What it’s Like Being an Entrepreneur with Anxiety?
Entrepreneurs are often held up as pillars of mental fortitude. To many people the ability to overcome adversity is seen as the backbone of success. But most founders will tell you, confidence is not always their default setting. With deadlines, expenses and unexpected setbacks, many entrepreneurs find themselves battling anxiety rather than relishing their achievements. Read on to learn what it's really like being an entrepreneur with anxiety and how they cope.
Entrepreneurs Stay Positive
Consciously selecting the positive is not a natural habit for most people. But successful people know that practicing positive thinking leads to positive outcomes. Positive thoughts help lessen stress by focusing the brain’s attention onto something low stakes. Our minds are susceptible to wandering so we often have to make the conscious decision to focus on the positive. This often takes practice. Focus on one good thing from the day or week. Even something not pertaining to your current problem will do. The point here is that you must have something positive that you’re ready to shift your attention to when your thoughts turn negative.
Entrepreneurs and Sleeping
What’s better than sleep? Sleep is like a magic potion for our mind and body. Not only does it increase your emotional intelligence and help to manage your stress levels, but when you sleep, your brain literally recharges so you wake up alert and clear-headed. This increases your self-control, attention, and memory. Sleep deprivation actually raises stress hormone levels, even without a stressor present. Stressful projects often make you feel as if you have no time to sleep but taking the time to get a decent night’s rest is often the one thing keeping you from getting things under control.
Entrepreneurs and Disconnecting
Taking time off from technology should be easy in theory. Your brain needs rest to recharge the same way your body does. But in our current day and age of smart phones and start-up culture this is easier said than done. It may not feel natural at first but forcing yourself offline and even turning off your phone gives your mind a break from a constant source of stress. Studies have shown that something as simple as an email break can lower stress levels. Choose blocks of time where you cut the cord and go offline. You’ll be amazed at how refreshing these breaks are.
Entrepreneurs Reframe Their Perspective
Our perspective frames our reality, so when stress and worry infiltrate our world view it can seem like that is how the world actually looks. Unrealistic deadlines, unforgiving bosses, and subtle slights can be built up in our minds to look like the whole world is conspiring against us. You can’t control your circumstances, but you can control how you respond to them. Before you spend too much time dwelling on something, take a minute to put the situation in perspective. Try listing the specific things that are actually going wrong or stressing you out. Most likely you will come up with just a few actionable factors that are much more digestible.
Entrepreneurs Ask For Help
Most successful entrepreneurs didn’t get there on their own. So, while it can be tempting to try and tackle everything on your own, it is definitely not the smartest route to getting things done in a healthy and effective way. When you notice a situation becoming overwhelming, call upon your support system. A mentor, friend, or trusted co-worker may not be able to take on your workload, but they can lend an ear and help you to talk through challenges and stressors. An outside perspective can also help to reframe issues. Asking for help will mitigate your stress and strengthen your relationships with those you rely upon. Want to learn more about Founders First? Visit Founders First System to join our FREE community of founders.
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