We are all in a tough season. Many businesses have their employees working from home. Children are at home. Families are isolated from each other and driving each other crazy. There are even families that have experienced great loss this season, whether it’s been a job or a loved one.
It’s a very difficult time to be alive. If your only struggles are how to keep from having cabin fever and strangling your children, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. But even in your situation, you could experience an entrepreneurial slump if you’re not careful.
How do you avoid allowing the season of Covid to keep you from being productive?
Deal with the fact that you can’t change everything.
There is a famous prayer called The Serenity Prayer.
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Our current situation is not one that we can control. How our country handles the situation is not something we can manipulate. Your small business is struggling, and most of what is happening is out of your hands.
But what can you control?
In your business.
Decide to continue working every day and think of other ways to help your business make money. During this time, choose to keep a level head. Boost morale with your employees instead of encouraging fear.
With your family.
Your calendar can be structured in a way to spend time with family and scheduled work time will not be affected. Sometimes it takes a pandemic to help us recognize the things we should be grateful for. Have quality time with your family in a way you never have. Be intentional with developing relationships and encourage each other to learn new things.
Personally.
Stop dwelling on the bad things happening right now. While it is important to be informed, it is also detrimental to your mental health to take a break from the media. Dwell on the good for a while when you find that you’re overloading on negative news. Find ways to de-stress from work, family, and the pandemic. That can range from reading to meditating, exercising, or even picking up a new hobby during your downtime.
Be an example to everyone around you.
While it is easier said than done, it’s important that you become someone that people can look up to and model during this time. Especially if we are leaders of our work and family, it is more than likely that your mood will determine everyone’s mental well being.
Is it fair? Of course not. But life is not fair. We’re experiencing that now. We may not have someone to vent to but it shouldn’t keep us from being that to someone else. Don’t let the realities of today overtake you. Accept that this is our new normal. We will get through this.