It’s been a very weird time recently.

I’ve moaned before about tooth and gum pain – boring but manageable stuff.

And in the scheme of things that other people deal with, what I’ve had to deal with is seemingly a very small issue…

But recently, it reached a whole new level.

I couldn’t get through the day without constant painkillers.

Then things escalated – suddenly, I couldn’t think clearly.

The pain became this sharp, hot, exhausting thing that dominated everything.

I realise that sounds dramatic and I have a high pain threshold but this was all encompassing and didn’t stop.

I was collapsing into bed mid-afternoon. Waking every few hours through the night.

And yes, I was Googling terrifying things like “chronic facial pain syndrome” at 3am (do not recommend).

I visited 3 different experts (dentist and 2 periodontists) and even my GP.

The Periodontists were stumped. Eventually someone gently said they were going to refer me to a facial pain specialist to consider: Trigeminal Neuralgia. Cue panic (I knew what that meant after my late night googling).

Finally, in utter desperation, I saw yet another dentist.

She took one look, spotted a major gum infection and – wait for it – pulled out what looked like a giant splinter embedded in my gum.

No idea how it got there, but she said the bacteria had likely been building up around it for ages, making it bigger and bigger.

Instantly I felt… human again. And over the coming days, antibiotics kicked in. The fog started to lift.

And I’m slowly feeling like myself.

I still can’t quite believe that such a tiny thing causes such discomfort.

But here’s the thing…

I still had to run my business.

Look, I’m extremely lucky.

I’ve got passive income streams set up – online courses and memberships that can tick along in the background even when I’m out of action.

And thank goodness for that.

But I still had a business to run.

I couldn’t just disappear. There were launches in motion.

Training that needed recording. Plans I’d committed to.

So I had to figure out how to keep showing up – how to work, even in short bursts – while my brain was fogged by pain and my body just wanted to lie down.

And what surprised me was this: some of what I learnt during that time, I’m going to keep doing now I’m better.

So if you’ve ever found yourself in a situation where you’re not at 100% – maybe you’re dealing with pain, exhaustion, burnout, grief, or just life (and I’m so sorry if you are facing these things) these are my top tips for getting stuff done when you’re far from your best.

1. Work in micro-sprints.

Forget the Pomodoro technique for now.

When you’re in pain, even 25 minutes can be too long.

I started working in 10-minute stints. I’d set a timer, write a chunk of copy, respond to three emails, or outline a lesson – and then rest.

Turns out, tiny bursts of focused effort often got me more done than two hours of distracted faffing ever did.

2. Know your ‘clear-ish’ hours

Even on the worst days, there were little windows of time – maybe an hour in the late morning – when I felt slightly more with it.

I learned to guard that window. I didn’t use it for admin or social scrolling; I used it for high-focus tasks only.

Pay attention to when you feel best. Work with that rhythm, not against it.

3. Outsource the brain fog

This is where AI became my best helper. I used ChatGPT to write outlines, clean up messy drafts, and even brainstorm social content.

I also relied more on my team (thank you if you’re reading this – you’re the best).

If you’re solo, even hiring someone for just a few hours a week to take care of something – editing, inbox wrangling, tech set-up – can be a game changer.

4. Lower the bar (strategically)

This was the tough one for me.

I like to go all-in. But sometimes “done” really is better than “perfect” (and I know I tell you that all the time).

I didn’t polish every sentence. I let a few typos slide. I was able to repurpose some great existing content. And – surprise! – no one complained.

5. Build an income stream that works when you can’t

This was my reminder of why I teach online course creation in the first place.

When you’re ill, in pain, or dealing with life curveballs, the beauty of an online course is it keeps selling. You don’t need to be on calls. You don’t need to be ‘on’ at all.

That time I was curled up in bed, I still made sales. If you want that kind of resilience built into your business, come and join the waitlist for Course Creation Academy. No obligation – just a heads-up when a space opens.

6. Be honest with friends and family

I had to cancel everything that wasn’t essential. Social plans, casual catch-ups, even things I wanted to do – all had to go.

I let people know I wasn’t being rude or flaky, just that I was dealing with something I hadn’t expected and needed to prioritise recovery.

My daughter was right in the middle of her GCSEs too, so of course she came first. But beyond supporting her, everything else had to pause.

This is not the kind of work-life balance I usually try to practise – and I don’t recommend it long term – but sometimes life throws something at you and your focus has to shift. And that’s okay. The rest can wait.

7. Be persistent (even when it’s hard)

I’m still frustrated that it took so long to get an answer.

It’s frankly baffling that multiple visits to dentists and periodontists didn’t uncover the issue sooner. That’s something I may pursue when I have the bandwidth, because what I went through was painful, difficult, and completely avoidable.

That said, I’m acutely aware of how lucky I am to have been able to keep going—to afford private appointments, to try different avenues, to keep asking questions.

I’m not someone who easily accepts that there is no solution as an answer… but I’ll also admit, when the pain is bad, it’s really hard to keep that energy up.

Self-advocacy takes strength – and sometimes you just don’t have any left.
If you’re in a similar place, I’d encourage you to talk to someone you trust.

A friend, a partner, a family member—someone who can help you push for answers when you’re too exhausted to do it alone.

I’ll even say this: ChatGPT proved unexpectedly helpful. It didn’t outright diagnose anything (and absolutely shouldn’t replace a medical professional), but it gave me clarity as I brainstormed symptoms and helped me ask better questions.

That in itself was a form of support.

Sometimes persistence means insisting you deserve an answer – and sometimes it just means finding someone who can help you hold that line when you’re struggling to do it yourself.

Final thought:

If you’re in a rough patch – health-wise, emotionally, whatever – it’s okay to scale back.

But don’t count yourself out completely. Sometimes the smallest actions, taken consistently, are the ones that move the needle most.

Take care of yourself—and remember, even if it’s 10 minutes at a time, you’re moving forward.