How to DEFEAT Stress & Anxiety PART 2

Transcription

1 How to DEFEAT Stress & Anxiety PART 2

2 Our biggest challenge as entrepreneurs is to reconcile the paradox of boundless ambition for the future and real gratitude for the present. - Peter Shallard

3 The Silent Killer of Entrepreneurial dreams Quitting is the only real failure As expectations increase, so does pressure We re not adapted for rapid growth! Personnel issues impact the monkey mind Self Sabotage begins: The golden rule of the unconscious mind Lashing out happens Failure to see the forest for the trees all can result in permanent cessation of business activity (quitting!)

4 How does Stress & Anxiety Manifest itself? } } First World problems Not fulfilled Being disrespected or mildly abused Wrestling with enormous (scary) opportunity Fearing judgement of the masses Haters Real threats Running out of Money Running out of time Isolation (Burn rate, payroll, cash runway, payment terms)

5 What does living with S&A look like? A vague hierarchy of S&A symptoms 1. Overwhelm (Brain fuzz, paralysis) 2. Bright Shiny Object Syndrome 3. Self Doubt (and external doubters too) 4. Insane expectations (mental bargaining) 5. Insomnia 6. Breakdown of personal routines/habits 7. Anger episodes (eruptions at loved ones) 8. Depressive episodes (Sadness, hopelessness, doubting identity) 9. Psychotic episode

6 What s really going on? (Stress kills!) Amygdala Activity Hyper activity in this part of the brain represents a fight or flight response - over time, Amygdala activity and size (density of neurological connections) increases. Like a muscle for fear! Adrenal Response Adrenal glands flood our body with Epinephrine. This affects almost every cell in our body. Increases respiratory rate, heart rate, blood glucose and fatty acids. Makes us (empirically MORE fearful) Cortisol Production Hormone released due to stress that suppresses immune system and increases blood sugar. Correlated with a ton of bad things (socio-economic status, obesity, lack of work autonomy!)

7 Tactical Stress-busting technique: Part 1 Inflating your sense of the present Everyone has an unconscious Time Line The Future and Present (and Past) are codified differently so that our unconscious knows the difference Overwhelm BEGINS when we bring the near-term future into our NOW I have so much to do right now! said the super-stressed entrepreneur Things that fight this tendency: Having real, definitive deadlines (i.e. with accountability) Get real about how you can use time Cultivate basic trust Push events/commitments mentally into the future

8 Tactical Stress-busting technique: Part 2 Planning Ritual = Mandatory To have a focused present, we have to organize the future: hours of power per day 2. Emotional state-change release valves 3. Close the work-reward loop 4. Accountability interactions 5. Nourishing Content 6. Perspective enhancing input 7. Urgency/catch-up time 8. Food & Sleep The goal is to feel like it s taken care of.

9 Tactical Stress-busting technique: Part 3 Mindfullness Meditation The intentional, accepting and nonjudgmental focus of one's attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment. US Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (2014): Meditation programs, in particular mindfulness programs, reduce multiple negative dimensions of psychological stress including anxiety, depression, and perceived stress/general distress.

10 Mindfullness Meditation Benefits of Meditation: Decrease Stress and Anxiety Decrease amygdala size Lower cortisol/adrenaline Help you see The Truth Be less influenced by cognitive bias Stay calm/strategic under fire Make better decisions, swifter Increased risk tolerance Couple of things entrepreneurs get wrong: More than anything, meditation is a PRACTICE 1. Starting is easy (most people think the opposite) 2. Continuing ( practicing ) is hard (most people assume it ll be easy) 3. It s not about clearing your mind 4. It s not about not-thinking 5. The practice lies in the coming-back to focus 6. The mastery lies in evaluating the practice 7. ALL the benefit lies in TRYING

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