Dealing With Business Uncertainties Amid A COVID-Gripped World

Life is uncertain. Add into the mix, a horrifying pandemic that has gripped the world, and it becomes a melting pot of uncertain times. Who would have thought we would be in the mess we are in right now, 6 months ago?  It should be the least of our concerns, but if you look at it, the economy and businesses alike are facing the turmoils of this uncertain period. Uncertainties like this, where only a few organizations, including social media companies, are barely functional, can take a toll on your mental health, can affect critical thinking abilities, and be a burden on your family and their well-being.

All we keep wondering is…. When is this going to be okay? When will normalcy return? When can we go back to our lives?

So as we said, nothing in life is ever truly certain, but here are some close-to-certain ways to deal with these tumultuous times:

1. Take Care of Your Mental Health First.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important than your mental health. Business uncertainties can give way to panic and anxiety, which can have adverse effects on your mental equilibrium. Anxiety disorders and panic attacks are medical conditions, wherein your limbic system has a knee-jerk fear reaction, often fueled by emotional stimuli. While it is akin to a protection system for the short-term, it doesn’t take time for these conditions to become toxic for your mental health in the long run.

Let’s be very frank here, anxiety and panic disorders can tower over any able-minded person, irrespective of how mentally strong they are. Fears triggered by anxiety and panic are, most of the time, quelled as you start exercising gradual control over it. While it is monumentally difficult, do try and fight through – don’t forget to accept all the help you can get.

2. Don’t Dwell on Things You Cannot Control.

When you’re uncertain and you find the world around you crumbling, and everything is uncertain and nothing is solvable anymore, tell yourself: that’s only partially true. The best business managers across the world, in times of uncertainty, do the simple exercise of facts and unknowns. They base their plans on what they can do and refrain from fretting over things beyond their tiny, yet impactful human abilities. This is the way to go, the mindset to cultivate, during these tough times.

3. Pride Always Hurts.

Remember this iconic dialogue from Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction? Marsellus says: Pride always hurts. It never helps.”

These times call for pride to be put aside. Why we say this, is because it is a natural human tendency to put the blame on yourself: How did this happen? How did this happen on my watch? Our advice, don’t be wedded to the ideas of the “greater responsibility” of making things right. There are only things you can do and the rest, as they say, will be history soon enough. Feel contentment in the fact that you did whatever little you could do like most digital marketing agencies are doing.

4. Tackle Three Priorities At A Time.

Three priorities: that’s the way we should go about tackling these situations thrown at us. A laser-focus precision-based prioritization of things to do and things not to do, to take care of, above all else. This helps get rid of things that sap your energy and are not even close to what you hold dear in your heart. This, as it turns out, is an ideal way to deal with business problems whether uncertain times loom large upon us or not.

5. Positivity Is A Self-Replicating Emotion.

Let’s get this straight, positive actions and doing ‘good’ never goes to waste, neither does harbouring love and care for those around us. You never know how your actions might impact someone, as good deeds, however small, will always have a greater impact on the world.  Quoting one of the most emotional quotes to come out of the quarantine period by a fellow businessman:

“My personal life has crashed. My business has crashed. My investments have crashed. And I’m in isolation and running out of bourbon. But your words of encouragement on your video saved my day. Never underestimate your impact, sir.”

This is the power of words. Focus on positive actions, and spread hope in your own way.

6. Detangle Yourself From The Web of Inane Questions.

If you get lost in the tangled web of questions, such as: what if my efforts get messed up? you will just let your mind run amuck into the negative spiral we just talked about.  Is the virus under your control? No. Can you single-handedly solve the issues of unemployment and economy crashes? No. So let’s not think about out-of-control scenarios and move forwards with whatever positivity we can muster in our hearts.