A year from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and we can all be forgiven for allowing ourselves to fall into a little bit of what I call a ‘Covid rut’.
According to Northern Ireland business coach Bernie Allen missing friends and family, not seeing our clients in person and not doing many of the things we once loved “can make it difficult to maximise downtime which in return can impact how we feel about our businesses each and every day”.
Here are 7 things Bernie says business owners can do to shift the energy:
1. Limit Social Media
“You don’t need to cut yourself totally off from Social Media, however if you can be disciplined enough to stay off it for just one hour per day for a week, at the end of the week you will have created seven extra hours to spend doing something much more productive” said Bernie, adding: “If you can incrementally increase this each week for the next three weeks to 1.5 hours, two hours and two hours again, by the end of week four you will have saved a total of 45.5 hours. What will you spend them doing?”
2. Practice Gratitude
Bernie explained: “One sure fire way to inject a little positivity into your day is to start practicing gratitude. Prioritise this as something you can’t go without each day by writing down ten things you are thankful for before you leave your bedroom in the morning.
“This will allow you to begin your day feeling great and will make sure that life doesn’t get in the way and you don’t forget about your gratitude.”
3. Control Your News Intake
“We have all become news obsessed during the past year, consuming more news and views than ever before. However, in order to escape the ‘Covid rut’, I recommend that for four weeks you commit to watching the news just once daily” said Bernie.
“Don’t worry, if there is something you really need to know I am sure one of your friends or family will let you know.”
4. Listen To Music
Bernie is advising people to listening to happy music for just twenty minutes per day, she says it can have a significant impact on how you feel.
“Don’t just take my word for it, according to science, listening to happy music releases positive chemicals into your brain” said Bernie, adding: “Namely Dopamine, which is linked to both rewards and motivation, Oxytocin, which is linked to the pleasure hormone, Serotonin, which boosts your happiness and wellbeing and Endorphins which are a natural painkiller.”
5. Move More
Moving more not only helps your body, but it stimulates your brain. It is a key element to problem solving and decision making, and by adding a walk or a run into your day, you can empower yourself to work things out and perform better in your business.
6. Curtail Your Sugar Habit
Bernie said: “There is a reason that sugar is known as ‘legal Cocaine’. It is just as addictive as the drug only it is more of a silent killer. Many people associate the main downfall of a high sugar intake to be weight gain.
“However, it is also responsible for causing high cholesterol, diabetes and it even has links to depression. In fact, too much sugar can zap your energy and cause a dip in performance in your business.”
7. Boost Your Energy
“Finally, I wanted to talk about boosting your energy. If you want to escape the ‘Covid rut’ once and for all, the three best things you can do to boost your energy are to eat a balanced diet, focus on nutrition and exercise often” said Bernie.
If you would like to find out more about what you can do as a business leader or owner to keep on top of your game and not let challenges or situations change your direction contact Bernie Allen at bernieallen.com or by emailing Berniespowerhouseacademy@gmail.com
Bernie Allen’s book How To Succeed In Business & Life is out now published by Excalibur Press and available from excaliburpress.co.uk or bernieallen.com