We’re getting a little more personal on the blog today y’all. So buckle up! Or as every influencer on tik tok would say “let’s get into it”. Does that make anyone else giggle or just me? How literally everyone says the. same. exact. thing. Anyway…

Anxiety and running a business…

WHEW. Heavy topic right? If you felt yourself breathe in a little deeper at that last line, am I guessing right by guessing you might struggle with anxiety in some form?

A little backstory first: I have struggled with anxiety my entire life. I can remember being in kindergarten (literally 5 years old) and eating my lunch in the counselor’s office every day because I was afraid of the cafeteria because of my specific anxiety disorder.

As I got older, anxiety manifested in different ways. When things were particularly bad at age 14, an autoimmune disease called alopecia was triggered. I lost all of my hair in a span of about 8 months.

When I moved out of my parents house for the first time (when I got married), I had a myriad of health issues that we could never get to the bottom of because well…it was anxiety. (Somehow none of the doctors I went to thought to check my mental health)
When I became a mom, it got so much worse. I started therapy and put a lot of work into figuring out how to overcome anxiety and not have multiple panic attacks every day.

Then I picked up my camera again and restarted a photography business. There wasn’t a lot of additional anxiety involved with this because I was married and had another income in the household. It was just a fun side hustle.

That side hustle grew, and grew, and grew! And it’s a good thing…because in January of 2019 I became a single income household. Every bill, every expense, everything fell onto me.
I HAD to book. I HAD to budget. I HAD to market constantly. I HAD to hustle. So the anxiety came right back, but this time, it wriggled it’s way into my business mindsets. The fear surrounding slow seasons, the constant feeling of NEEDING to be working.

It was a dark few years, and I spent most of those years severely burnt out, missing out on A LOT of time with my kids, and having panic attacks almost daily. It is constant work now as a business owner to allow my brain to rest. It is CONSTANT work to allow myself grace in business and life.

I did some really deep work in 2023 to cultivate a sustainable, slower life for myself and our kids, but it is a DAILY battle with my mind to keep those anxieties at bay.
If you struggle with anxiety while running a business- I see you. I wanted to make a little list of a few things I use or used to help me through the anxiety battles, and help keep anxiety at bay through my busy life.

Essential Oils
Some of my favorites for anxiety are Lavender, cedarwood, peppermint (the coolness/sharpness of it pulls me right out of anxious thoughts sometimes) I’ve used multiple brands and genuinely don’t have a preference.

Daily Grace Co prayers for anxiety cards
&

Daily Grace Co Comfort for the anxious heart cards
These are my favorite ever. I take them with me on flights, long trips, etc. When I’m home, they stay in my nightstand drawer where I can get to them super easily. They serve as an easy to get to, quick reminder of God’s love and grace through my anxiety.

Hustle Sanely Peacefully Productive Journal & Her planner as well!
This has changed the way I run my business completely! Routines help my anxiety SO much. When my brain is less cluttered, I feel less anxious. I sit down every Sunday and plan out my entire week in chunks of what I need to get done, how I will support myself that week, etc. Jess’ content and products has helped me a lot over the last few years!

Other things I do to manage my anxiety are:
-Get off social media for a bit. Sometimes getting caught up in the comparison game gets me spiraling. Time off of socials does me SO much good!
-Making sure I’m hydrated and well fed. It seems trivial, but honestly I’m so bad at this! I have to remind myself to drink water and eat when I’m working. If I don’t take care of myself in this way, my brain is depleted and anxiety creeps in easier!
-Being aware of the things I’m reading/watching/etc. Most media is MEANT to induce a negative reaction…so I just steer clear of all of it and kindof have no clue what happens in the world. Not even sorry haha!
-THERAPYYYYY! The best one honestly. I’m a huge fan of therapy. I haven’t been in a while, but when I went for my phobia, it was absolutely life changing.

That’s all I’ve got friends! If you struggle with anxiety, I hope some of this is helpful! If you struggle with not knowing where to start in tackling your anxiety- feel free to reach out and I’m happy to chat through my experience a little more and help where I can!