The New Season May Be Time to Pause
Fall in Grey Bruce is beautiful. It’s also a great time to pause and reset your focus for the coming year. Image Source: Patrick Tomasso via Unsplash.
It’s been a week. A month. A year and a half. This fall will mark two years since we launched Catapult Grey Bruce. It’s almost hard to remember where we started because before-COVID seems like such a different reality.
I want to write something uplifting and insightful, but mostly I’m just tired.
Catapult had the luxury to pause during 2020. Like most entrepreneurs, I did not. And despite knowing the pandemic was not going to be over with the next lockdown, the next season or even the vaccine, I maintained hope.
Hope of what? I don’t know. Maybe hope our resilience would kick in and the silver linings of Covid-19 would somehow replace the stress and uncertainty.
As we head into fall though, the end doesn’t seem to be in sight and everyone I know is tired. At the same time, I feel pressured to ‘not waste this crisis”. In so many communities I’m a part of, the pandemic has forced change I was told for years wasn’t possible.
For example, agriculture boards (and actually everyone) are now meeting virtually resulting in more people, especially women, being able to access these tables because it no longer requires a full day of travel and time away from the farm and family to participate in a four-hour meeting.
Our rural communities are experiencing an influx of new people, which is both invigorating and challenging as the shortage of housing, transit and high speed Internet constrains growth. But, it is also forcing these issues to be prioritized.
And while the optimist in me sees opportunity in all this change, the realist is still tired and very uncertain. Being able to find the time to pause and reflect on what is happening around us is a luxury many of us do not have.
We are still scared for our family members who can not or will not get vaccinated. We are caring for our elders who feel unsupported and forgotten. We’re hustling to keep our employees paid and safe.
We are all shouldering the burden of the pandemic in different ways, carrying more than our fair share.
But if you can somehow carve out a little time for a pause, it will be of huge benefit to your mental health and your business. Even if it just means you “hold steady” so you can give yourself the room to think freely and refocus on where you want to go.
Early in the pandemic, I participated in an event with KW Professional Organizers where founders Samantha and Emilio offered some practical suggestions of how to do this. A few stuck with me and have helped me push through and keep focused on the big picture.
Make a list of the things that bring you joy and restore energy. When you feel low, spend 15 minutes on one of these things. It may be as simple as going for a walk in nature or playing with your dog.
Seasonal planner. This is one sheet of paper that I do at the start of each season that buckets the experiences I want to have that season that will leave me feeling fulfilled. As I see opportunities in the future that intrigue me, I note them in my day planner to add to a future seasonal planner so they’re not missed.
Weekly planner. This is something I just brought back as a tool to manage my hectic schedule. It is a visual layout of my week that generally indicates the time I spend at work and in the business. I also block the time I walk the dog, go to the gym, and have free. In some ways it helps me prioritize these activities, but more importantly, it helps me be more realistic with my own expectations for what I can accomplish in a week.
A seasonal planner is a visual way to intentionally plan a quarter that doesn’t only focus on your business but considers all aspects of a fulfilling life according to KW Professional Organizers.
I’m a visual person and the act of writing has always been therapeutic for me, but I realize these tools may not be a fit for everyone.
For my partner, who lives and breathes our business, it took making some plans to physically get away to give him a mental break and something to look forward too outside the business.
How have you found ways to create a pause in your life when it often time feels impossible? Share your strategies in the comments!
- by Jennifer Christie
Mental Health Supports In Grey Bruce
There's no question the pandemic has been hard on our mental health. For entrepreneurs specifically, BDC has also compiled a list of resources here.
If you need support, Grey Bruce Public Health has a large list of resources here.
If you are in crisis, call the Mental Health Crisis Line of Grey Bruce at 1-877-470-5200. This line is staffed by trained volunteers, and is available to help serve people in distress or crisis. Staff are available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.