Are you feeling like “I Just Can’t Even…”? A “running on empty” feeling mentally and emotionally?
On this the 882nd Blursday of a never-ending global pandemic this vibe is strong. I find many of my clients and colleagues hiding behind smiles while secretly feeling like they are hitting the wall. This isn’t the bone-crushing bandwidth hard-stop of an immediate and short-lived crisis. It is the cumulative result of, well, everything we have been experiencing. Chronic stress, fear, grief, restrictions, depression, and navigating a maze of misinformation, lies, and broken promises. Frankly we will all be untangling the emotional aspect of this for a long time coming.
For me personally, somewhere in this 1st quarter of 2021 my capacity for dealing with “all the things” flat-lined. “Sh*t meter broken.”
It’s not that I’m not being productive and getting things done. I am. Serving clients, launching a redesigned website, getting outdoors, and taking space to just BE. What I am noticing is some-days I feel like I have a rubber band attached to me and as I go to “get down to work” on something, I simply cannot muster up the mojo to do it. It doesn’t have to be anything big. A simple tackling of email or uncomplicated client task. Yet, (insert big sigh) inertia takes over.
There is only so much and so long any human can carry all the additional mental and emotional baggage. Many of us are at that point. The point of deep fatigue that no amount of napping can help.
So what’s a business owner to do?
Lean on your established procedures and systems (or get them established ASAP).
Here are 5 reasons why process, systems, and appropriate automation is more important than ever:
- You don’t have to recreate the wheel every day/week
- You are less likely to drop the ball
- Greater results from less energy expended
- Angst over cash flow and finances is reduced (because every dollar already has an assigned home in your budget and profit is a priority)
- Clients feel more confident in you/your brand because they you offer a consistent experience and they can trust you
Give yourself more grace than usual. A great deal more grace. Be kind. Don’t expect normal productivity in abnormal circumstances. It is perfectly ok to not be ok. To create more space and honor how you are feeling in any given moment.
It is ok to:
- Work less hours (if you can)
- Take more breaks
- Simply stop, breathe, and put something off temporarily
- Expand your boundaries (more buffer, more no’s, extended timelines, and so forth)
- Take time away, fully disconnected
- Disconnect, disconnect, disconnect (sensory overload is real)
Every day is different. Give yourself the flexibility to change as your needs change (sometimes that is minute to minute!)
Do you need help navigating your business in these changing times? I can help – from coaching to helping you create/automate systems to optimizing your website so it isn’t just a pretty brochure that sits on a digital shelf. Schedule a call and let’s explore together.