Managing our own COVID-19 hangover.

Andrew Griffiths, Entrepreneurial Futurist, International Bestselling Author & Global Speaker explains what a Covid-19 hangover is and how to manage the impact it has.

The last few months have been bizarre in so many ways. We all got blindsided by this strange bug that literally brought the world to a standstill in a matter of weeks. And clearly, we have a long road to recovery, regardless of where we may be on the planet. In all reality, right now, most of us are dealing with a COVD19 hangover that has left us feeling shaky, uncertain, tired, emotional and exhausted. And we need to be aware of this because we’ve got a few more hurdles to jump before this crisis is behind us.

So what does this really mean, a COVID19 hangover? I work with business owners in every corner of the planet and this hungover feeling certainly sums up the overall mood. It is impacting our decisions and our thought processes and we need to take this into consideration in every way. You might not even realise just how fried we actually are. Month after month of dealing with this crisis takes a toll, even if you don’t realise it. But right now, we need to be the best versions of ourselves that we can possibly be, which is easier said than done.

Now is not a good time for rash decisions. We need to take a little time, check our decision-making process to make sure we are being rational and basing our choices on facts not emotions. We need to be a little more gentle with ourselves and those around us. It’s very easy to overreact and to be less tolerant than we normally would be. Be aware of your own feelings and emotions, and ask those closest to us if they have noticed anything different about how we are acting. It’s not about being critical, it’s about shining a light on something we may not even be aware of.

It’s also easier to get sick when we are run down and exhausted from the uncertainty and the horrible things that have come with COVID19. It might sound a little cliched but it’s vitally important that as business owners we take great care of ourselves. And this means physically and mentally. We’ve all had so much pressure and stress in the past few months, with more ahead. If we don’t take care of ourselves we can end up getting sick and that’s not going to help anything.

The same applies to the people we work with. We need to be a little more gentle and considerate with our team members, remembering they are going through a great deal as well. They are concerned about their jobs, their family, their own lives. And this might mean that they are not as productive as usual, or that they are not quite as focused as usual. Right now we need to be supportive however we can. Simply acknowledging the COVID19 hangover is a good place to start. Show compassion and understanding and your team are more likely to work with you. As we’ve all heard said time and time again, we are all in this together.

Last but not least, as business owners, I’d strongly suggest reaching out to other business owners and simply have some honest and open discussions about how you are feeling. It’s not the time for stiff upper lip mentality. It’s time to be open, to share our burdens and be a compassionate supporter of those around us. Once we find out that other business owners are feeling the same, we don’t tend to feel quite so fried. And that is a good thing.

We are in the middle of a rough road, with some way to go. We need to do everything we can to make sure we get to the other end.