The COVID-19 crisis is predicted to have far-reaching consequences that will be felt for years to come. We have started witnessing its grave impact on the global economy, particularly, on business entrepreneurship.
As we celebrate all Mothers this week, It is important to note that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not gender neutral, as it affects men and women differently. Globally, women are more vulnerable to economic shocks wrought by crises such as the corona-virus pandemic.
Why are women at risk? Firstly, women are more likely to lose their jobs than men. In many countries, women’s participation in the labour market is often in the form of temporary employment. Secondly considering that most women rely on small businesses for their livelihoods, due to Covid-19 majority are extremely stressed; low sales, reduced or closed markets, limited mobility, no income alternatives, and no safety nets. Most importantly women have to balance between being a mother (mama) and career/Business.
Balancing Family and work
With families at home; children not going to school and both men and women working from home you will still find more women jumping into household chores than men. Sometimes the so called ‘online learning’ for your children is not ‘online learning’ until it is combined with ‘mama learning’ But as a ‘mama’ entrepreneur you cannot afford to lose the opportunity to meet the sharp increase in demand that has just come your way during this Covid-19. Furthermore you just cut your salary by half and have asked your staff to work part-time as you expect tough times ahead. Hard as it may be for you, keep it there and do whatever it takes to balance both family and work. They both desperately need. Never doubt your strength to give each sufficient attention.
Going digital
Did you know that you can retain a bulk of your clientele without necessarily having to be there physically? It is now the time to focus heavily on providing more of digital marketing services and this allows you to work remotely. The biggest lesson here is to invest just a little in a digital skill set.
As a ‘Mama Entrepreneur’ you can chose to block out the first half of your day (or more/less) managing/running your Business remotely and the second half of your day as time for meditation, reading, and bonding with loved ones. And there you go; Family and work done. “be sure to use this time wisely. Learn something new, sharpen your skills and be grateful for the life you have.” Happy Mother’s day!
Help another
“Virtue cannot live in isolation: Neighbors are sure to grow around it”. Regardless of your situation, remember you have something to offer as well—a connection, an insight, a skill, an encouragement etc. You will find women around you who believe there is no hope or solution in this current crisis. Be there to give them hope. What about educating that ‘mama’ on how she can build a new stream of income? What about encouraging her to pass the knowledge already gained to others within her reach? There is enough success to go around and if everyone goes out of their way to help one another, we can truly improve each other’s quality of life. So reach out to someone and offer to help, it doesn’t have to cost you money and you know what? Help has a way of coming back to you!
Self-care
As a ‘Mama Entrepreneur’ trying to do it all can be a recipe so know your limits and enforce them. Self-care is not selfish. Repeat-Self-care is not selfish! You need you strong and healthy to be of service to all those looking up to you and hence the need to be fueled for the long haul. Apply these few tips;
- Make sleep a non-negotiable; Give yourself the best gift you can during this stressful time and get enough sleep
- Shower and get dressed every single day; Showering and getting dressed (preferably into NON-pajama clothing) communicates to your brain and subconscious that it’s time to get to work.
- Write a task list for each day and stick to it; Either at the end of your workday or first thing in the morning, compose a list of all your tasks for the day.
- Talk to at least one human every day; It’s no news that human beings need connection. We literally can’t survive without it. You don’t need a specific reason for talking/calling someone – simply connecting is all the reason you need.
- Dust off ideas from your “Someday Maybe” list; Guess what? Now that you’re at home for who knows how long, it’s the perfect time to dust off those “someday maybe” items and turn some of them into “this week for sure” items.
- Watch something every day that makes you laugh; Laughter is good for the body and good for the soul. And I think we all need a lot more of it these days, wouldn’t you agree? Treat yourself to something every day that will make you laugh. Your body will thank you!
- Devise your own personal mantra for getting through this; When you say something over and over again relentlessly in your mind, your brain begins to support that thought or belief. What will you train your brain to believe during this crisis? Possibly something like: “I will come out of this stronger and wiser than ever.”
“Self-care is not a waste of time. Self-care makes your use of time more sustainable.”– Jackie Viramontez[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”835″ label=””][vc_column_text]Mary Kamore is the Lead Consultant, Molives Mentors[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][/vc_column][/vc_row]