There’s a lot going on in the world right now (and has been for a few years!)

Trying to stay productive and focused while the world feels so chaotic can be tough. The news, the economic worries… it can be so overwhelming. But you’re not alone in this struggle.

In this episode, I’m sharing all the ways I’ve found to stay grounded both in my life and my business. From connecting with friends to limiting my information intake to reconnecting with my purpose, this episode is full of ideas to help you cut through the noise and find your footing again.

What’s in this episode:

• [00:40] The uncertainty of the last few years and how I’ve stayed productive
• [01:50] How reconnecting to my purpose has allowed me to stay grounded and how you can reconnect to yours too
• [04:19] Why simplifying has been revolutionary for my life and business
• [06:00] Why prioritizing self-care during uncertain times is so important
• [09:34] Why you have to trust yourself and your resilience

Tune in to this episode for some encouragement that you’re not alone during these uncertain times!

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Hey, friend. Welcome to the Art and Soul Show. I’m your host, Lisa DiGeso, a mom, a photographer and entrepreneur. Tune in here for pep talks, conversations and advice on photography, creativity, mindset, business, life, and that messy in between. This is the place where you can go when you need a boost of encouragement, a kick in the pants, and inspiration to pick up your camera.

[00:00:24] This is the Art and Soul show. Hello my friend and welcome back to the show. So today we are going to be exploring a topic that I think is especially important right now, and that is how to navigate our creative businesses when the world around us feels chaotic and uncertain. Because let’s be honest, the past few years have felt like a rollercoaster between the economy, the political climate.

[00:00:53] Economic shifts, global events, rapid changes in our industry, pandemics, [00:01:00] it’s completely understandable if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed right now. I know I have definitely felt this way and more times than I can count, honestly, but I’ve also learned some things that have really helped me stay grounded and productive and even optimistic during these challenging times.

[00:01:17] And today I wanna share them with you. So when everything around us feels unstable, our natural reaction is to try to control every little detail. But ironically, this usually leaves us feeling more out of control. So here is the key thing that I keep coming back to. There are things we can control and there’s simply things that we cannot.

[00:01:42] Our power really lies in focusing on the ones that we can control and the things we can influence. So first off, reconnecting to my purpose really has been foundational for me. So whenever my anxiety starts creeping in, I pause and I start to ask myself, [00:02:00] why did I choose this career? Why did I choose this path?

[00:02:03] What led me to photography and creativity and my entrepreneurial journey, really in the first place? Maybe your purpose is capturing authentic moments or providing joy and connection for families, or supporting your family or expressing yourself creatively or building a legacy. So whatever your why is, anchor yourself to it.

[00:02:27] Write it down, revisit it regularly because this can actually really stabilize you, especially when external circumstances feel uncertain. Another incredibly helpful tool is just clearly distinguishing what I can control and what I cannot control. So here is a simple visual exercise. So picture two circles.

[00:02:50] One inside the other, and the outer circle represents all the things you can’t control. It could be economic shifts, social media, algorithms, [00:03:00] client decisions, global events, and inside the smaller circle, these are all the things that you can control. Your attitude, your work ethic, your creativity, your communication, and your self-care.

[00:03:15] This simple visualization actually really helps me figure out where to direct my energy. So managing my mindset has also been really critical. I. When uncertainty is hitting, it’s easy for our minds just to spiral into worry and into panic. So to counteract this, I’ve adopted daily mindfulness practices.

[00:03:36] So I try to journal either every morning or every night, and that’s really transformational because it helps clear my head, it helps me express my anxiety safely, and then I can release them. Meditation is also really amazing, even if it’s just for five minutes because. It resets my focus and it reduces my stress.

[00:03:57] It helps me replace my anxious thoughts [00:04:00] with affirmations like I am capable or I can adapt, and I have navigated difficult situations before. Or my favorite one honestly is this is temporary. Everything is temporary, and I find this really makes a big difference in my mental and my emotional resilience.

[00:04:19] Also simplifying. My daily focus has also been really helpful. So when the world feels overwhelming, I often feel like I have way too much to do. I have way too many tasks to do, even if I don’t really have that many. Just everything really feels like a lot. So really simplifying my days really helps. So each morning I ask myself, what is the biggest needle mover today?

[00:04:42] What is essential for me to do to day? What matters the most? Because that helps me identify a clear priority and it reduces my decision fatigue, and it creates. More of a sense of accomplishment when I can get something done in the day, even amongst all the chaos, and it really means [00:05:00] intentionally letting go of things that aren’t critical right now.

[00:05:02] It could be just doing extra social media posts when I just feel too overwhelmed to do them. So this simplification helps me preserve my energy and a bit of my clarity. And additionally, I really try to do the big three. I pick three of the biggest needle movers and just try to focus on getting them done.

[00:05:23] Also working on doing things that are fun and my relationships with my friends. That’s incredibly grounding. Making sure that I have time to lean into my village. It could be my clients or my fellow creatives, or my friends or my parents, or just my personal networks that can bring so much comfort. We often underestimate the value of just reaching out and connecting and simply asking, how are you really doing?

[00:05:52] Showing genuine care and support really does deepen friendships and relationships, and it also creates mutual resilience and [00:06:00] reinforces the idea that we’re actually not alone in our struggles. So also prioritizing self-care is one area that I’m really trying to never compromise, especially during challenging times.

[00:06:13] So neglecting my wellbeing often. Takes away my creative time and it, and, and it makes me less productive. So I really learned to view rest and listen to my body. If I’m just done and I’m overloaded and say, you know what? I’ve done enough today. I can pick this all up tomorrow. So it’s making sure that I drink enough water and get enough rest.

[00:06:34] Get some fresh air, eating healthy foods and doing some joyful activities, and not looking at these as luxuries, as things that are rewards, but actually essential components of my business strategy. Investing in my physical emotional health really ensures that I show up fully for my work, for my clients, for you and myself.

[00:06:56] And this could be just as simple as having extra [00:07:00] couple weights by your desk and busting out a few sets of curls. I actually have a walking pad under my standing desk, so sometimes I’ll get a few steps in during the day, or I will just say, you know what, I’m gonna play hooky this afternoon, gonna go shopping at winters ’cause it makes me happy.

[00:07:15] Or I just will have a picnic or a lunch with a friend. Now adaptability really has also become a core value of mine because in uncertain times it often requires a lot of pivoting, and I have really found it helpful to ask myself is how can I adapt creatively to the situation I. Whether it be, you know, something in the business changes, you know, if I have clients change, just something is changing that I, that it requires me to pivot because challenges are gonna come up unexpectedly, but also opportunities will come too.

[00:07:50] And how we look at those and the innovations that we can creatively come with to come up with new innovations of dealing with them really is [00:08:00] how we’re gonna be getting through all of these uncomfortable situations and also staying flexible. Staying flexible really allows me to discover that I have some new strengths or creative solutions that I may have never even considered otherwise.

[00:08:15] Also, just acknowledging and celebrating any small wins is also really vital. During chaotic times, it’s really easy to overlook our progress when external circumstances really feel heavy, but celebrating our tiny achievements, even if it’s just completing a task, making it through a. Really crappy day or simply maintaining a positive attitude, or not flipping someone off in traffic.

[00:08:42] Honestly, it builds momentum and it reinforces our resilience. So recognizing any small victories you have really reminds us that we’re making progress, even how small it feels. Also during this time limiting your information [00:09:00] because information overload is a thing. Just constantly absorbing the news or social media or updates often heightens our anxiety rather than.

[00:09:11] Dissolving it. I’ve learned really to intentionally schedule specific times just to schedule in when I’m checking information, and then I try to disconnect entirely just to preserve my mental clarity and my emotional wellbeing. So protecting my mental space is it really gives me a way to free up my energy for my creativity, for my relationships, and for my self-care.

[00:09:34] And finally, the most critical reminder I can share is to trust yourself and your resilience. Look back at any previous challenges you’ve navigated before. You probably have so many and you’ve adapted before. You’ve grown and you’ve changed, and you’ve emerged stronger. So trust deeply in your ability to navigate what comes your way.

[00:09:57] You already have everything inside you to [00:10:00] handle what you need to handle. My friend. Navigating our creative businesses through these chaotic times isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about believing in our capability to respond thoughtfully and intentionally, and anchoring ourselves into our purpose, focusing on what we can control, and really just simplifying our tasks, nurturing our friendships, our relationships.

[00:10:26] Prioritizing our self-care and remaining adaptable and trusting our resilience that we can thrive despite our uncertainty and above all, my friend. Believe me, you are never alone in this journey. We are all figuring this out one step at a time together. So thank you so much for tuning in and joining me today.

[00:10:46] As always, I am sending you so much of my light and my love today and every single day, my friend, you have got this. And we will see you next [00:11:00] time.