Stress, an entrepreneur’s pet peeve
By: Fabrice Catan
Tags: Business, Mindset, Stress, Entrepreneurship

Are you tired ?

Do you feel like you are running after time?

Do you ever ruminate? Even get depressed looking at your agenda or your income statement ?

What if you suffered from the famous entrepreneur stress ?

Stress is a nasty parasite that feeds on you in the shadows. You don’t necessarily pay attention to it. You think it’s okay to run when you’re a leader. Yes you talk about stress management in the company — but you think about your employees and collaborators. Not to you. You are the boss, you can’t show a sign of weakness, can you?

Between you and me, how about we talk a little about you? As manager of a VSE, you are among the entrepreneurs most affected by stress. And this one comes at a cost, even if you’d rather ignore it. Let’s go together to discover this bête noire of the entrepreneur.

The causes of stress for the entrepreneur

You are independent. You have no one above you to give you orders. You know what you want and you do it. So why are you stressed out?

The stress of the stake

The stress of entrepreneurs is very different from that of employees. Unlike employees, you only depend on yourself. You are at the helm. Even if you’ve set a course for yourself, you’re never quite sure where you’re going to moor (or run aground!). The uncertainty when in the future, even very near, is a big stressor which generates a lot of anxiety for an entrepreneur.

Inside your head there is a reptilian brain. You know, he was the one who kept our ancestors alert against all dangers in prehistoric times. This reptilian brain reacts to the slightest threat for the sake of survival. In the entrepreneur, who necessarily takes risks, this brain really feels very in danger. He reacts with an aggressiveness that he directs against himself.

“Do you realize the situation you are putting yourself and your family in?” “

Every choice becomes a source of stress. Every “bad” decision can have consequences for you, your loved ones, your employees and collaborators. What pressure!

This is all the more true as the French culture perceives the failure in a negative way, unlike American culture, which considers it a learning opportunity. Remember the quote from Mandela:

“I never fail. Either I succeed or I learn. “

The little pet peeve of entrepreneurial stress therefore finds an ideal playground for managers who have to take responsibility for their own. responsibilities. This performance stress can be exhausting.

Lack of time

I am very sensitive to time value in entrepreneurship.

No, an entrepreneur should not devote most of his time to his business to generate a good turnover.

No, he doesn’t have to sacrifice his family life and his hobbies to his business in order to offer quality and satisfy his customers.

I see too many entrepreneurs exhausted by the efforts made to balance professional and personal life. Where are you on that side?

The digital revolution has exacerbated the problem. With the smartphone, you can be connected to your work 24 hours a day. You can spend your Sundays dealing with emails. It’s a huge mental load which we never get rid of if we do not establish a well-framed organization and new habits. As an entrepreneur coach specializing in this type of problem, I know what I’m talking about. 😉

You may not realize it, but another entrepreneurial life is possible. Free from stress and lack of time!

Relationships in the company

As the manager of a VSE, you may also be the HRD of your company. Let’s just say it, manage human relations, it is not easy! Conflicts between employees, but also your interactions with suppliers, your employees, your recalcitrant or deadbeat customers… all of this also gives food to your little pet peeve!

If stress was just a passing inconvenience, it might not be a big deal. But it has consequences, and not just for you!

The consequences of stress in the company

I don’t want to scare you with an apocalyptic picture of what to expect if you leave out managing your stress. You may be doing very well.

On the other hand, if you feel that things are stuck and that you have decided to postpone it until later, when you have the time (that is to say never), I prefer to alert you. I experienced all of this when setting up my first business. And I hope you don’t have to pay the price in your turn. 😉

The consequences of stress on your health

Are you often tired? Are you sleeping badly? Do you have tension in the neck or back?

Stress often causes a lot of fatigue. In fact, although the origins of stress are psychological, it first affects the body. He’s the one who alerts you when you overdo it and need to slow down. How? ‘Or’ What ?

By the exhaustion, the insomnia, the back pain.

More seriously, by cardiovascular illnesses.

By the burnout and the depressions.

All of these physical consequences of entrepreneurial stress are not to be neglected. We must react as soon as they appear.

The consequences of stress on your work

For me, from the moment health is at stake, there is no hesitation: we must review the way it works! But you might be the workaholic type. Unable to pick up. So, how about your CA?

The consequences of stress on the manager’s abilities

The little bug of stress is not a good companion for a business leader. It affects:

your objectivity ;

your patience ;

your benevolence ;

your creativity ;

your ability to make decisions.

Ultimately, it has a negative impact on your productivity and your efficiency. You waste time and make others waste it.

We can have strokes of genius in a situation of pressure … But stress is a permanent pressure situation, it has exactly the opposite effect.

The consequences of your stress on your employees

Your stress is a stressor at work, for everyone else. Have you ever thought about it?

A boss in a bad mood, tired, under constant tension, is not the best engine to generate dynamism and motivation. Especially in very small businesses, where the manager often works hand in hand with his collaborators and employees.

Stress in the company, by definition, is a real nuisance for efficiency. A bad atmosphere has repercussions on team spirit, therefore on the results. It ruins motivation; it can even cause absenteeism and the turnover. You risk losing your best elements if you are not careful.

Introducing a little challenge into the team is good. But too much stress at work is not dynamism or challenge.

Also remember that you are the face of your business on the outside. Your clients may want to deal with a fulfilled person more than someone who is constantly under pressure.

The consequences of your stress on your business are therefore also economical. You have every interest in reacting before you run into the wall. But How to manage your stress when you are an entrepreneur? In this last part, I’ll give you tips on taming your little pet peeve.

How to manage the stress of the entrepreneur?

First of all, I have very good news for you! Unlike employees, you put stress on yourself. It is not a hierarchical superior who imposes it on you.

Yes, that’s great news!

First of all because, psychologically, it changes everything. You experience the situation differently. You started your business for a good reason and everything you do for it feels right to you, even if you are HS. (Well, in fact, there are surely a lot of things you could not do or do differently to be less exhausted. this article on business automation.)

Then, since you are the one inflicting purgatory, you have more leeway to change things. You CAN mitigate or even remove your stress.

Develop your mindset

All successful entrepreneurs know that success is for many a matter of mind. The state of mind is very important, I have already spoken about it in this article on the entrepreneur mindset.

How can we fight stress if you don’t believe in your business and yourself?

You had the courage to roll up your sleeves to start your business. You have faith in it and in its values. You find more meaning in your daily activities than many employees who feel like they are bullshit job.

Put the advantages of your entrepreneurial status : the independence, the social recognition, etc. It will help you manage the moment calmly, without overdoing it when something doesn’t turn out the way you wanted it to.

Knowing how to deal with your emotions

Stress is made of emotions and of sensations. Anguish, anger, tired, everything mixes to push you to the limit. The consequences of stress on the body, the physical pain, are in fact a cry for help from your psyche.

How to manage your anxieties, how to manage your anger?

Relaxation, mindfulness meditation are very useful tools. They teach you breath control, benevolent observation and detachment from your emotions, listening to your body. You would probably be surprised at how many business leaders have incorporated small sessions of meditation into their daily routine.

Sometimes the situation escapes you, there is nothing you can do. You have to accept it to bounce back.

As far as I’m concerned, I’m a follower of sophrology. I firmly believe that entrepreneurial performance is boosted by the care given to oneself, to one’s mind and to one’s body.

I also recommend laughing, which is another form of detachment in the face of the inevitability of certain situations. How better to avoid the stress of the entrepreneur than by making fun of the obstacles that stand in front of you?

Take care of your entrepreneurial lifestyle

Health and healthy living are really, really two points that business leaders completely neglect. Yet how can you remove stress from your life as an entrepreneur if you are tired and sore in your body? You are not at the service of your business. It is your company that is at your service (normally).

Sleep is very important. We saw above the consequences of lack of sleep on the development of stress.

Also consider practicing a small physical activity even if you are not athletic or athletic at all. Walking with the family or stretching the body in your office is already great.

Manage your time as an entrepreneur

Knowing how to manage your stress is also knowing how to manage your time. In this area, most entrepreneurs feel powerless.

We have seen above that the 24/7 investment of the TPE business leaders was a huge stressor. It’s simple, your business ends up eating up everything else. It feeds on your energy like a parasite. It shouldn’t be like that, I assure you. You should be able to let go without falling apart.

For that, it is necessary to build a new business organization, in which you do not fully invest. An organization in which you automate, you delegate, you supervise from a little higher. An organization in which you also enjoy your family, your friends, your hobbies and your passions.

You have the right to take time for yourself. It doesn’t make you a bad entrepreneur. It is very romantic to say that a business owner IS his business. It impresses, it commands admiration and respect. But, in reality, no, you are not ONLY your business. You are much more than that. 🙂

So where are you with stress? How do you do with this nasty critter that clings to leaders and feeds off their dedication to their business?

You may recognize the signs of entrepreneurial stress invasion. You are aware of it. But you don’t know how to transform your structure to evacuate it. An outside view is often necessary to identify blockages and levers of action.

This is why I suggest you take advantage of my experience. I am trained in coaching, passionate about personal development and human relations and an expert in business and management management. Contact me for a completely free first meeting!

Image credits 1: Emphyrio

Image credits 2: Pete Linforth

Image credits 3: Bellinon

Image credits 4: Myriams-Fotos