I knew someone once who called it “churning yourself into butter”–all that fussing and worrying a person can do when she is faced with a conflict or problem. I know that many of us think that when it comes to business we need to stay in there and focus–fight the good fight! Sometimes, however, the thing to do is to detach and take our energy and focus away from a conflict or problem in order to gain fresh perspective and actually reach resolution and solution.
Detaching is different from just abandoning or walking away from a conflict or problem. The first step is to identify what the problem or conflict is–say it out loud, look it over carefully, and figure out what exactly is going on. Then, you will likely be looking for a solution. If you’re stuck, or so emotionally entangled or worrying or fear-driven that you cannot see the solution, the time comes to detach from it. Take away your emotion and passion and all that subjective entanglement that you have with the conflict or problem. You might still want to put some energy into looking for a solution–you might still NEED to put some energy into looking for a solution, but by removing yourself emotionally from the situation, it can make you better able to face it from a more objective, business-like approach.
Put that business problem or conflict that is eating you up on the back burner. You may be too close and too enmeshed to see a solution that could be right in front of your eyes. Although you most likely will not be able to walk away or abandon it completely, you can re-focus. Detach, breathe, focus on something else for a while, and you might be surprised at how quickly and satisfactorily things resolve themselves.
Also: When You Get Overwhelmed, It Might Be Time to Take a Break