What do you do if your stress levels are affecting your entrepreneurial journey?

Analyzing these records helps recognize patterns and specific situations contributing to stress levels. Armed with this awareness, individuals can then implement tailored strategies like delegating tasks or adjusting goals to mitigate stress. Ultimately, understanding triggers empowers individuals to proactively manage and minimize stress in their lives.

Our thoughts create our emotions and our emotions lead to the actions and inactions that lead the outcomes in our lives. You can start anywhere - to answer 'why am I feeling this way?' get curious about the narrative you're telling yourself about the situation. To answer 'why do I keep doing this thing?' ask how am I feeling right before I'm doing it. It's always a very logical progression - There is a situation that interpret or make meaning of - 'that didn't go well and I'm never going to make this work' - and that creates an emotional response that leads to actions and inactions. You can start anywhere and fill in the rest to understand what's going on and what you need to adjust to get a different outcome.

Define distinct work hours and adhere to them, while also incorporating regular breaks into your schedule to recharge. Practice the art of declining non-essential tasks and prioritize commitments to align with your goals. By setting these boundaries, you create space for a healthier work-life balance, fostering greater productivity and reduced stress levels in the long run.

As entrepreneurs, it can be hard to turn off. Even when you're not actually 'at work', you're often thinking about work. You want to be present with your family at dinner but in the back of your mind you're also thinking about that sale that might go sideways. You're thinking about your company in the shower, when you're driving, at 3a when you really need to get some rest. This more than anything is where the burnout comes from. Even if you're working long hours, if you can truly turn off when you close your laptop or lock up for the night, you'll be able to avoid burnout much more easily. Hiring a mindset coach to help you slow down your spinning mind is one of the best investments you can make for your business long-term

It's hard to set boundaries and take time out when it's your business. However, as any air steward will tell you, put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others. Looking after yourself is not selfish. Your family, customers and bank balance will thank you. Because a less stressed you can think more clearly, take better decisions, have better ideas, more patience and is generally less irritable and more pleasant to be around. Here are some tips - Leave work stuff at work, whether that's a separate building or your home office. Learn (and use) methods to destress yourself such as 7-11 breathing, mindfulness and EFT tapping. Make 'you time' at the beginning of your day before you can get distracted. Schedule fun into your week.

Engage in activities like exercise, meditation, or hobbies to rejuvenate both your mind and body. My passion is tennis and it is a great sport that anyone can take up. Prioritize adequate sleep to optimize cognitive function and regulate mood effectively. Maintaining a balanced diet further supports your physical health, enabling you to better cope with the demands of entrepreneurship. Ultimately, prioritizing self-care isn't selfish; it's a necessary investment in your well-being to thrive both personally and professionally.

Self-care doesn't have to be massages and bubble baths. The way to complete the stress cycle in your body is to find a variety of activities that help your mind rest and recharge. For instance, if you go for a run but think about work the whole time, your body got relief but your mind didn't. Instead, find activities that can get you into a flow state - cooking, playing an instrument, taking a dance class, painting, go to a comedy show or funny movie, volunteer for a cause you care about. Whatever it is, it takes you out of the mental grind and gives your brain a break from the stress of entrepreneurial life. Build a list of things that work for you to have at the ready when you need them.

Mentors offer invaluable advice, perspective, and encouragement during challenging times. I know first hand about the ups and downs of running a private counseling practice. By surrounding myself with experienced individuals who understand the entrepreneurial landscape, I've been able to navigate obstacles more effectively and maintain a healthier work-life balance. Building a supportive mentorship network has been instrumental in helping me overcome stress and continue thriving.

Reach out to mentors, peers, or a professional coach for guidance and perspective tailored to your situation. Engaging with entrepreneur groups or forums offers a supportive community where you can share experiences and learn from others, fostering resilience and effective stress management.

Entrepreneurial life can be very lonely. It has it's own set of stressors that can be hard for our family and friends who have more traditional careers to relate to. It's so important to have a group of peers who can commiserate and offer advice. The ones who really get how hard it is. It's also important that this group include folks that are ahead of you to show you that it is possible and behind you to show you how far you've come. What you want to avoid is a group of folks who are all in the same place with the same problems as this can run negative and be counterproductive.

Being an entrepreneur can be overwhelming and stressful because you are personally and professionally invested in the work. It is stressful when you feel like you always have to be "on" to be successful. Setting boundaries for when you have your "work hat" on and when you don't can help manage the stress. We all wear different hats but not at the same time. Reframe your mindset to understand that always being "on" will lead to burnout and you need time to reset and recharge. Take the "work hat" off sometimes.

Positive affirmations, if they are ones you don't actually believe, can actually be detrimental. What you want to do is work on believing something that's close to what you believe now, but gets you moving toward the more positive thought. For instance, if I think "I suck at finishing things", I have nowhere to go. The slightest tweak, "I haven't figured out how to consistently finish things yet" can make a big difference. For the belief that has you stuck, try adding in some qualifying words like "It is possible that [opposite of negative belief]" or "My brain is not a reliable narrator when it tells me that [negative belief]" or "I am open to seeking evidence that [opposite of negative belief]". Practice to create new neural pathways.

I agree with Gretchen about positive affirmations. Positive words don't always equal feeling positive. If you don't believe an affirmation saying it can make you feel even worse because you know you're lying. When you squash down your real feeling and pretend to be positive it doesn't work. Instead write down the negative thoughts you have. Once they are out of your head you can begin to challenge them. Is it a fact or a belief? Do you have any evidence it's true? What evidence do you have that it's not true? Tapping is a great way to work through your negative thoughts and feelings to release them. Once you don't feel them to be true any more you can begin tapping on your new positive beliefs to enhance their effect.

Evaluate tasks based on their importance and urgency, using methods like the Eisenhower Matrix to streamline decision-making. By concentrating on essential tasks first, you'll alleviate the burden of non-urgent matters and experience a noticeable reduction in stress levels. This strategic approach allows for more efficient use of time and resources, ultimately enhancing productivity and well-being.

Here’s a great rule of thumb: Take your rest as seriously as your work. Nobody ever teaches you this. We’re taught to push and suppress. Develop a rest routine that works for you and stick to it like the gospel!

Just because you are an entrepreneur and you're stressed doesn't necessarily mean your stress is coming from your work. What else is going on in your life? It may be something closer to home that you need to deal with. If you can't identify what's stressing you out look up the Human Givens, a list of innate needs we all share as humans. If you find there are some needs you are not fulfilling what steps could you take to meet them? That being said you will always have problems, as someone else once said "the only people without problems are dead people". So don't beat yourself up about not being perfect. And remember just by making small steps towards fulfilling your needs you will start to feel better.

If you are an entrepreneur, then you know that there is a powerful force driving you on. Whether that force is the dream you’re running towards or a nightmare you’re running from, the drive is articulately intertwined with your narrative. This “why” is so very important and in moments of acute pressure we have the tendency to overestimate our position and underestimate the solution. A pastor friend once said, “It’s hard to see the truth of something when you’re living in the tension of it.”. How true this is. John C Maxwell reminds us that, “Most people are more comfortable with old problems then they are with new solutions.”. So, step back. Breathe!!! Then spend a moment with the “why” and embrace the new.

Here’s a great rule of thumb: Take your rest as seriously as your work. Nobody ever teaches you this. We’re taught to push and suppress. Develop a rest routine that works for you and stick to it like the gospel!