You have probably heard the mantra "never give up" or "don't quit, you got this!" Your subconscious hears that it is never ok to quit at things you committed doing. You begin to have fear and self-doubt that if you quit then you will be labeled as a failure.
What you fail to realize is that if you want to quit something that is making you feel physically sick, mentally unstable or putting a strain on your relationship AND no one knows this part of the story, then it is time to reevaluate the situation. You are prohibiting growth and progress by staying on this hamster wheel of exhaustion and unhappiness.
Let’s examine how this stress and anxiety affect you physically, mentally, emotionally and your relationships.
Physically--Your body releases hormones as a reaction to stress that has an effect on your entire body. Here are just a few physical reactions you can have to stress and anxiety.
Headaches--Sleepless nights from worrying and stress can cause headaches that prohibit your ability to focus and rationalize.
Upset Stomach--Have you ever felt sick to your stomach about a situation? Your gut is your second brain. Feeling nauseated or having diarrhea is your gut’s equivalent to your brain’s headaches and fogginess.
Breathing Problems--If the stress is too overwhelming, you can start to have an anxiety attack that causes rapid, shallow breathing
Mentally/Emotionally-- When you are mentally unhealthy, it leaks out to other areas of your life.
Depression--When you are depressed, you can have the feeling of hopelessness making it hard to take action in your business. This causes a snowball effect of depression and inaction; thus, a slow-dying business. Some people even tend to withdrawal socially and lose passion for things that they once loved.
Reduced Focus-- Nothing kills growth and progress like the inability to focus. Your stresses and issues begin to become a distraction that doesn't allow you to focus on getting out of a rut.
Self-doubt-- Stressing about a situation makes you start having self-doubt and worry. You question your decision-making skills and quit taking risks.
Relationships-- One area of stress can cause an imbalance in other areas of our lives, making us feel like our whole world is falling apart.
Loss of Libido--With a combination of the reactions listed above, you can have a decrease in your sex drive. Stress and anxiety take a physical and mental toll that can make you feel undesirable or inadequate.
Irritability-- You can feel on edge when you are worried and feel anxiety. This can have an adverse effect on your loved ones and business relationships.
While our businesses can have some struggling times, it should only temporarily have a physical impact on us. Once the stresses of our business become too much, it is time to re-examine our strategy. Isolating the core issue to evaluate it is a start. You need to pinpoint what exactly in your business is causing this stress. What have you done in the past to fix it? Why did these actions not work? Are you being completely coachable and open to the idea of changing your approach to this issue?
You have a responsibility to yourself and family to take care of yourself first. If you are ever feeling any of the above symptoms, it is ok to take a break, slow down or even change course. This does not make you a failure. In fact, this allows you to have endurance in business. Your mind, body, and soul need time to rest, recharge and re-evaluate. I suggest revisiting your dreams, goals, and strategies. You may have gone off course and that is ok. Get back on course especially in your quest to feel balanced and happy.
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