The last several years have challenged small business owners to stay grounded. Staying grounded means not letting external forces divert you from the goals, purpose, and vision you have set for your spa or massage practice.
However, faced with the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic followed by inflation, it can be difficult to stay calm and connected to the core of who you are. Here are some practical tips:
Be present: If you feeling anxious or worried, step back and be present in the moment. You will find that being aware of what is taking place right now will help you stay grounded.
Push yourself: Because of the uncertainty surrounding business, you may not be performing up to your usual standard. If this happens, push yourself to realign your business with your customers and reinvent yourself and your business to stay competitive.
Focus: Focus on the systems and processes that run your business every day. Do not let concern over achieving your goals distract you from keeping your eye on the ball relative to managing employees, dealing with suppliers, handling clients, seeking new business, and continuing to find ways to make your business or practice stand out from the competition.
Cultivate a trusted network: You may find yourself overwhelmed with the changes around you. Cultivating an external accountability mechanism can help. Find outside resources among your professional network offline or online to help you stay on track and on task. Keep your network abreast of what you are doing and allow them to provide guidance.
Continue personal growth: Continue to develop personally by trying new things and unleashing your imagination. When you expand your horizons, you have more personal tools to better deal with challenges.
Limit time online: The news is 24/7. It can be distracting and distressing. Limit your time online so you are not emotionally swayed by ever-changing events. Choose a handful of news and industry sources that you find relevant to help make the decisions that are best for your business. Check them just a few times a day.
Meditate: When you meditate you focus your attention and clear your mind of thoughts to give you a sense of calm and peace and achieve balance. Physically, the relaxation response from meditation helps in several ways. It can help decrease metabolism, lower blood pressure, and improve heart rate, breathing and brain waves. The body receives a quiet message to relax and that helps alleviate muscle tension and tightness. Staying grounded may take some effort, but it will help you deal with changing market forces that impact your business.