How to manage your business after a break (when nothing goes to plan)
Just when I thought 2020 was the craziest year of my life so far, along came 2021!
If you’ve been following my journey on social media, you’ll know all about the rollercoaster ride that has been Mariah’s life over the last couple of months! If not, I’ll give you a bit of a rundown.
I’ve spent the last month or so in hospital for some serious health-related issues; surgery, pain, nausea, fatigue and every other symptom you can think of is what my life consisted of. On top of this, my business was still having to run in the background (gotta pay the bills right?), so if you can imagine there was a bit of stress and worry circling my mind - you’d be right!
After spending what felt like forever in hospital, I thought heading home would be the best thing that could ever happen; being able to lay in my own bed, eat home-cooked food and get back to work was at the forefront of my mind. But when I did eventually come out of the hospital, I have to admit that those emotions were kind of clouded by a feeling of disconnect.
Getting home and opening my laptop it felt as though nothing was going my way. I felt like things were beginning to fall apart slightly and it was a real challenge to get back into the swing of things (more of a challenge than I anticipated).
But after a while, with a great support network and a bit of pre-planning, THANK GOD, things began to re-connect and build up again! So, how did I do it? Well, here’s what I learnt through my health journey...
If you find value in this blog, make sure you share it with me on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram! Even better, share it with your audience! You can also listen to the episode below!
1. PLAN PLAN PLAN (for longer than you need)
Just when I thought I was free to leave the hospital, I was kept in for TWO weeks longer than I thought I would be. I was confident and had the mindset in place that I would be completely ready to dive headfirst into work after 2 weeks, and that may sound crazy to you but I fully believed myself!
My rookie mistake was thinking that my health, mental ability, finances, and work stamina would be back on track straight away… I was very wrong. Recovery isn't just a physical process, it is largely mental and emotional as well so my first tip would be to ALWAYS plan for longer than you think you will need.
Especially to my expecting mummas and those who need a break out there, remember to set realistic expectations of yourself and don’t push the best-case scenario, sometimes it simply doesn't work out like that.
Expect the worst and hope for the best when planning your ‘out of action’ tasks (it may sound a little pessimistic but it’s just reality). Sometimes you’ll need longer than you first thought and that is OK, just pace yourself and be prepared to be MIA for a while, everything will work out if you have a strong plan in place for those ‘just in case’ circumstances.
2. Some clients will leave you on your journey and that’s OK
Within a week of returning to work I lost 2 clients, and even though I try my best to not take things to heart, being as vulnerable, emotionally drained and tired as I was, it did impact me. These emotions are not nice to experience but they are human and it’s totally normal to feel disheartened, but I had to remind myself of a couple of things to get back on track and focused.
I surrounded myself with the people who care about me so I could openly chat about my worries and concerns.
I reminded myself that money isn't everything and that asking for help is perfectly fine
I asked people for help promoting me and my business and began building more connections through networking and putting out the word that I was available for work
These steps didn't just help me gain two clients, but it also re-kindled that passion and fight for my business and myself which had been clouded by my health concerns and worry.
At the end of the day, remember that business is business, and clients will always come and go, the stress you put yourself through isn’t worth it, on top of whatever else is going on in your life. Put actions into place to help yourself; journal your concerns, talk to people, reach out for help, market yourself, and stress less - everything will work out as it should.
3. Slow and steady wins the race, plan the week of your return to be just this
The first week getting back to work will always be the most overwhelming, it definitely was for me, so I learnt a very valuable lesson of taking tasks one step at a time.
Schedule what you need to get done and write it down or use Google calendar to get organised (I LOVE Google calendar), this way you can limit meetings, plan breaks and have everything you need to get done right in front of you.
Going full steam ahead will only burn you out, so take your time, people will understand!
4. Take care of yourself, be compassionate
Self-compassion is so important not only when you’re returning to work after a long break, but as a business owner in general.
Pushing yourself too hard, ignoring when you’re tired, working overtime when you're still recovering or trying to fit more into your day than what you should isn’t going to get work done, it’s going to be detrimental to your health and burn you out. Self-compassion and self-care have to be a priority to help you eventually get back to work full time, so make sure you’re exercising it! If you want to learn more about self-compassion check out this amazing website to have a read!
For me, it was all about pacing myself and recognising when things were getting a little too much, I was even told by people who had survived the same surgery as me (yep, SURVIVED) to say “go easy” when getting back into the flow of real life.
It was tricky for me to slow down after being in the same “get shit done” mindset for my entire career, but it isn't worth the risk of your health to push yourself too hard. I even had to take a break while recording a podcast because I was tired - it happens! So give yourself a break.
5. Boundaries will save your life
Boundary setting helped me so much to feel less overwhelmed and really focus on myself when getting back to work.
Try having these boundaries in place with friends, family, and clients so both you and them are aware of your current limitations. Start with shorter workdays and build up from this, getting back from a long break is a marathon, not a sprint.
6. Give yourself a break from as much or as little as you want
When I first returned to work I only really showed up on Instagram to give updates and slowly got back into posting, I didn't write any blogs, I didn’t record any podcasts just talked on Instagram stories and that was enough for me.
Not getting straight back into posting or writing at full capacity is totally OK and it is not the end of the world, take a break from all of the extra platforms and maybe just focus on one! You won't believe the inspiration that starts to come back to you when you start slowly, it helped me so much.
7. Remember you have amazing content, use it
The internet is an amazing place and a true reminder that your content never goes away (especially when you try to avoid those embarrassing birthday photos).
This week I noticed a blog I wrote in August 2020 was getting traction when I checked my Google Analytics. Then my podcast, which hasn't been on the charts in months, ended up #54 in the Apple Podcast charts of “Marketing in Australia”.
What I learnt is that what you create doesn't always simply blow up or trend overnight, don't give up if you post one thing and it doesn't go well to begin with. Make sure you repurpose the content that you already have! It’s valuable, especially when you’re lacking energy, so use it!
8. Outsourcing is your best friend (it helps make the breaks easier)
Outsourcing is AMAZING when you're planning before a break, on your break and after you come back, it keeps your business moving and content flowing while you're away which will give you so much peace of mind.
I’m outsourcing a lot more content now because I realised that doing everything by myself was just toooo much.
So if you want to try outsourcing, make sure you're always moving forward, never backward and try to keep the jobs you don't want to do or don't have time for off your hands.
9. Don’t forget to revisit your goals
Lastly, make sure you're reviewing your goals when you return. Circumstances, targets, and situations change so make sure your goals are up to date and are clear!
Prioritise getting used to the change when you get back to work, it’ll make life a lot easier when you decide to increase your workload down the track.
Final thoughts
Being in the hospital and almost completely disconnected from my online presence was such a difficult experience, but one I learnt so much from. Having a strong support network, planning ahead, and going easy on yourself are just some of the amazing lessons I took away from this transformational period in my life.
So if you’re going through a long break from work (for whatever reason that may be, hopefully, my lessons learnt can help you navigate this tricky time in your life. I wish you all the best and know that you’ll absolutely kill it!
If you found value in this blog, make sure you share it with me on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram! Even better, share it with your audience! You can also listen to the episode below!
