are you marketing your business? What are your expenses looking like? What’s your social media strategy? When you are just out here winging it in your business, I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll eventually feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and you may even get to the point that you want to quit. Sit down and map out a clear plan and implementation strategies that you can execute.
What have you been doing to keep your sanity as we going through this pandemic? Let me know in the comments below. Also, click here to learn how we can work together.
XO,
