How to Grow a Successful Business with an Anxiety Disorder

May 11, 2021

Friend, I see you. If an anxiety disorder is part of your daily life, I see you. And if you’re running your own service-based business at the same time… well, I deeply, personally understand what you’re going through. Launching (let alone successfully running!) a business is no small feat, and anxiety adds yet another challenge to the mix. It can feel like a constant battle, trying to “make it” without melting into a puddle of constant anxiety.

If you’re like me, you care deeply about your work, as well as the clients or customers you work with. And that is a beautiful thing! But it means that you’re likely investing even more time, energy, and emotion into the outcome. It’s easy to see why so many of us struggle with anxiety on a consistent basis!

Over the last nine years, I’ve built not one but two businesses from the ground up, all while managing my anxiety disorder. And although anxiety can throw me a curve ball when I least expect it, I’m grateful that I’ve been able to consistently achieve my business goals without sacrificing my mental health.

Now, this didn’t just magically happen! It took intentional planning and very imperfect action on my part. And I won’t pretend that it’s all been smooth sailing; there have been plenty of mental health days, anxiety attacks, and not-so-cute meltdowns over the years. But the important thing is that you always get back up.

On top of that, creating clear limits, boundaries, and systems to protect my sense of well-being has been a game-changer. So, if you’re like me and you benefit from having tried-and-true systems in place to help you work WITH your anxiety and not against it, read on!

An Important Note Before We Begin…

Although I’m happy to share my own experiences, there is no substitute from personalized support and help from a counselor or therapist. If you feel your anxiety is running your life, I encourage you to reach out to someone who can offer you support and can help you find realistic ways to manage your anxiety. Psychology Today has a great, location-specific directory of counselors, social workers, therapists, and clergy members who are there to help.

Practical Actions You Can Take to Grow Your Business while Managing Your Anxiety

Develop a routine to check-in with yourself

Self-awareness has been the biggest asset in my own mental health journey over the years. Developing that emotional muscle requires getting to know yourself and checking in with yourself often, even when it’s not fun. As part of my daily routine each morning, I check in with myself and examine how I’m feeling. What thoughts am I having? How do I feel about those thoughts? Is any anxiety physically arising in my body when I face these thoughts? If so, how does it feel? Where do I feel it? And how can I show myself compassion during this experience? If you prefer a more structured approach, this anti-anxiety journal created by a team of therapists is well worth a look.

Create clear boundaries

I personally believe that anxiety thrives in chaos! The more structure you have in your day—even if you’re a Type B personality—the more you can lean into that structure and know when and where you’re meant to show up. You can create boundaries with your time, your relationships, your social media consumption, and more! A great place to begin is looking at what actions, activities or people are currently piquing your anxiety. Then see what boundaries (if any) you can implement that would lessen that anxiety or allow you to only engage with those people or experiences for limited amounts of time.

Reshape your mindset around self-worth

Anxiety will tell you all sorts of stories about yourself, about what others think of you, and so much more. So it’s been incredibly powerful in my own journey to reshape how I view my own self-worth. Especially in this entrepreneurial community where we can easily tune into peoples’ highlight reels (literally) on Instagram, it can be dangerously tempting to think that what you do or how well you do it means that you’re a better entrepreneur or a more capable creative. Even phrases like, “charge your worth!” tell us that our worth is tied to what we do or what we charge. (If you want to hear more on my thoughts about why you should NOT charge “your worth”, then tune on in to this episode of the Brand Strategy Podcast!)

I’ve got a little truth bomb for you this morning, friend… your worth isn’t tied to anything you do, any title you hold, or anything outside of your own body. You are worthy simply because you exist. You are worthy even if you don’t do another cool thing or impact another person’s life for the rest of time. You have worth emanating from your pores! So, the next time your anxiety tells you that you “should” do X, Y or Z in order to keep up with everyone else, tell it “Thanks, but no thanks.” You know better than that 😉

Looking for a little more insight on anxiety management?

Friend, if you’re looking to dive even deeper into this topic of mental health + business, then I’d love to recommend a series of Brand Strategy Podcast episodes featuring licensed therapist Josh Berger. This series covers everything from navigating rejection and the fear of failure to boundaries, stress management, and so much more! I’d highly recommend diving into this 6-part series for more insight on managing your anxiety as a business owner.

Click here for all 6 parts of this special BSP series!

And remember, friend—your feelings and experiences are all valid, each and every single one. If you feel overwhelmed by your anxiety (or any other mental struggle), I highly encourage you to reach out to someone who can provide help and support. You are not alone and do not need to walk through these feelings alone. Sending hugs from Waco 🙂

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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