Anxiety Ambush
My anxiety would rock my whole world..I would not be able to function in work or at home. I became increasingly anti social. I had trouble breathing daily and my body was in constant pain.
I suffered a mix of anxiety with panic attacks and depression. It was a painful period in my life and something I have struggled with to this day.
Am I cured? Far from it
But over the last 2 years, I have tried and learnt about various techniques which have helped me to
1. Recognise my symptoms
2. Tackle it before it gets out of hand
Was it easy? Hell no
But I also knew that if I wanted to run a successful business, be of good use to my family and friends and make an impact in this world I had to get this under control and not have it take control of me
Most entrepreneurs I know have suffered or are suffering with some degree of anxiety as they grow their business. It is scary to say that it is common but it is true and truthfully sometimes that takes up a big part of our coaching sessions.
Trust me I know what anxiety is about and the havoc it can wreak on your mind, body and business. I have been there and am still there to an extent.
I am no expert on anxiety but I have learnt a few ways to take control of it so it does not control my day and I still get things done.
It seems to be part of our business journey and life and is definitely not something we should sweep under the rug. So this is our opportunity to talk about it and get to the root of it.
Let me outline for you some of the daily routines I have adopted which has allowed me to keep my anxiety at bay and remain highly functional as I grow my business-
1. Identify my triggers and change the way I spoke to myself about myself and my business
Overwork
Fear
Procrastination
Negative self talk
2. Visualize exactly what I want to happen in my life daily and thus create that idea in my head constantly
The perfect day
Everything in alignment
Getting ish done
3. Intense work on my mindset and have more gratitude for what I did have
Daily mindset work
Affirmations
Journaling
Speaking out loud
Gratitude
4. Eliminated the stressors
Decluttering space and social
Saying NO to people and things
Prioritizing/Delegating/Asking for help
Productivity vs. Activity
5. Scheduled self care
Sleeping on time and for at least 6 hours (still a big struggle)
Exercise and Change in my Diet
Meditation and Me time doing what I love like going to the beach and being with nature
The one thing I tell my clients when we talk about these changes is that it is a daily commitment. I do not only do these things when I feel stressed or am triggered. In fact they are part of my daly routine and because of it my anxiety attacks have decreased by more than 50%.
Do I still get them? Hello yes. But no as frequently; not as intensely; and they do not paralyze me to the point of not getting any work done daily….and for that I am truly grateful!
Do you suffer with anxiety as you are growing your business? Let’s have a discussion in my comments. Share your stories and let’s provide each other with some much needed support.