Managing and Recognizing Anxiety as a Small Business Owner
Someone once told me that depression is worrying about the past, and anxiety is worrying about the future. As business owners, looking forward is ingrained in how we operate, and anxiety can creep in and wreak havoc. I haven’t fully sorted out my own anxiety, but I have spent a lot of time trying to find ways to manage it, and acknowledging its presence can be a good first step. Whether you are a solopreneur or manage a small team, anxiety can become a serious issue if left unchecked. Everyone is different, so I can only share my own experiences, but I hope they help you find ways to manage your anxiety and provide some comfort in knowing you aren’t alone. Anxiety doesn’t need to cripple you or stop you from being a high achiever.
My anxiety kicked into high gear around the time Alchemy (previously Pin Game Strong) was starting up in 2016. I had a baby on the way, which meant I had a brand new responsibility and another human to protect and support. Once COVID-19 hit in early 2020, my anxiety went off the deep end. Within our immediate family and friends, we had people we needed to be extremely safe for, and my worrying intensified. We were hit with the COVID-19 halt eight weeks before it reached the USA, and by the time everything shut down here, we were in a bad spot. I had to lay off our entire staff until the PPP loan came in and had already taken out a line of credit to keep us afloat. I was so nervous at the time that I calculated everything down to the penny to try and bring people back. Since then, my anxiety has been a constant in my life. I still struggle daily with it and try my best to acknowledge it and process things so I can let go and move on. My anxiety often turns into panic attacks, where I feel my whole body vibrating, get lightheaded, and my heart rate spikes. It’s not fun. I tend to be a logical and balanced person, so I can recognize that everything is alright and that there’s no need for panic, but it still comes.
Some signs that you may be experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, which can help you identify them, include:
- Feeling tense, nervous, or unable to relax
- Having a sense of dread, or fearing the worst
- Feeling like the world is speeding up or slowing down
- Feeling like other people can see you’re anxious and are looking at you
- Feeling like you can’t stop worrying, or that bad things will happen if you stop worrying
- Worrying about anxiety itself, for example, worrying about when panic attacks might happen
- Wanting lots of reassurance from other people or worrying that people are angry or upset with you
- Low mood and depression
- Rumination – thinking a lot about bad experiences, or thinking over a situation again and again
- Worrying a lot about things that might happen in the future
For me, it’s often tied to overthinking. I’ve always been this way, even in childhood. If I let it, I can quickly go straight to worst-case scenarios. Here are some ways I have found to help manage my anxiety and control it better. I am not a physician, and this is not medical advice. It’s always important to seek guidance from medical professionals before taking any supplements or medications.
Exercise – I have found that even a simple 30-minute walk in the morning can help clear my head and prepare me for the day ahead. It’s a quiet time to process anything or think in an uninterrupted environment. Studies have shown countless times that physical activity can help with anxiety.
Meditation – Everyone suggests it, and for many people, it can seem really hard to start doing. There are plenty of guided meditation apps and media available, from dedicated apps to YouTube and Spotify. I have been meditating regularly for over 20 years, so I have developed my own process to let go quickly. These days, I like to sit in a sauna while meditating to combine a physical outlet in sweating and allowing myself to clear my mind. I also use meditation for brainstorming ideas or problem-solving. It doesn’t always have to be a battle for a single-pointed mind. I will put on some jazz in my headphones, close my eyes, and sit while I work through something specific or play through scenarios in my mind, finding it incredibly helpful. It can be used with intention as well. If you take dedicated quiet time for yourself, it’s amazing how much can be accomplished.
Talking it out – I learned a long time ago that if I don’t get it off my chest, it will fester into something more. This can be talking to a partner, a therapist, or a friend. For me, it allows me to let go of things permanently. Sometimes it’s talking through an obstacle, and sometimes it’s just venting, but processing your emotions and thoughts openly can be a helpful tool to allow yourself to move on and let go. My wife and I have the type of relationship where we talk about everything openly. A good approach to learn or share with your partner is to ask, "Do you want me to help solve your problem or just listen?" It can be good to establish what’s needed in the conversation.
Set boundaries for work – Before I got married, there wasn’t anything to stop me from overworking. When you work for yourself and have a direct correlation between the time you put in and the money you make, it’s tough to establish boundaries. For Alchemy, we work with factories overseas who are on opposite work hours, so it’s very easy to get trapped into working at night as well. My day generally ends at 4 p.m. now, and I don’t work on weekends or nights unless there is an extenuating circumstance that needs immediate attention. It took me over 10 years of working for myself to finally establish boundaries, and it’s helped give me time to dedicate to things that are better for my overall mental health.
Therapy – Talk therapy and having someone not directly tied to your day-to-day life can help a lot. I’ve done stints of therapy and am also involved in a business group that gives me an outlet to talk about both personal and professional issues, which has proved invaluable. There are other methods of therapy you can look into with a professional, such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or Somatic Experiencing therapy, which can be very effective at targeting trauma and anxieties.
Alternative therapies – If you prefer alternative methods of treatment, you can research Ketamine or Psilocybin therapy and microdosing. Depending on the regulations where you live, there may be professionals who can guide you through these experiences. Microdosing has shown to provide lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Over-the-counter supplements such as Lion’s Mane and Ashwagandha have also been reported to help reduce stress levels and anxiety.
Pharmaceuticals – Talking to your doctor about possible medications is a common path that can help people. I tend to view taking pills that can change how my brain works as a last resort, but anxiety medications have been on the market for a very long time and have proven to help people. My “madness” is a huge driver of my high level of productivity, or so I believe, so I have been very wary of taking prescription medications personally due to fears of losing my spark. My high anxiety also gives me anxiety about taking medication. Go figure.
Lower your caffeine intake – I run on coffee. I get it, but caffeine increases your heart rate and can cause anxiety as well. If you are pounding energy drinks, it may be time to transition to lighter options like tea or reduce the amount of coffee you drink daily. The headaches can be a real pain during this transition, but you probably don’t need that third pot of coffee during the day.
As business owners, we can have a tendency to keep pushing work and not allow ourselves any time for self-care, which can begin to have negative, rippling effects on our lives. It’s important not to lose yourself in your work and to stay connected to the things that bring you joy. Honestly, I do get personal fulfillment from the work I do, but it doesn’t fully fill my cup. I need to dedicate time for myself that isn’t related to work or family. Taking 30 minutes completely dedicated to doing something for yourself is doable and can have a huge impact on your mood, your day, and your mindset. It’s so easy to get swept up or overwhelmed with work when we are in charge of our output and returns directly. At a certain point of exhaustion, you stop being as productive, and everything takes twice as long to do, with a higher rate of mistakes. That’s not helping anyone and certainly isn’t what’s best for your productivity.
Learn to recognize when it’s time to step away for the day and when to give yourself a break. When my business started and it was just me, the more I worked, the more money I could make, and it was really hard to close the laptop for the day. In order to succeed, we have to work harder than everyone else or at least smarter than most. Although I do believe in that, burning out, hitting walls, and driving ourselves crazy with stacking anxiety is a recipe for failure. Recognize the signs and allow yourself the time to take care of yourself along the way. Most of my best ideas and thinking have come from those moments of allowing myself the time to breathe and shut out the world around me.