5 Ways to Manage Your Small Business When Life is Stressful
When life is stressful, I’ve found that it weaves its way into every little nook and cranny of my day-to-day life. It can feel hard to even begin the simplest of tasks. My energy levels deplete, my motivation drops, inspiration feels far away and being totally honest, the last thing I want to do is get straight to work.
Does it make you feel the same way too?
But at the same time there’s still work to be completed. Sometimes it just takes a few reminders, some much needed encouragement and to look at things a little differently.
Below I’ve shared a few ways for managing your small business when life is stressful. It’s things that I’ve found to be so valuable and helpful and my hope is that you’ll find them helpful too.
Be kind to yourself - look after yourself
You know how when a loved one is going through something tough, and our first instinct is to do all that we can to make them feel better? Like bringing some much-needed happiness into their day, helping to remove negativity to lift their mood, encouraging them to do the little things that bring them joy, speaking kind words of positivity, asking what they need and listening to them without judgement.
The thing is, when it comes to ourselves, we tend to not treat ourself with that same warmth, care, kindness and respect. I’ve been guilty of this a LOT.
But being kind to yourself and looking after yourself is honestly one of the best things you can do.
And it doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as taking a break from your work to read a few pages of a book that you’re currently enjoying. Lighting a favourite candle and placing it on your desk. Listening to a podcast that inspires you. Doing some breathing exercises. Popping on your favourite playlist. Making sure you’re drinking enough water. Going for a walk. Celebrating small wins (no matter how small). And prioritising what you need in that exact moment. There’s also nothing wrong with taking a nap!
Be honest with people
I’ve kind of found this one out the hard way. It can be incredibly easy to hold on to things and not share them with a listening ear, especially when we don’t want to burden them. But this only leads to our thoughts and feelings building up and that isn’t good for us at all.
The thing is, a listening ear, whether that’s a loved one, a family member or friend, or someone else who you feel comfortable talking to, helps us feel less alone with our thoughts, brings clarity, lowers stress, builds support (because the person you’re talking to can begin to understand how they might be able to help - because they’ll want to), improves our mood, helps us to see things a little differently, turns what may feel negative into a positive, and it definitely feels good simply talking to someone.
How does the saying go? A Problem shared is a problem halved. Other’s can’t help if they don’t know what’s wrong. Never be afraid to ask for help or share what’s on your mind.
Sometimes it feels scary being honest with those we’re working with, but we don’t know how they’ll react unless we try being honest first. In almost all cases (which is what I’ve found), they’ll be understanding, offer words of encouragement and we’ll have been scared for absolutely no reason.
Plus when we’re honest with others, it helps us to be honest with ourself. I find it helps me to begin to work through things, set boundaries, perhaps tweak a few things and begin to look at how I can make certain areas of my work feel more manageable.
It’s always good to have someone else’s perspective, as what may feel catastrophic to me, isn’t actually all that bad.
Prioritise - what needs doing now, what can wait
Do you feel the same way too? The last thing I feel like doing when I’m feeling stressed is to look at my to-do list - which can instantly feel never-ending and can add even more pressure to how I’m already feeling.
Perhaps like me, you try to do a bit of everything, but then end up not finishing any of it. Which leaves me feeling even more stressed!
Two questions that I’ve found incredibly helpful are:
What needs doing right now?
What can wait until later?
I find it lightens the load, makes the to-do-list much more manageable, frees up the mind a little and improves focus while helping me to prioritise what’s most important at this moment in time.
Break everything down into small tasks so if you only have a small amount of time you can still get something done
This is something I love to do anyway - it’s even something I help my clients with. It can be especially helpful for those days when you haven’t got as much time to get work done as you had hoped and when you’re feeling mentally and physically drained.
…As a fellow spoonie here, I know how that feels.
Breaking one task down into smaller tasks is particularly great for using your energy wisely - for when energy levels are low. It also feels very satisfying ticking them off!
Any task can be broken down into smaller ones. I shared an example here, for how I like to break down writing a blog post.
Stormy seasons pass
Although it doesn’t feel like it at the time, stormy seasons do pass.
I think back to all the stormy seasons I’ve experienced throughout my life so far, and each time I’ve made it out the other side. Knowing that those seasons do pass is actually a really comforting thought which offers hope.
I like to think of it as that same hopeful feeling we feel in the midst of winter, knowing that soon lighter days are coming, green shoots will be appearing, flowers will brighten up the bare ground and that spring is on the way.
Something else I’ve found to be helpful, is to reflect on past stormy seasons. I’ve found that they’ve helped me to grow to as a person, become more resilient, and not only build inner-strength but also discover the strength that is already inside of me. To also be clear on what my values are, realise what matters most in life and deepen empathy.
It helps me to navigate a stormy season that little bit better.
David shared the following quote with me by Mansi Kwatra while I was writing this blog post and I felt it fitted perfectly:
“I speak the words ‘in this season of life’ often because I truly believe in the idea that life is not a linear curve. Sometimes when things get tough, we convince ourselves that the only way forward is to fall deeper into the hole of uncertainty and insecurity. We forget that life can, infact, feel light again. That we can see days when peace wraps every inch of our bodies. Days when we feel happy from within. We forget that life is seasonal, and no matter how bad you fall, you will learn how to get back up on your feet. So keep going.”
What helps you as a small business owner when life is stressful?
If marketing your work feels difficult right now you may find this blog post helpful. If you’re an author or writer, in this blog post you’ll find lots of content ideas. And for a gentle, cosy read, here I shared a few simple ways for finding inspiration.