What's in your Wobble Kit?

I've had some wobbly moments this past fortnight! There’s been some imposter syndrome. There’s been some self-doubt. I’ve felt a bit isolated. I’ve been comparing myself to others who are doing similar, but seemingly much better. I’ve longed for the work-related regular banter, contact and comradery that my husband has with his colleagues across their work Whatsapp groups - the collective high fives, the way they pick up each other’s slack and the love they show each other when they’ve worked hard and delivered something great. I’ve felt frustrated with the lack of time I have to dedicate to my business because of childcare and other commitments and how long it seems to be taking to get where I want to be. I’ve felt cross with myself for always having my phone in my hand when my little ones are tugging on my skirt for my attention. Ooooffff that’s a lot isn’t it!

Have you felt any or all of those too?

Before you reach for the laptop and fire up a Linked In job search - take a big deep breath. In for 4 and slowly blow out through your mouth for a count of 8. Do this a few times and see if any of these tips help you….

Here are 5 tips for managing your wobbles. I’d love to know how you manage yours!

1. DON’T MAKE ANY BIG DECISIONS! The important thing is to not make any big decisions during a wobble. Allow them to be here, because often they are just moments and will pass. Thoughts that you might be having like, “I’ll never succeed”, “I’m not good enough”, are just thoughts - they are not facts. Just because you think it, doesn’t mean it is true. You can put those thoughts in a bubble and watch it pop!
2. ASK YOURSELF WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON. What’s driving your wobble? Often a wobble is caused by something unrelated to your business e.g. being ill, lack of sleep and exhaustion because the kids are ill, hormones. Look beyond the surface of your wobble and ask what’s going on for you right now that might be impacting your thoughts. Maybe there’s something you need to attend to, maybe you need to just rest for a bit or look after yourself in someway - an early night, some alone time.
3. FIND BALANCE.  Sometimes our wobbles can be driven by one negative thing in a sea of positive things. One negative comment on a social post or a feedback form or just in passing. Get yourself a bank of positivity - by this I mean gather all your positive feedback into one place. I have a spreadsheet where I keep all my lovely testimonials. Perhaps you prefer to print them and stick them in a lovely notebook - even better, print them out and stick them on your wall - right under your nose where you work. When you get that one negative comment, smother yourself in all the positivity that you’ve received.
4. LET IT GO. Another tip for managing negativity. It’s ok to accept that what you do or say or make or provide or even how you come across isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Once you start to allow that, then you can release yourself of trying to achieve that 100% acceptance. Try asking yourself if you like everything you see, think, hear or read? There’s bound to be a celebrity that makes you turn the TV over - it doesn’t mean that they aren’t hugely successful or brilliant at what they do, only that they are not your cup of tea - that’s ok. Maybe you’ve read something and thought - nope - that won’t work for me, it doesn’t mean it won’t work for others. Another thing that works for me is bringing compassion to the fact that everyone has several reasons why they act the way they do or say things they say and more often than not, that has absolutely nothing to do with you - so Let It Go.
5. CONNECT! This should really be numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5! If you only do one thing during a wobble, it’s CONNECT with others. It is unbelievably helpful to connect with others who are going through the same with you - who understand your wobbles, who get why you’re doing what you’re doing, who understand all the other demands you have on you as a mother and appreciate how hard it is to be an entrepreneur with kids in the picture. I mean - connect with anyone really. Get yourself a connection strategy - who first, text, whatsapp, phone call?
6. The FounderMums Club is definitely here for you to access other Founder Mums who know exactly how you feel. Who else is on your list - siblings, friends, neighbours? It’s helpful to make a list too. 

Hope some of that helps you during your wobbles. I’ve actually got about 15 million other tips - for another time! In the meantime, I’d love to hear what works for you during your wobbles?