Ep. 89 – What to do when business overwhelm keeps returning

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• A simple 5-7 day challenge that can dramatically reduce business stress
• How to identify which parts of your business are creating the most “noise”
• Practical ways to prevent overwhelm from becoming a recurring problem

Let’s talk about what I call “business hushing.”

It’s like giving your business a timeout to figure out what’s really important. And the best part? You can start with just one simple step.

Step one is going on an unsubscribe mission. For the next week, remove 3-5 things daily that create noise in your business life. Unsubscribe from those promotional emails you never read. Leave Facebook groups that don’t serve you anymore. Mute social media accounts that make you feel behind or trigger comparison.

The second step is looking at your money. But don’t worry – we’re not doing complex accounting here. We’re simply asking: “What am I paying for that I don’t really need?” Those monthly subscriptions you barely use? They’re not just costing you money – they’re creating mental clutter too.

The third step (and yes, this one’s tough) is looking at your client list. Sometimes overwhelm keeps coming back because we’re holding onto client relationships that aren’t working anymore. Maybe they’re paying old rates that don’t match your current value, or they’re asking for services you don’t enjoy providing anymore.

Here’s what’s important:

You don’t need to do all these steps at once. Start with step one. That might be all you need. If not, move on to step two. Think of it like cleaning a house – you don’t tackle every room in one day.

Remember

The goal isn’t to create a business that never experiences overwhelm. That’s unrealistic. The goal is to build a business that feels peaceful most of the time, and one where you know exactly what to do when overwhelm shows up.

Listen to the episode to learn more about these 4 simple tools to dealing with overwhelm in your business.

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Let’s Connect:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/martagoertzen
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/selahstudiosco

TRANSCRIPT:

[00:00:00] **Marta Goertzen**: In the last episode, we talked about simple ways to deal with overwhelm in your business. So what’s next? How do you take what you learned about your overwhelm, how it sneaks into your life and business, and make the changes needed to reduce the likelihood of it coming back?

[00:00:21] If you listened to the last episode, I mentioned this idea of business hushing, or as it can also be called, quieting your business. Haven’t heard of this? I’m not surprised. Stick around and let’s find out what it means and how it can help you design a gentle business.

[00:00:39] Hey there, I’m your host, Marta Goertzen, and welcome to Doing Business Gently, a podcast for women who are ready to think and do business from a place of purpose and intention.

[00:00:50] If that sounds like you and you’ve wondered what it means to have a gentle and aligned business, you’re in the right place. This is a safe space where we talk about life-business integration. We approach this by creating a life-first business—one that’s aligned to fit your values, priorities, personality, and current season of life.

[00:01:12] We also discuss how to find business clarity so you’re not constantly second-guessing every decision, how faith and business can work together, and importantly, how we can do this from a place of rest. Join me today as we take steps forward in dealing with business overwhelm that may feel chronic in your business.

Let’s examine why it keeps coming back.

[00:01:38] This episode is brought to you by the Weekly Reset Routine mini workshop. You’ve probably heard me talk about this routine before. I bring it back because it’s one of the best tools and first steps in designing a gentle business.

[00:01:55] As we’ve discussed in recent episodes about overwhelm, this is one of the simplest ways to deal with overwhelm immediately. It allows you to evaluate your business, check what’s working and what’s not, review your goals, and ensure you’re prepared for the week ahead. This mini workshop is created for Christian women entrepreneurs who want to de-stress their weekly business schedule in 30 minutes or less.

[00:02:22] If you want to start your Monday morning feeling prepared and ready to face a new week, this mini workshop is for you. You’ll learn how a simple weekly routine can help keep you on track, how to plan for important life and business matters, and quick ways to slow down, take a deep breath, and prepare your heart and mind for the week ahead.

[00:02:45] This simple routine can become a healthy habit that helps you and your business grow, adapting with you no matter what stage of business or life you’re in. The mini workshop includes a video and workbook that walk you through the routine step by step, with suggestions for customizing it to your needs.

[00:03:06] You can start building this healthy habit routine at https://SelahStudios.co/weeklyreset.

[00:03:16] Years ago, I encountered the idea of house hushing from Myquillin Smith, a renowned interior designer and author of bestselling books on decorating and cozy minimalism. In her step-by-step guide toward creating a cozy minimalist home, she introduced the concept of house hushing or quieting a room, which she describes as backwards decluttering.

[00:03:36] It’s a simple process: you choose one room or space in your house that feels overwhelming or isn’t working for your family, and for 24 hours, you remove everything except the main furniture pieces needed in that room.

[00:04:03] You remove all distractions, and in this process, you’re hushing that room. She also calls it a home reset. Here’s how she describes it (there’s a link to the full article in the show notes):

[00:04:21] “The best part is you’ve experienced no decision fatigue because you’re not making decisions. That’s where the magic begins. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and lack motivation to declutter, hushing your house will jumpstart your journey in a brand new way. Once you hush a room, you can see it with fresh eyes. It’s easy to become house-blind to all the visual stuff we see daily. With a hushed and quiet room, you get to experience a sense of peace in minutes.”

[00:04:52] She explains that once you’ve hushed the room and seen it with fresh eyes, you can determine what that room really needs. You slowly bring back décor or swap out furniture pieces, taking the opportunity to quiet the noise, get clear, reduce overwhelm, and build a space that serves you and your family.

[00:05:19] Years ago, I experienced this firsthand when I needed major renovation on my house due to a leaky roof, affecting half my living room and entire dining room. While not the most enjoyable experience, it taught me valuable lessons, including the power of quieting a room.

[00:05:39] After living for weeks in half my main living space and without access to my dining room, I was no longer a fan of renovations. I still enjoy decorating shows, but after living through it, I prefer simpler updates. However, the end result was worth it.

[00:06:00] The walls were freshly painted, my ceiling no longer leaked, and I didn’t need buckets everywhere during the rainy season. It was a pleasure to sit and enjoy the improved space.

[00:06:26] I slowly moved back my larger furniture pieces—my dining table and favorite recliner returned to their spots. Then I basically stopped. That space had been such a source of overwhelm and stress that having it quieted and pristine felt incredibly good.

[00:06:50] The calm and beauty were so appealing that it took me months to start decorating those walls again.

[00:07:04] You might wonder why I’m discussing interior decorating tips on a business podcast. The principles of house hushing or room resetting apply equally well to our businesses, especially when overwhelm keeps returning and causing problems.

[00:07:23] So, how do you hush your business? I’m glad you asked.

[00:07:30] First, understand that overwhelm itself isn’t a problem. We all experience it occasionally, and expecting a business without any overwhelm is unrealistic.

[00:07:43] Just as I’ve discussed how hustle isn’t the problem (toxic hustle is), occasional overwhelm isn’t problematic. With the tips from the last episode, you now have tools to handle overwhelm quickly when it appears.

[00:08:04] Overwhelm becomes a problem when it’s recurring and you lack long-term solutions. That’s where business hushing or quieting your business becomes invaluable.

[00:08:20] I’ll review five steps you can take, but importantly, you probably won’t need all five. These are simply areas to examine as potential root causes of recurring overwhelm. The first three steps are most critical, and sometimes step one alone is sufficient.

[00:08:54] When reducing overwhelm, you’re moving toward a gentle business—one that’s simple and sustainable.

Step One: Reducing the Noise

[00:09:11] While we can’t empty our business like we would in house hushing, we can reduce noise immediately through an unsubscribe/unfollow mission. This is one of the first challenges I give my mastermind and clarity coaching clients.

[00:09:33] For five to seven days, unsubscribe from three to five emails and Facebook groups daily. Unfollow or mute profiles that are “loud”—those posting frequently, sharing results that trigger comparison, or offering constant “magic bullet” solutions.

[00:10:18] This noise reduction makes a dramatic difference quickly. It allows you to breathe easier and spend less time scrolling through social media and email. The impact is so significant that I repeat this mission two to three times yearly, as noise tends to creep back in.

Step Two: Evaluate Your Finances

[00:11:43] With reduced noise, it’s time to examine your budget, profit and loss statements, and accounts. Review your subscriptions—both their financial impact and the management time they require.

[00:12:09] Consider which subscriptions you truly need and which services you’re underutilizing. Look for redundant services and unnecessary accounts.

[00:13:01] This evaluation offers multiple benefits: better financial stewardship, fewer items to track, and reduced inbox clutter from unnecessary services and promotions.

Step Three: Review Your Client List

[00:13:47] This step is challenging but crucial. As service providers who care deeply for clients, it’s difficult to acknowledge when client relationships need to change or end.

[00:14:27] Consider clients who:

• Require extensive support while paying legacy lower rates
• Request discontinued services you no longer wish to provide
• Cause undue stress or anxiety

[00:16:00] While clients are our business’s lifeblood, misaligned relationships can cause overwhelm, procrastination, and stress. Address these issues thoughtfully but promptly.

Steps Four and Five: Optional Considerations

[00:16:46] These final steps, while beyond this podcast’s scope, can address chronic overwhelm:

1. Evaluate your processes for client onboarding, service delivery, accounting, and marketing
2. Assess your work environment, as visual clutter creates stress

[00:18:47] Remember, you don’t need to implement all steps at once. Start with Step One’s unsubscribe mission—it might be all you need. If overwhelm persists, move to Step Two’s financial evaluation, and then Step Three’s client review if necessary.

[00:19:38] This isn’t a one-time project but rather a series of intentional steps to identify and address root causes of overwhelm. You may need to revisit these steps periodically throughout the year.

[00:20:23] In our next episode, we’ll explore personal branding and its role in building a gentle business. Let’s continue learning to create a simple and sustainable business where we can do business gently.