Staying Steady When the World Feels Heavy

If you've been feeling worn out, weighed down by expectations or like the pressures of life and business just won't let up, then this episode is for you.

And this was a little bit personal because it was actually inspired by my English Springer Spaniel, Nalu. She taught me a really powerful lesson recently about grounding yourself, about staying calm. And finding light in challenging times. And we'll talk about how to find balance, how to connect with what really happens and bringing this sense of calm resilience into the middle of life's storms.

And it really felt like every single day required us to give more than we had. Have you ever felt like that? You know, those, those times when everything around you seems to be spinning faster. It feels like you're, you're running on empty. Like you can't get a break. It's like one thing after the other, after the other.

Yeah. And through it all, I kept coming back to this one phase. This too shall pass. That's the first lesson Nalu reminded me of that day. Just being here, breathing, and staying grounded is a victory. Because let's be real, we've all been there. The truth is, life and business are full of these cycles, full of these curveballs.

Now, if you're nodding along with me thinking, yes, that's me, Janine, you know, you're, you're actually not alone. Research shows us that over 70 percent of small business owners actually experienced burnout at some time, especially when things aren't going according to plan. The truth is life will keep bringing us highs and lows, but here's the key difference.

It's a bit like riding out a storm rather than pushing against it and that sort of hard push where you feel like you're not getting anywhere. It's riding through it because This too shall pass during one rough patch early on in my business, you know, everything felt like a relentless uphill battle, leads are dried up, clients were ghosting me, doors were closing in my face, left, right, and center again, we've all been there.

It was beyond discouraging, but what helped wasn't necessarily working harder. It was learning to stay grounded, to show up each day. Without letting that chaos around me define me. And Nale's calm presence reminded me that sometimes it's enough just to be, to keep showing up, even if you're only lying on the floor, breathing and staying present.

Where it feels like leaves are drying up or it feels like, there's not as much budget available. I've been sharing these with my clients and they've equally found them helpful and hence why I thought I'd jump on this podcast to share them with you now. Because these aren't just theoretical thoughts and ideas.

Why did you start this up? That's what I want you to do. If you're feeling Like things are out of control. I want you to anchor yourself in your why because when things feel overwhelming or uncertain Reconnecting with your purpose is one of the most powerful ways to steady yourself now Think of your wires as the anchor in the storm It's that steady point that keeps you grounded no matter how tough or how rough the waters get It's a lot like a lighthouse You know, the lighthouse doesn't stop the storm, but the lighthouse does give you a reference point, a way to guide yourself safely through it.

It's what keeps us going when everything else feels uncertain. the research support this studies show time and time again, that having a clear sense of purpose is linked to lower stress levels, increased motivation, and even contributes to longer life expectancy. let me share an example from my own journey. Um, when I launched my book, be brilliant. it was right in the middle of a pandemic. The timing was anything but ideal. Distribution channels were restricted. Bookstores were closed. People weren't out and about during the pandemic. And quite frankly, I think the last thing people were thinking about was how to become more brilliant.

It's my why that kept me going. Here's another example, that might resonate more with some of you. You know, if you think about elite athletes who've just come out of, out of the Olympics, these elite athletes spend years and years and years training for the Olympics. Years and years and years, every single day of beating their personal best.

In fact, research shows that athletes with a strong sense of purpose always perform better under pressure, precisely because they're anchored in something that's beyond winning the medal. So if you're feeling stretched, I want you to take a few moments to reconnect with your why and to ask yourself, why did I start this journey?

What is the impact I hope to have? Because reconnecting with that will ground you, it will give you renewed clarity, and it can help you navigate through those tough times. The second point I want to make is one around creating a practice of pausing and reflection. You know, sometimes the most powerful action isn't pushing harder, but it's actually pausing to reflect, to get some perspective.

And again, if we think about high performing companies, a recent Harvard's business review actually shared that companies that implement regular reflection practices where employees pause to review their progress and their challenges saw up to a 23 percent increase, in their productivity.

Compared to those who didn't, this simple act of pausing led to greater clarity and more strategic actions resulting in overall performance. I like to think of it like a pilot checking their instruments mid flight that they're not just flying blindly, but they're adjusting based on real time feedback.

We focused on the sales that didn't come through versus actually acknowledging what we have done, the changes we have made, the 1 percent shift in our business, the things that we have won. We focus instead on the wins and the gains and celebratory moments. We focus on what's. Isn't actually happening.

And so every quarter in my own business and with my clients, we set this time aside to intentionally pause to look at what's been accomplished and to think about the path ahead. Doesn't have to be complicated. You know, sometimes it could just be five minutes at the end of the day. For you to think about the difference that that day has made.

And honestly, that's when we I can, share with you that for many years, my natural tendency was to go it alone. I'm all right, mate. I can do this. I've got my own back. And it's taken me years of personal coaching and personal development to be brave enough to reach out during difficult times to ask for help, to ask for support.

We actually were never meant to. And so having this network of support can make all of the difference. Acting as our personal lifeline through those roughest storms. When we have support. strong support network. It's proven through research that this reduces stress, it boosts our resilience, it improves our overall well being.

And those of you that have been following my work, For a while, know that this idea is close to my heart. It's at the core of my bestselling book, It's Who You Know, where I emphasize that building a powerful network isn't just about collecting contacts. It's about fostering these meaningful connections, these relationships that become a life raft during challenging times.

In fact, I often speak about the concept of transformational connections in my work. These are relationships that go beyond the surface. They are the ones that lift you up, that hold you steady. These are the ones that see potential in you, even when you're struggling to see it in yourself. Now, recently a friend of mine, who operates as a senior exec in a high stakes, high stress industry, she recently shared how her mentor network actually helped her make a critical decision when her company was facing a It's a huge, huge challenge.

And this is also something that I do in my inner circle community where regularly throughout the year, we'll, essentially invite perspective ideas, thoughts on our own businesses. We turn the mirror on. onto ourselves and we ask our colleagues that we trust to actually show us what we're potentially not seeing ourselves.

And this is what the opportunity is, right? Because your closest network can become that mirror that you need to see yourself, your challenge, what you're going through much more, quickly. you know, I like to think of this like, if I were to use our analogy, it's a bit like a bridge. And if you think about.

We can stay steady and we can keep going. Now, if right now you're thinking, Oh, I don't have a network, Janine. I don't know how to do it. It's never too late to start. And as I outline in my book, it's who, you know, it's all about beginning with one person that you trust and to let that connection grow. So, Meaningful networks are built one genuine relationship at a time.

If you spend your energy on things that don't align with your goals or your values, you're going to end up feeling depleted or with very little reserve to do what actually truly matters. Boundaries can be challenging to set, especially when we're conditioned to say yes to every single request. But here's the thing, saying no to those non essentials is actually about saying yes to your priorities.

Think of yourself as a gardener in this instance, you know, each time you have, each day, sorry, you have a limited amount of water, your energy, to tend to the plants in the garden. If you try to water absolutely everything, even the weeds, you risk running dry, but by focusing on nurturing only the most important plants, you're the projects and the people that truly matter, then you will ensure that your energy is used in a way that brings growth and fulfillment.

Celebrating your progress rewires your brain to focus on positivity and keeps you motivated even during bad times. Challenging times now think of each small win as a stepping stone across that stream. So by acknowledging each stone, you're building that momentum to reach to the other side where your larger goal lies.

For example, if you're working on a big project, maybe break it down into smaller milestones. And celebrate each one, whether that's a completed chapter of a book or a successful client call or hitting a new sales target, celebrate each one so that you feel like you are moving forward and you are achieving one step closer to your end goal.

But it's actually essential for sustainable success. Research shows that regular self care can boost productivity and creativity by as much as 30 percent. And self care isn't about escaping your responsibilities, it's about grounding yourself so you can return with renewed focus and resilience. Maybe think of self care as the way you maintain your own personal engine.

Whatever your choice of self care is, lock it in your calendar because these small actions reduce stress hormones and recharge your mental and emotional resilience. I put these things in my calendar just as I would a work meeting because this makes sure that you are holding yourself accountable, that you're not And it reinforces that taking care of ourselves is just as important as any other commitment.

Now, watching Nali that day, I was reminded that sometimes the best thing we can do is just stay steady. Just stay rooted in our purpose, calm in our spirit, and grounded in what truly matters. You have within you everything you need to stay steady and to weather whatever comes your way. And when you do, you'll find that you come through stronger, more resilient, and more grounded in who you are.

So wherever you're at right now, trust that this too shall pass and that brighter days are ahead. Thank you so much for joining me on today's podcast. If this episode resonated, please share it with a friend who you think could do with this little reminder to stay steady. And as always reach out to me, I'd love to hear how you're finding strength, common purpose right now.