Quote of the Blog:

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.”  -Glenn Close

As entrepreneurs, whether full time or part time, to the outside world, it seems we have it all together. To us, there’s more than the eye can see. Research shows that more than half of entrepreneurs suffer from anxiety. As this may come as no surprise, many entrepreneurs ignore their mental health. They tend to get too busy and overwork themselves, before choosing to take care of themselves. Certainly as an entrepreneur, I am no different. When the dream is at the door, the mind is at play. 

Here is a story of my personal experience.

One day, on my way home, I had come across a huge anxiety attack. My face was soaking in tears. Mentally, I had broken down. I found myself talking out loud, saying, ‘What if I’m not following my purpose? Why does it feel like I’m not moving? Where am I going in life? God, please show me what I’m doing wrong. Please help me.’ This anxiety attack was one of the biggest I had in a long time. I was freaking out behind the wheel. Immediately, I located a rest area a few miles ahead to pull over. Before getting out, I had to get my face together as much as possible because I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself. When I stepped outside of my car, I looked around me and all I could see was how beautiful it was. I was surrounded by the beauty of nature. The boldly green grass, strong and healthy trees, and the sun was shining. Butterflies were fluttering, and the air just felt different at that moment. I took a deep breath and enjoyed the moment, as I felt myself gaining calmness. I saw a couple of benches, decided to have a seat, and take in the view around me. On my way to the bench, I stopped and turned back towards my car. In that time, my inner voice was telling me to go and grab my writing tablet. After grabbing my tablet and a pen, I was in between two benches, maybe ten feet from one another. When I made the choice to sit at the one with the better view, I noticed a bright green cricket on the bench. It was a big deal for me because I believe that animals talk to you and are a sign from the Creator. Crickets are symbolized as good luck, prosperity, and fortune. There was something that was being told to me. I sat down at the bench and started to write. It dawned on me; I had a voice. I enjoyed writing and experienced anxiety in pursuit of my passion that could not only help me, but also help other people like me. God had given me the sign that I asked for.

Building Our Mental Strength Whenever Necessary

On our pathway to building a business, or even personally developing ourselves, we sometimes can be in the midst of overthinking that can lead us into anxiety. Everything can be going as it should be, but to us, it just isn’t good enough. We are our biggest critics. While, it can be a good thing, it can also be one of our toughest battles to overcome. It is important for us to try and find peace when anxiety attacks like these come about. Some of your best gifts are discovered after the storm. Taking the time out to breathe and clear your head can be a great benefit. In a matter of ten minutes, I was able to calm myself down and enjoy what was around me. Not that it would be that easy for everyone, but it is a step towards a clear and calm mind. As we continue to grow personally and professionally, discovering small things like this along the way can become a healthy routine for bigger and stronger storms. We have to make sure to make room for our mental health, while chasing our goals. Building a healthy mind is not only beneficial to our health but can be beneficial to our personal and professional growth.

The Truth

The Universe gives us everything we need to help us manage our stress. A lot of times, we think so much on many things, instead of pacing ourselves and taking breathers when necessary. We act as though we have to carry the strong burdens that we really place on our shoulders. I am very good at doing this myself, but when I take a step back and release control, things fall into place with little effort. We have to come to a place of establishing our mental peace. The place we can go to take some of the burdens off of our shoulders. Through tough times, we need this space to release our fears and worries in order to keep going towards the dream. 

Below are the few steps I took to ease my anxiety.

Step 1: Get out in nature. 

Find a beautiful area you enjoy. If you’re not used to being outside, find a local park in the city with open space. If you can’t get away from home at the time, step in the backyard. Even if you have to take a step out onto the porch, find a way to get some fresh air. Take some time to enjoy the present moment and clear your head. This can act as a quick form of meditation.

Step 2: Journal.

Sit and write out your thoughts, whether it’s your feelings, goals, or draw where you would like to see yourself. Don’t be surprised if you start to get emotional. This means you are recognizing your feelings. You are choosing not to hide through the chaos you are normally enduring when you don’t have time to feel your emotions. 

Step 3: Speak to the Universe. 

Speak whatever it is that you want to achieve out loud. Have faith that it will come to you. A positive mindset is always better than dwelling in negativity. Make yourself available to take in the messages when they come to you. Steps 1 and 2 are extremely important to take before this step because you were able to get your negative emotions out and make room for positive thoughts, allowing your higher vibration to flow through the Universe. 

Step 4: Have a heart of gratitude.

Be thankful for the good and bad moments, as they shape who you are and reveal a new level of strength you didn’t know you had. Showing gratitude raises your vibrations and opens doors you couldn’t see before. 

These steps are a simple way to release your anxieties and fears. The biggest part of these steps is to be consistent in practicing them. Take some time out at least once a day or every other day and witness how much better you feel. Only you can decide to make the change necessary to keep moving forward. 

Hope you enjoy,