Entrepreneurial Anxiety

 How to Eliminate Stress, Beat Entrepreneurial Anxiety, and Achieve Your Goals

The Author of “Unstoppable,” Craig Ballantyne, lists 12 practices that can help you overcome worry, refocus, and perform well.

Anxiety affects more than 40 million people in the United States. You are at best performing at 60% of your potential and are confused, overloaded, reactive, and bewildered. However, if you have the proper equipment, you’ll be OK and return to full strength as soon as is humanly feasible.

In his book, “Unstoppable”,  Ballantyne describes 12 mechanisms to overcome stress and achieve consistently high performance in his book “Unstoppable.” These 12 are listed below.

1. Identify Areas of Misalignment.

Avoid “comparison syndrome,” the tendency to think you must do what other people do, especially if it conflicts with your principles.

Ballantyne discovered this the hard way after suffering a $250 000 loss. His company at the time specialized in health and fitness. Since many of his rivals provided customers free cookbooks in exchange for a minimal shipping and handling charge, he teamed up with a chef and employed five people to write a book. He didn’t even like cooking when he realized the endeavor wasn’t in line with his values, objectives, and ambitions for a full year. “In order to cut my losses, I fired five individuals in a single day. The worst day of my professional life, “brings up Ballantyne.

Misalignment can also result from positive reinforcement. According to him, “Your peers may join in on your binge drinking or compliment the long hours you put in at work.” But those actions take you away from more important goals, like dating or starting a family.

2. Examine your triggers.

Compile  a list of everyone in your life and placing a checkmark next to each name if they help you feel less anxious or a “X” if they make you feel more anxious. Then, make a list of your top five objectives and values, along with the ten people you spend the most time with. Do the listings match up?

Ballantyne claims that one of his business colleague has approximately 100 banned numbers on his phone. Though it may sound harsh, the end result is that he doesn’t waste valuable time interacting with “energy vampires,” unfavorable people, and gossips.

He continues, “Block, silence, de-friend, un-follow, or any harmful influence on social media.”

3. Plan Your Day and Work Your Plan.

Entrepreneurs, according to Ballantyne, seek autonomy, but having total control over your schedule can result in poor time management choices that increase stress.

Ballantyne advises that you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, seven days a week. He also suggests that you never use the snooze feature on your alarm clock. When you decide to sleep, you’re telling your ambitions and dreams they can wait

“Read or listen to anything encouraging after that. Then, complete your most critical assignment before beginning to check email or social media. If you pay attention to other people’s pressing needs or “you will never accomplish your own objectives.

Plan each day in advance.  As you wind down after each day, wind down with a 10-minute brain dump and rank everything in order of importance. Always keep in mind that if you wait until the morning to create a to-do list , it is already too late!”

4.  Engage in Daily Reflection.

One of the best methods for determining the “cause and effect” relationships between your actions and issues is self-reflection.

So review your day an hour before going to bed. If you are feeling stress ask yourself, “Why do I feel so stressed? Perhaps you drank too much coffee. Maybe the wine you drank the previous night to “relax” kept you from falling asleep and delayed your waking.

Perhaps wasting an hour of your day by checking your email or social media accounts first thing in the morning put you in a reactive state.”

5. Take Deep Breaths.

When under stress, most people lean over and take quick, shallow breaths that mimic moderate hyperventilation. Instead, sit up straight, take four deep breaths into your abdomen, hold them for seven seconds, and then exhale slowly for eight. Within one to three minutes, this approach will help you to relax both your body and mind.

6. Practice gratitude.

It’s simple to get into the trap of believing that your life is a failure because your friend’s firm made $10 million last year while yours “only” made one million.

You should begin by expressing gratitude for small victories throughout your day, such as completing a task like writing 500 words of content or having a challenging conversation. Recognizing all the good things and people in your life will get simpler soon.”

7. Take time to thank others. 

Every day, Ballantyne sends greeting cards to her friends, family, and coworkers. He calculates the cost of supplies, writing time, and postage to be over $1,000 annually.

“I really thank each card as I place it in the mailbox. Send one card once a week to begin. This little habit could be the therapy you’ve been needing.”

8. Delegate.

Diligent business people, particularly those with modest backgrounds, believe they must handle every aspect of their businesses personally.

Laundry, office work, and meal preparation are all $10-an-hour jobs that you cannot get wealthy from on your own. Hire and train someone to assist you as a short-term investment.

Your parents, who did everything themselves, lived in a different time period than you do. Feel free to put the guilt behind you and concentrate on what really matters.”

9.  Say No.

If your family is your main priority, for instance, create a rule that you won’t work or travel for business on Sundays, or pledge to have a “device-free family day” so that you can spend quality time with your loved ones without distractions.”

10.  Watch Your Diet.

What you put in your body has physiological repercussions that immediately alter how you feel and perform. For instance, caffeine is a stimulant that raises adrenaline levels, which causes anxiety.

Alcohol might make you feel dehydrated and makes anxiousness worse.

11.  Get Outside.

Famous people throughout history, like Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens, solved difficulties and produced masterpieces while walking.

Take it easy, put your phone away, and go for a stroll in the sunshine.

As you do this, your daily routine will change.”

12.  Talk to Someone.

Avoid isolation at all costs.

Talking to someone helps you feel more at ease and calms you; suffering in quiet makes anxiety worse. Everyone, in my opinion, ought to visit a therapist. Something seemingly inconsequential could have a hundred times greater impact than you realize.”

Conclusion:

Your decisions and actions either drive you closer to or further away from your goals. If you’re not sure where to begin, keep in mind: Fear is defeated by action. Motion Prevails Over Meditation. Work Displaces Worry.”

To Our Success,

Russ.