You’re back in the office. The sun is shining, you have exciting business plans for 2013 and all you need is a week in a vacuum to get yourself sorted. What you’ve got, however, is ringing phones, 10 more phone calls to return, a mountain of emails, harried customers desperate to get stuff done right now, a problem with a supplier and BAS is almost due again. Add to that the usual early in the year cash crunch and voila your emotions might start to get the better of you.
You might even be, dare I say it, a bit grumpy!
Not that there’s anything wrong with being grumpy or having any other kind of emotion – it’s completely normal – even for us driven entrepreneurs. BUT, it can play havoc with your ability to focus and get things done.
So how do you bring back calm when you’d rather be raging at your staff, spouse, kids, clients, supplier, landlord, coffee machine, pot plant, etc?
5 Ways to Bring Calm Back to Your Business
1. Acknowledge What’s Bothering You:
According to research one of the best ways to get past an emotional block is to acknowledge what it is that you’re grumpy/angry/upset/going around in circles, etc about. Sometimes that’s all that’s necessary. Write it down, speak it out loud, call someone you trust – just get it out. Even if you can’t resolve it, simply acknowledging it and parking it to deal with later can allow you the mental space to move forward.
2. Take 3 Minutes:
If you’re still mooching and you can’t put your finger on what exactly is causing the ‘grumpy’ you might try taking three minutes to improve your mood. There’s a great little app called three minutes to a better life that asks you a series of questions and basically forces you to think of all the good things you’ve got in your life. Try it, it works.
3. Go For a Walk:
Walking (or actually any kind of exercise) is known to produce endorphins (feel good hormones) in your body. And you’ll probably find the difference space clears your mind a little, which might even produce a previously unthought of way forward.
4. Spend Time On Project That You’re Excited About:
You know, the one you’re really, really excited about (it doesn’t matter if it’s work or pleasure). Make yourself do nothing else for 5 minutes and time yourself. You’ll find your brain will do what it’s told and better feelings will flood your body, you’ll (mostly) forget you were grumpy and when your five minutes is up, you’ll either be able to keep going or change back to getting your ‘regular programming’ stuff done.
5. Start And Keep a Brag Folder:
This is something I was taught early in my working life. Contrary to what ‘brag’ brings to mind – this is more for your own personal viewing for those stuck business owner moments. Whenever someone says something nice to you or you get some great feedback on a product or your service tuck it away (email makes this sooo much easier) for those days when you need a lift. Spend a couple of minutes looking over your testimonials and how you’ve helped people. That’s a guaranteed mood lifter.
Hope that helps – if you’ve got other suggestions for how you get back on your business track when a dark cloud threatens your focus, please share below.
Of course, if we can help with answering phones, or taking your dreaded admin off your hands so you can focus on what it is your business does best, we’d be delighted to talk to you – call us on 9994 8000.
