While most of us are managing to cope with an ever-evolving normal, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t taking a huge and sometimes undetected toll on our bodies and minds. There is a great deal of uncertainty for every single individual in the nation, and as an entrepreneur, it could be said there is even more ambiguity along with a huge sense of responsibility when you have employees.
Because of this many Americans and especially entrepreneurs have reported an increase in symptoms of stress and anxiety, and while we are likely getting pretty skilled at adapting or suffering through it doesn’t mean that there won’t be any long-term effects. There is a great deal of research that identifies some serious physical and mental health issues that can be attributed to unregulated stress and anxiety:
Clinical depression
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Diabetes
Impaired immune system
Gastrointestinal disorders
Migraines
Regular self-checks are an effective and important way to monitor your anxiety levels and to re-evaluate your own self-care. A majority of the adults (and even teens) that I have talked to are having a number of these symptoms, most especially the lack of focus, the inability to sleep through the night, and the feelings of excessive tiredness and weakness. How many have you been experiencing? Mark each of the symptoms that you are feeling on a regular/semi-regular basis.
Mayo Clinic symptoms of anxiety:
Feeling nervous, restless or tense
Racing thoughts
Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.
Stomach pain and ulcers
Digestive problems
Having an increased heart rate.
Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
Sweating, even feet
Trembling
Feeling weak or tired
Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
Intense feelings of anxiety – panic attacks
Dry mouth
Nausea
Dizziness
Even if you are only feeling one or two of the symptoms on a regular basis, it is time to do something about it! Here are some potential solutions that can help you to regulate and hopefully, eliminate some or all of the symptoms of anxiety you are feeling:
Get physical. Spend at least 15 plus minutes every single day getting some physical exercise whether it is walking, biking, running, doing old school stretches, or getting on Youtube and working through any number of workouts – yoga, bootcamp, Tabata, pilates, HIIT workouts, just do something. Exercise is a proven mood booster, and it helps you to feel in control of your health and well-being!
Control the controllables. Much of our anxiety can be attributed to fear and our feelings about the lack of control over what is happening in our world today. To control the anxiousness around that, it can be very beneficial to control some of the things you can control! Map out your day, plan healthy meals, make time for a workout, and plan your breaks. List a few priorities for the day along with a few items you’d like to get to if you can. Plan how you can fit in the things and people that make everyday better.
Get spiritual. Spend time connecting to nature, to your faith, to people who help you to garner a sense of peace and relaxation. Try meditative practices and prayer to help stimulate a peace of mind and to let go of some of the feelings of anxiety.
Stay connected. You are not alone. Keep in touch with people who can provide emotional support and practical help. To reduce stress, ask for help from friends, family, and community or religious organizations.
Minimize social media, news, noise – we are exposed to so much stimulation, data, opinions, news that it can be overwhelming and anxiety causing. Be disciplined and set a time limit on how much time you will spend reading/watching news stories and reading people's opinions.
Be creative – part of the reason you are an entrepreneur is because you like to create! Take up a creative project like building a raft, coloring, writing poetry, learning a new song on the guitar. The arts significantly lower heart rate, anxiety, stress, and induce feelings of well-being.
Talk to a therapist, counselor, hotline, best friend – a problem or fear shared is one that is halved!
National Institute of Mental Health provides a number of resources, including:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255); En Español 1-888-628-9454
Crisis Text Line - Text “HELLO” to 741741Veterans Crisis Line - Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1 or text to 838255
See a medical doctor if:
you can’t eliminate some of the anxiety and the symptoms on your own
you are having a difficult time controlling the anxiety and it is causing physical and mental fatigue or issues
you are finding that you are drinking alcohol or taking drugs on a regular basis to curb anxiety
you are experiencing feelings of worthlessness or suicidal ideations
you feel like the anxiety is interfering with your work, relationships or other parts of your life
you are unable to complete daily tasks that were once simply
your personality or typical mood have been altered
you find yourself unable to engage with people or enjoy the activities you once enjoyed
The business side of things
Here is what can you do to help control the anxiety on the business side of things:
Lay out your worst case scenarios and make a plan for minimizing those results. Have back-up plan, and then make a back-up plan for your back-up plan.
Don’t bury your head in the sand – be proactive about issues that are likely to arise (potential shut down, etc…)
Be transparent and talk often with your team. It’s natural to not want to be a bearer of bad news, but hiding negative news only erodes trust and increases animosity.
Focus on what you can achieve and accomplish right now. Get a plan started for how to make it happen.
Stay in touch with your team as often as possible! If everyone is working remotely, use Zoom or Google Hangouts. They don’t have to be lengthy. Any kind of connection these days is good for one’s business and well-being.
Celebrate you and your team’s accomplishments. Everyone can use some good news and a celebration, no matter how small.
Because so many of us are facing very unique circumstances in personal and work lives, everything seems to have become more challenging, but the best thing we can do for our business and our personal well-being is to be proactive. We need to do repeated self-checks, and then find ways to give ourselves the self-care we need. At one time, self-care may have seemed self-indulgent, but now it is a necessity for our health, our well-being, and our business!