Feeling Overwhelmed? Three Tips For Dealing With The Stress Of Being An Entrepreneur

 Chris Myers
I write about my journey as a first-time CEO and startup founder.

It’s cliché to say that entrepreneurs wear many hats, but there’s no escaping truth. Entrepreneurs and business leaders have to balance the needs of business strategy and business execution alongside family and their personal needs. With so many aspects of life demanding equal attention, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. I know this feeling all too well—at the moment I’m dealing with a 4-year old who is recovering from pneumonia, a wife who is battling the flu, a fundraising round, a busy writing and TV schedule, and a hellish travel agenda, not to mention the daily work of running a growing company. It’s safe to say that I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Fortunately, I have plenty of experience coping with the feelings of being overwhelmed by the responsibilities of my life. Over the years, I’ve learned three coping mechanisms that enable me to not only deal with feelings of being overwhelmed, but thrive.

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Be in the moment

When things start to pile up, and you start to feel overwhelmed by the tasks ahead, don’t panic. Remember to stop and be mindful of the present moment. More often than not, the anxiety and stress entrepreneurs experience is due to what they think might happen in the future, not what they’re dealing with in the present. Practicing mindfulness and focusing on the current moment can give you a reprieve from the thoughts and concerns that cause anxiety.

The benefits of mindfulness have been well documented, and a recent Harvard Business Review article points out that it takes as little as six seconds of mindful meditation for these benefits to manifest themselves. Quieting your mind and moving away from the endless “what-if” scenarios helps to center you in the present and prepares you to deal with the tasks that lie ahead more effectively.

Pick your priorities

No matter how talented or motivated you are, it’s impossible to do everything at once, so stop trying. The best way to dig out of an overwhelming situation is to pick your top priorities and work from there. Prioritization is difficult for many entrepreneurs because everything seems to be equally important at first glance. When we step back and practice mindfulness, however, we realize that isn’t the case. It’s always possible to prioritize things in your life; it just isn’t always easy.