Top Tips to Relieve Overwhelm in Small Business

“HELP! I feel like I’m drowning in my business and I don’t know what to do. I have all these ideas and I can’t act on any of them because they’re all intertwined. What do I do?!?!” - me last week to a friend & mentor. 

Her answer: “take some time off”

WHAT?! I’m trying to grow a business, not go on vacation. How can I stop when I need to move forward on this stuff??

I was freaking out at the thought of “not being productive” and “not getting things done.” We live in a society that praises you the busier you are and sometimes being busy is the new “keeping up with the Jones’”. But in that freak out I was also doing the things that I was afraid of NOT doing! I wasn’t being productive nor was I getting anything done by chasing my tail worrying about trying to accomplish…ANYTHING. 

Maybe you can relate?!

Then she asked, “But are you really being productive if you’re pushing yourself up against a brick wall? If nothing is getting done and you’re spending all this time worried about it…why not take time off, even just an afternoon. What if that could help you find the door to opportunity and clarity.” 

I knew that she was right.

Me five years ago would have been mad that I didn’t see/know that myself and that someone else was telling me how to run my business and life. But now, I am THANKFUL for that reminder to slow down. For the gentle nudge from the universe in the form of another person’s words to get outside, laugh with my family and know that work will always be there. And that the work will often come easier if I honor those rest periods. 

So why was I so hesitant to take time off? I’d been going and doing all the things for the past few months and I was starting to feel the effects of it. My blog felt, meh. My newsletter felt, meh. My social media felt, meh. While I was working all I could think about was rest and while I was attempting to rest all I could think about was work. And in those months of going and going I forgot that practicing what I preach is SO important. It can help heal some of those missing links that you feel are gone. As well as rejuvenate the mind & body to allow the work to come easier.

Being overwhelmed in business is a vicious cycle to say the least. Can you relate?!

Taking time off is something that I talk to my clients about ALL THE TIME - the main questions my clients ask is, “how can I take time off?!”. If you’re wondering this same thing I invite you to take out a pen and paper and write things down that help you relax and then schedule a few of those things into your schedule! I invite you to dream a little bit about taking some time off. What does it look like? What does it feel like? And how can you cultivate those feelings into your everyday life?

Did you know that rest and selfcare are one of the pillars of my business?! And here I was not taking time off and just pushing through for the sake of pushing through. The overwhelm in small business is one of those things that can seep in and infect every aspect of your thoughts. And it doesn’t just stay in your thoughts - it gets into your productivity and messes with your creativity. But here’s the thing with time off - something that as entrepreneurs we OFTEN forget -  time off gives you space to breathe, think and process. Time away from the computer, your craft, social media, etc will give you space to work through things. Especially when you’re feeling less productive. 

So what do you do when taking time off feels counterproductive - how can you accomplish more by working less? This is something that as a society has been put up on a pedestal. WORK ALL THE HOURS!!!! DO ALL THE THINGS!!! EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT WHY CAN’T YOU KEEP UP?!?!?! When in reality there is NO way we can sustain a 70-80+ hour work week, week after week. Sure there will be times where you do have to put in some long hours in order to meet deadlines, finish projects, etc. But to always be putting in that level of work?! No, thank you. 

Often when I’m talking to my clients about taking time off I’m met with a million reasons why that’s a bad idea. And trust me, as you can read above, when I was talking to my friend I gave the same or similar reasons for why taking time off was a bad idea. So, I ask you this - are you taking enough time off? If the answer is anything other than yes, I encourage you to explore all the reasons you’re listing as to why you “can’t” or “won’t”.

Here are my top 3 ways to get yourself out of a an overwhelmed business funk:

1 - get outside. Away from technology and into the sun. take your shoes and socks off and ground yourself. YES BARE FEET IN THE GRASS, trust me. 

2 - do something that makes you laugh. Watch a funny show, listen to something funny on the radio/spotify/etc or play with your kids. When I need a good laugh I get on the ground with my kids. Maeda, my oldest, is one of the funniest people I know. She’s always got something goofy to say and has the wildest imagination. As a mom I want to foster both of those things. So if I need a little reality check, I tap into imagination with her. 

3 - treat yourself. What’s something that makes you feel good? For me, it’s a delicious cup of coffee and some really good dark chocolate (I LOVE the HU brand!). 

The overarching theme to getting yourself out of an overwhelmed business funk?!

Step away from work. For 5 minutes. For an hour. For a weekend. For a week! 

And if you’re like me and thinking - there is NO WAY I can step away for a WEEK!!! 

Then take small steps. Do 5 minutes in the middle of the day. Or take your lunch outside AWAY FROM TECHNOLOGY! You don’t have to go all in all at once. As amazing as tech is, we are so connected all the time that being disconnected for just a little while can be the thing to jump start your upward swing out of that funk you’re feeling. 

Let me know below your favorite ways to take time off to reset from your business!

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