How Introvert Entrepreneurs Stay Calm and Focused in a Distracted World
One of my previous home offices. Plants, candle, art and organization make me feel calm.
How can you bring more calm and focus to your online business?
As a neurodivergent HSP I share the introvert’s preferences for more calm and less noise and overstimulation. But what about introvert entrepreneurs who run online businesses in a world that not only demands our attention at every corner of the internet, but where we also have to actively engage with an audience to be found and seen?
As a Calm Business Educator I posted the following question to my newsletter subscribers, many of whom are introverts, highly sensitive people (HSP), or ADHD neurodivergents:
“How do you stay calm and focused?”
Ten readers have kindly agreed for me to share their replies. As you will see, running a calm business as an introvert is about the cumulative effect of everyday practices and small adjustments that work for both you and your business, rather than quick fixes or big dramatic changes.
I hope you enjoy this post!
P.S. If you like this post feel free to share as well, using the share buttons at the bottom, thank you :)
1. Find inner peace in just 10 minutes a day
“I have a Mindfulness Guide on my website that is a free download. In this guide I share how in just 10 minutes a day you can foster presence, calm, balance, and inner peace. It's ideal for the stressed and frenzied.”
Christina Grant, PhD
Spiritual Counselor, Astrologer & Energy Healer
2. Connect with the people you love every day
“One thing I insist on every day is breakfast with my husband. That's the highlight of my day. It gives me structure and sets a happy tone. Even if all we do is have a quick bowl of cereal and a cup of tea together, we connect with each other at least once. So my tip is to take the time to connect with someone you love every day.”
Margaret Sloan
Painter & Writer
3. Bicycling is a wonderful transition time
“I’ve been riding my bike to and from my studio most work days for almost two years. It’s about 30 mins there and back. I ride through the neighborhoods and enjoy the children heading to school, dog and baby walkers, say ‘hi’ to fellow bicyclists, enjoy the smells and all the beautiful gardens, and the pets sunning themselves in the window or longingly gazing out of doors. It makes me sooo happy traveling through space and takes me out of my head as I totally enjoy my outdoor surroundings. It’s also a wonderful transition time.”
Karen Q Kemp
Illustrator & Designer
4. Make time for deep work non-negotiable
“From reading Deep Work by Cal Newport I’ve realised how much value I’ve placed on busy work. So I’m making sure I’m setting aside time in my week to read deeply, researching ideas that interest me and hopefully my audience, and making that time a non-negotiable.”
Caroline Wood
Quiet Business Strategist
5. Improve your sleep: silence your phone at night
“My top tip is to turn sounds off my phone at night. I use Do Not Disturb, but I understand the iPhone may need to be put in Airplane mode for the same effect. There is only one reason I may need to leave sounds on: if there is potential for a tornado warning. All the rest of the time, if I intend to sleep, the sounds are off.
Sleep is vital to everything. I'm not willing to risk my sleep due to some notification or robocall coming through in the middle of the night. Or worse, right when I'm about to drift off.”
Jennifer Gress
6. Read newsletters more mindfully with this app
“One thing I am trying is an app called Meco which is aimed at more mindful reading of newsletters.”
Shelley Smith
Copywriter
7. Enjoy the little things with these transition tips
“I've read that ‘transitions’ are huge. Especially everyday transitions, from sleep to waking, from getting ready to getting the kids ready, getting ready and leaving, dropping off kids and entering work. Many of us breeze through these transitions without bringing any intention to them. It's important to stop and take a few deep breaths before transitioning to the next phase.
I find this especially important before arriving at work and before picking up my children from daycare. I also make sure I stop and appreciate the sounds of the birds in the morning, the sounds of my kids laughing and playing, really taking in all my senses. We are often in so much of a rush that we forget to enjoy everything God has placed on this earth for us to enjoy.”
Amilia Cruz Steman
Copywriter
8. Understand your why and learn to let go
"Understand your why. Why are you doing this, reading that, putting time here and not there? Why is the question that gets far too little attention.
Limit — or abandon! — social media. I think social media is one of the worst creations ever. I left Facebook years ago and have never looked back, even when some communities I’m in have active private groups; I have gotten over FOMO. I was never on Instagram or anything else by the evil (my opinion) people who run Facebook. I am still on Tumblr because it fits my needs, but curating the people you follow is an essential part of the process.
Relax and let go. If it's meant to be, if conditions are sufficient, there is manifestation. If not, get a good night's sleep and start again tomorrow.”
9. Unplug and slow down
“For many years now, I've strived to live a slow, unhurried life. A couple of things I do to help me achieve this is to keep certain things off of my phone. I've chosen not to have email on my phone... or Messenger... or text alerts from Instagram and such. I take time daily to check in from my laptop but refuse to have things 'dinging' on my phone throughout the day. I hope this helps others to slow down and (kind of) unplug from all the busyness in our plugged-in world.”
10. Make friends with fellow Calm Business peeps
“I’m an introvert and love that my 9-5 office days are long behind me! But even so, running my own business from home feels rather lonely and isolating at times. To help counter this I’ve nurtured friendships with fellow calm business owners. We schedule regular coffee chats and co-working sessions. Together we bounce ideas, share our ups and downs and talk about the latest news in the online business world. I feel more grounded and uplifted after we chat - it’s a happy reminder that all this online stuff has real humans behind it!”
Shauna Reid
Writer & Content Strategist
Bonus Tip from me! Put on your business blinders
Horses wear blinders to tune out distractions and keep them on track. This works in business, too!
The internet is an exceptionally noisy place - everyone, everywhere wants our attention and the technology we use is designed to keep us clicking and going down endless rabbit holes. It’s a LOT for those of us with more quiet, sensitive dispositions.
Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed by it all I remember my business blinders and take action in the form of unsubscribing from noisy newsletters, turning off notifications and closing down browser windows and phone apps. Then I take deep breaths for one minute using my watch timer. This always helps me refocus on my own stuff, feeling more calm and aligned.
Kerstin Martin
Calm Business Educator
