With our own virtual assistant business, we are no strangers to the stress that comes with entrepreneurship. When your business is your baby, its hard to let go at the end of the working day.
Entrepreneurs can find it hard to switch off - we should know!
Along with the tiredness that comes from difficulties in switching off, and the guilt that can come with not working, being your own boss can just be daunting in ways you hadn’t considered.
There can be times where you might doubt your decision to go into business yourself. Because the buck lies with you, there’s a lot that can impact your mental health when taking the helm of your own business.
Market uncertainty, fluctuations in income and the pressure of decision-making along with high stakes personal investment adds up to a LOT of stress at times. In fact according to Forbes, 72% of entrepreneurs are directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues.
With all of these factors in mind, these ideas for managing your stress levels can help you overcome anxiety and worry.
Lean into your negative emotions
Despite being highly positive about our virtual assistant solutions, as the name suggests, we don’t subscribe to toxic positivity. Stress and upset are natural human responses to challenging situations. The best way to deal with negative thoughts is to give them the space and permission to exist without the need for justification. Then find ways to deal with them. This is how we build resilience - resilience doesn’t mean not feeling negative emotions, it means being able to cope with them and carry on despite them.
Recognise anxiety
There’s a gross misconception that anxiety is “worrying about things”. Most anxiety symptoms are physical. From headaches to facial flushing, sweating, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea and indigestion, dizziness, trouble concentrating, insomnia - the list of physical anxiety symptoms is extensive. Would you recognise these symptoms as stress and anxiety? Do you recognise these symptoms in yourself from time to time? Most people do. Listen to your body - it might be trying to tell you something.
Take time off
You may think that entrepreneurship means always being on the go, but everyone needs a break. Burnout doesn’t do much for business. The benefits of taking a holiday or time out are multiple, and taking time out can increase productivity long term. You have space and time to think and come up with ideas, and renewed motivation when returning to work refreshed.
Stay true to your values
Find out what your values are, discover what it is you want to do and how you want to achieve it and make sure your business aligns with them. When you start losing sight of your vision and who you are, distress follows.
Accept your limitations
You cannot do everything. Nobody can. Early in your journey, you’re probably doing most of the work yourself. Know and set your limits, prioritise what’s most important and learn to delegate what you can. That’s where we come in!
Would a virtual assistant help take something off your plate?
Delegate a task to us to test out how we can help you overcome stress.