Episode 180: What it Looks Like to Run a Business with an Anxiety Disorder

As an entrepreneur, I know how tough it is to wrestle with anxiety, stress, and burnout—especially as I manage my own anxiety disorder while running my business. This topic is very near and dear to my heart, so I wanted to share my own experience in hopes that it helps someone out there. This episode is not going to feed into toxic positivity by highlighting this as my superpower—because it’s not. It has given me a deeper understanding of myself and provided me with more awareness of how I operate, so in some cases, it’s helped face how I can grow in ways that aren’t comfortable or easy. You’re not alone. You do not need to feel alone or alienated because of your anxiety or any mental health conditions that you may have. Shifting Your Mindset Around Your Anxiety When I was first diagnosed with my anxiety disorder, I was living a very stressful, overwhelming day-to-day life with too much on my plate in my business. I had to acknowledge that I had an anxiety disorder and take a look at how I approach anxiety as a whole. This meant a big mindset shift in how I treated myself while dealing with my own anxiety. Instead of allowing anxiety to become an excuse that I blamed all of my mistakes, failures, and shortcomings on, I chose to remind myself that anxiety is a part of the human experience and it is not something to hold you back. My anxiety disorder is just a complex layer to who I am. Creating a Schedule to Work with Your Anxiety Disorder After taking the steps to learn how I work best with my anxiety disorder, I began to honor those needs by creating a schedule that works best for who I am. I’ve built a huge amount of grace into my day to day schedule. Through self-awareness and therapy, I’ve learned what triggers my anxiety, so I’m avoiding those triggers or coming to terms with them. Consider what those triggers could be for you. For example, if I look at my schedule and have a busy schedule of back to back meetings, I’ll be a bundle of anxiety at the end of the day. Therefore, I’m intentional with my calendar and protective over my time. While I prioritize having a flexible schedule, I’m still very organized in how I’m spending and scheduling my time to best serve me, because I find comfort in rigidity and boundaries. Managing Anxiety on a Day-to-Day Basis While we’ve covered the basics of mindset shifts and creating a schedule that works best for you, it’s important to discuss the day-to-day of managing an anxiety disorder, especially when you’re a business owner that works for yourself. A few simple priorities that help manage my anxiety day-to-day: * Exercise* Sleep* Therapy* Stay Hydrated* CBD Oil* Sunshine + Vitamin D While I do still struggle with anxiety in my life and business, I’ve found that I have grown from it. It’s kept me hyper focused and alert in what I’m doing and how I’m performing, so I don’t think it’s been a hinderance in my two businesses, but I had to do the work to get here. If you’re willing to be kind to yourself consistently and do the work, your anxiety can be a beautiful part of your story. RESOURCES MENTIONED The Anti-Anxiety Notebook