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How To Guide - 10 Ways to Manage Grey Days.

At the time of writing, we have well and truly hit the grey days in Autumn with little sign of the sun for a while. Despite the fact that I love Autumn, it's none the less tricky to manage days that may be, or feel, grey. Whether it's the weather or your mood, how can we manage feeling flat, bleak, low or overwhelmed, when we're the master of our businesses and little teams?


In this How To Guide, I wanted to address wellbeing and how we can enhance our own whatever the weather. What tricks, routines, habits or boosts can we add into our micro business lives that keep us going and positive for our customers?


Here are 10 reminders or ideas which may resonate. Don't feel you have to achieve them all either - so much wellbeing content can leave us feeling overwhelmed because of our failure to adopt a long list of 'good living' ideas! How about we go for one or two extra steps that might just see us through grey days.


  1. Fresh air is like water. And when I say that, I mean that fresh air is as important to us as humans as water. We need it for all our functions and it isn't about 'deserving' a walk after you've done all your jobs first. Perhaps you can build fresh air into your routine more effectively by doing it first, opting to rearrange your day or heading to Vinted for a decent waterproof to avoid any excuses about the rain. No one ever felt worse after fresh air.

  2. Food is fuel. This isn't a call for less treats, after all a chocolate biscuit on a grey day is sometimes the only answer. But...food is fuel, listen to the latest episode (September 2024) of the Food Programme on BBC Sounds, which shares the relationship between our guts and brains. Fascinating yes, but a simple reminder that taking time in our busy micro schedule to plan a nice soul enhancing lunch is a business strategy, not a luxury.

  3. Get your vit.D on. We're all deficient in the UK apparently, even in our less than super sunny summers. This simple yet important supplement, may just help you ward off the worst of any blues over the darker months.

  4. Step towards your community. You're already here, part of Simply Club, but do you lean in and step towards this, or any other comunity you're in? Being part of a group of like minded folk who are warm and welcoming can help us avoid isolation, especially on grey days. Remembering that others may share your experiences, have words of wisdom or that you can simply share a giggle with can be invaluable. Use the resources you have at hand & invest some time into community.

  5. Don't push through. If you're not sleeping, feeling anxious, have a foggy brain or are getting headaches, be sure that you're body is speaking to you. There's a lot of business language that 'pushing through' is the answer. I don't believe it is. Sometimes we need to sleep, rest, step back or ask for help. This gives us the best chance to see the wood for the trees and any solutions or ideas that might help.

  6. Stay open and talking. There is almost no problem or challenge in the micro business world that is new or unique. You can bet that others have experienced similar feelings or situations. We can all practice being more open and more communicative about pitfalls & challenges that we might be experiencing. Who ever said that we had to know all the things?! The more open and flawed we are, the more our grey days get a little lighter.

  7. Build in the fun. No micro business owner ever said that they wanted to run their own business to have less fun or to be more miserable in their work. If your grey days are outweighing the brighter ones, then take some time to work out what joy you can build back in. This might be simply making more time for hobbies and friends or making the business of your business more joyful. Can you connect, market in a new way, be more open, start up a Meet Up near you or something that livens up the month.

  8. Invest in your brain. Now that you're eating your brain food (see above) how about stimulating it by learning new stuff too? Investing in knowledge is a joy but also it moves us forward and creates momentum. Whether it's a cookery course or a professional certificate for the business, ongoing education will lubricate the mind and energise your days.

  9. Step away from comfort. How many times have we heard that stepping away from our comfort zone is where the good living is at? Yet, our inclination to hunker down and wait for the sun to come out is strong! Build new habits to gently move away from the overly familiar or the same old routine. Perhaps it's new learning, or perhaps it's simply heading out for a coffee with new faces or popping your face on socials.

  10. Start a writing practice. This has been a game changer for me. I now journal pretty much every day. Sometimes random sribbles about what I'm grateful for and sometimes pages and pages of minor rant. Either way, writing can unlock frustrations, help develop ideas, build confidence and help us find answers. You might have heard of 'Morning Pages' by Julia Cameron or the '6 Minute Diary' or perhaps it's just you and a notebook. Whatever you prefer, taking time to notice patterns, how you feel, writing down your negative thoughts or just unloading the day can be a powerful way to manage the worst of grey days.


Before I head into reminders that the Simply Club forum is there ready to dive into for company, motivation or help, I want to include a serious note.


Our mental health is as important as our physical. If you're stuggling, there is help out there and you're not alone. We have trained therapists inside Simply Club as well as professional coaches. There are also brilliant platforms and places where you can seek good quality and professional help. Here are a few:





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