For the last 2 years I’ve been in and out of the hospital with my daughter, thankfully she’s well today and we’re all moving forward as a family. When life throws us for a big loop it’s important that you keep in mind that you are human and emotions are part of that.
But… Business and emotions don’t really seem to mix very well. As emotions are a daily part of our lives, short of becoming robotic, you may be faced with the two intermingling at some point in your career.
Here are a few tips to help you stay on track and overcome emotions in your business life.
#1 – Take a deep breath – If you’re having a bad day or particular difficulties at home, it may not be easy to switch back into business mode, but it can be done. Breathing is an effective strategy for all sorts of issues such as panic attacks, anger control or simply switching back to a positive state.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a short break and find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted for a few minutes. Then take a few deep breaths. Involve your whole body in the process. See your stomach inflate like a balloon as you breathe in slowly for a count of seven to ten and then slowly let the “balloon†deflate as you breathe out slowly for a count to seven to ten.
It may help to visualize the stress and negative emotions leaving your body as you breathe out – many people will associate this with the color black, such as a black burst of air leaving their body. Then see calmness and peace entering your body as you breathe in – you may associate this with a gold or green burst of air entering your body.
Deep breathing is not a gimmick or fluffy strategy; it’s a proven technique that psychotherapists use on a regular basis for many different ailments, and it may help you even in the most stressful of times.
#2 – Take control back – We all have moments of panic or feeling completely down and out, but it’s important that during these difficult times we take back control. After a few deep breathing exercises, tell yourself that you’re in control of your situation. You now have to concentrate on business and work but you will allow yourself time to focus on other issues once you have finished your work.
This way, you’re giving yourself a “break†to completely forget about the issue while you concentrate on work. The issue will still be waiting for you when you finish so it’s really not conducive to anyone to focus on it all day – by analyzing the issue in this manner you’ll feel more in control of your emotions and better able to separate them from your business.
#3 – Give yourself a break – It’s not easy to run a business and deal with personal problems at the same time. Give yourself some slack and realize that you’re only human and that you’re doing your best. If at all possible, take a short physical break from your business. Sometimes changing the scenery or a little time away is all it takes. Use this time to either concentrate on the positive aspects of your life or to simply unwind completely and not think about the business at all. It’s amazing what effect a change of pace can have, even if just for a day or two.
The reality of life is we all struggle with emotional overload from time to time and being 100% positive is not realistic. Follow the strategies listed here and do your best to stay positive and you’ll stand a better chance of keeping emotions at bay in your business.
Hey, Vera. This is one informative post. I really liked how you emphasized the term “robotic” early in your article. Thanks for the tips! I so love item number 3 (which most of us business enthusiasts seem to take for granted). Keep those ideas coming!
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SGA – Thanks so much, yes we are all human and emotions are a huge part of us. Taking a break is a good thing. Hubby and I went out to a movie “couples retreat” (I didn’t find it all that good) and enjoyed some sushi right after. It’s amazing how those couple of hours made us feel so positive and ready for the evening with the kids. We all need a break from time to time.
In any business, tension is the most depressing factor you’ll get. Everything can be your future problem that will eventually result to tension on your part as the business owner. With this scenario, you need to calm down yourself so that you can make the right decision. Remember, if you let your emotions destruct you, you can’t solve any problem or start any venture.
Hi Vera! I couldn’t agree more with your post. No matter how hard we try, it’s sometimes impossible to detach ourselves from our personal life and problems and plunge into business directly. We are humans and have to acknowledge that at times our feelings intermingle with our oversized “to do” list. Learning how to cope with that situations is very useful!
Thanks for the great post. It’s an advantage to me whose planning to build some business.
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You’re third point is something I really need to take in. As a small business owner you sometimes get some personal with your work and clients that its so easy for emotions to get in the way. Early on in business I would occasionally have a ‘brain snap’ with some customers. Part of that reason was because being a boss you don’t feel you will have procussions, but you do, you affect the PR and reputation of the business you run. Nowadays its different, I do similar to your steps and ‘take a step back’, which is usually leaving the clients email or phone call for a day to calm down and get yourself together.
Look forward to following your blog more!, Cheers, Peter K
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I was forced into taking a break due to some health issues and once that improved, I eased back into things and did some reevaluating. I think some of my health issues were worsened by the stress of running a business so I made some changes to hopefully avoid collapsing under all the weight again.
Very good advice, Vera!
Of course that your emotions have an impact on your business. Unless you’re a robot, problems or concerns influence the way you act on a typical working day.
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Great post Vera and so true. I find this applies to blogging too, you need to be careful not to write when your emotions are running high as it can often end in disaster with a post that you can’t delete that affects your reputation.