One of the greatest challenges we face as entrepreneurs is burning the candle at both ends and ending up exhausted and worn out.
2020 has been a very challenging year for everyone. Apart from the fear of death (literally) looming over our heads, the emotional and financial pressure has been relentless as the world shut down to try and curtail the effects of the virus.
The hope was that the measures the various governments had put in place to help curtail the spread of the COVID virus would start showing results and then allow us to return to a semi – normal life. This was not the case as the number of new cases spiked immediately as the restriction levels were lowered. When the UK went into a second major lockdown I was deeply affected as my daughter lives in the UK, and this meant that she would not be coming home for Christmas.
Add the American elections into the mix. The breath-taking nastiness and viciousness between my friends and acquaintances on Facebook really knocked me for a loop. This was a country that was the standard by which a lot of countries measured themselves against. It was and still is vile.
The final straw for me was a betrayal by someone I had helped.
I hit a wall.
I was not sleeping well. My anxiety levels were going through the roof, clearly indicated by the number of times I was woken up by a nightmare. I could not bear to even look at my pc, let along sit down to come up with creative ideas of what I could offer my customers.
So I made a decision to take some time out and become a recluse for a short while.
There are a number of things that I did to help myself recover from the mental and physical burnout and I wanted to share them with you today in the hopes that it may help you if you are experiencing something similar.
1. Don’t apologise
There is an old joke that goes like this: “Don’t apologise for your meltdown. You worked hard for it”.
It is important that you develop a thick skin while going through something like this. You are not the first person to feel like this and you will certainly not be the last. It does not matter what anyone thinks about you.
Your mental and physical well being is essential and you owe it to yourself, and have every right, to take some time out to heal and recover.
2. Be a sloth
For the first few days I did as little as possible. I would get out of bed and then watch a few movies, or read a book. I did not even bother getting out my pyjamas either on some days. Fortunately I had some frozen dinners that I would warm up when I was not in the mood to cook. I did not do any business reading or training at all. I wanted to switch off completely from business.
I must admit though that after a few days I was bored so I decided to try something new.
3, Learn something new and completely unrelated
One of my interests is vegetable gardening so I decided to take it a step further and learn everything I could about regenerative agriculture. This then led me into self-sustainable farming and creating market farms. I researched food preservation techniques as well.
It was wonderful to explore potential new avenues and ideas. Of course now I have a hankering to buy a homestead with cows, sheep and goats.
4. Work on your hobby
I love gardening and especially vegetable gardening. I spent a ton of time planting and preparing seed beds. My goal for the summer garden is to have a lot of tomatoes and peppers so I planted about 8 different varieties of each of those. With the food preservations skills I learned I will be able to save a ton of food to get me through winter.
Spending time in the garden was probably one of the best activities I could have done. It got me moving physically and your brain switches off when you are doing manual labour.
5. Do some form of exercise.
I don’t like going to gym because I always feel like a hippo with two left feet amongst the super-slim nymphs there. So I found a channel on YouTube that demonstrated an exercise routine you could do at home. First thing in the morning I would follow the routine and then immediately felt better after a bad night’s sleep.
6. Have tea with a friend
We as humans crave connection and spending time with a few of my real-life friends was priceless. It allows you to share your feelings and concerns without feeling like a cry baby. For some reason your challenges don’t seem so overwhelming after a cup of tea with a good friend.
7. Help someone else
One of the YouTube channels I found featured a young guy going around doing good deeds for complete strangers. I am not a big fan of going public with good deeds but by showing what he does, he inspires others to do the same. It also gives you a little much needed perspective on your own life when you see just how rough other people have it.
As a result I went looking for opportunities to help some people locally and it was not hard to find them. You just have to be open to the opportunity. It really is remarkable how much better you feel when you make a real difference in someone else’s life. It makes you exceptionally grateful for what you do have.
All in all I would recommend you taking time out from every day life if you are going through a bad patch. You cannot help yourself or others if you are not optimal.
I hope that this has helped you and please feel free to send me an email if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed. I am happy to chat.
By the way, keep an eye out for an email from me tomorrow where I will be going into detail about our Black Friday Sale and a Super Special Christmas Event that Sue Fleckenstein and I have planned for you.
You did help!! Thank you!!
Hi Di
I just wanted to reach out and say that you are not alone in the dismay you are feeling, regarding what is happening on Social Media. I too have friends on both sides of the political divide in the US and some of what I have seen has shocked and saddened me.
I am also sorry that you will not be able to see your daughter at Christmas.
Christmas is very important to my family too and we had planned that three out of my four children would be here, with their partners plus two of my grandchildren. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the current lockdown works well enough to allow us to be together.
I also want to say what a difference you have made to me. You have equipped me with skills I was keen to develop and I am loving the graphics design part of things. I will be setting up an Etsy shop very soon. However, I am a tortoise rather than a hare. I also get distracted very easily. I dont just go down a rabbit hole, I explore the whole blooming warren!
We have a lot in common. I make sure I spend at least an hour in my garden each day. Not just for me but so my hens can have a run out in the garden, while I, and our Golden Retriever, keep an eye out for the local fox.
All the best to you Di
Elaine
Ah, Di, it was so good to see how you described sinking, and then scraping the bottom for a while while you rebalanced, and then how you started to see your enthusiasm and energy returning.
I also think that there is probably more weight that took you down to those depths than you have divulged, or maybe even recognised.
Family (including your canine children) is everything to you. Your stuffing has been extra knocked out by Covid restrictions, I think. You just want to have your lovely big family all around their bountiful, proud, and loving Mum!!
Now, you’ve adjusted better to that potential loss, I think, and you’ve counted your blessings
Perspectives have changed with the other transient crises, and you’re well disappointed. I do hope that the person who you helped and who let you down realised what’s happened.
You are a real beacon to so many of us and we especially hurt a lot with you when your light dimmed for a while. ❤️❤️❤️
It’s wonderful you are feeling better and was able to use gardening as your rehabilitation.
Betrayal; especially, by a friend is always hurtful. It has the power to shake your foundation. I know, I have been through it myself. Time and distance allows healing.
My Nation is once again going through growing pains. Folks who I have known for over 20 years surprised me. We have so much fraud in our political system. I can only pray and not participate in the verbal abuse.
Di, I consider you my friend and mentor, even though we have never met in person. Chatting through Messenger, Facebook, and Zoom builds friendship in today’s world. And, we live on different continents and different hemispheres we’ll probably never meet in person for me to give you a hug. However, if you ever need to talk, don’t hesitate.
I look forward to your creative mind kicking in gear.
Thank you so much for sharing! Sometimes I feel like I am just going through the motions and probably more burned out than I realize, if that makes sense. Completely unplugging makes me feel better too and this is a great reminder for me to do it more often. I appreciate your words of wisdom.
Ms. Di, this email/blog post was refreshing to read. I live half a world away, yet reading this reminds me of something I wrote a few years back on my blog (we are more alike than we are different) and those words remain the same.
We live 8600 miles away, on opposite sides of the equator, and I find a truly relatable friend. That’s joyful! Monday I celebrated my 74th birthday and I’m not done learning and dreaming yet.
It’s likely I’ve been stuck in search and seizure mode for several years while trying to figure out my “niche”. Being a creative (writer, poet, digital junkie) I start a million projects, buy “hot deals” I never will use; mostly because the next shiny offer or idea hits my inbox immediately, and fearing I will miss something, my A.D.H.D kicks in.
You are one of the few marketers who market what you create and are completely open about upsells. I have appreciated that even though, on Social Security, I can’t afford to take advantage of a good bit of it. Your tutorials are wonderful and the dialect doesn’t get in the way. Thank you for your integrity.
I look forward to seeing your next email and the exciting things you are planning, and I hope to learn how to use them successfully.
Be Blessed, you are a blessing, and please say some prayers for our nation. Janet Bullard said it well: “My Nation is once again going through growing pains.” Sounds like we may be neighbors.
Congratulations! Whether you realize it or not you are a role model for many people including myself! Your strong no nonsense get it done attitude has been admirable for a long time! As you said you have worked hard to get where you are, and if you haven’t earned the right to a time out, then I don’t know who has!
Reconnecting with Mother Earth and the plant kingdom feeds the soul, brings us back to basics, which is a good thing!
I appreciate you sharing your story, and am sending positive thoughts, energy and love, because in the final analysis love of self and each other will help us find the strength to get through these dark times!
Tomorrow is another day, and another opportunity to let go those who don’t support us, and embrace those who do encourage and build us up!
I am positive that 99.99% of your tribe are the silent majority who love and support you. We might not say much but we are here for you, as we know you are here for us! Stay strong!
I am so glad you are doing so much better! I believe you do have a lot of virtual friends out here that do care about you as I am one of them. This post did hit home with me also and I am very glad I read thru it as it did help my mindset with the things going on in my life also including a betrayal and the start of some burnout. I am so sorry that it happened but you have grown and overcome which is an awesome thing. You have helped myself and so many others with all you have done in getting our businesses up and going and the creativity flowing. Keep up the wonderful work you do, and always remember to take care of yourself first!
As for the nation in which I live there is so much turmoil going on but I don’t listen or read about it which helps me stay sane. I just keep to myself and work on my projects and creativity (to which I owe to you and a few others for getting the juices flowing).
And I know because we live in completely different parts of the world we may never meet in person but I can still send you a virtual hug so here you go (BIG HUG)!
Always remember you are NOT alone.