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“the hustle can only last for so long before it fails”
You are in for a treat because I’ve got a super special guest for this episode of The Anxious Creative. She’s a super talented mindset coach for anxious entrepreneurs, let’s welcome, Meg Blatt!
In this post, we discuss how stress, anxiety, fear, and imposter syndrome can mess with our business decisions and relationships. But there are things we can do to work through the anxiety and kick-butt in our businesses anyway!
An Early Start
Meg has been around the block with anxiety. She was diagnosed with panic disorder at age 5 and even became unable to leave her house.
Then in her late twenties when she got laid off from her job she decided to start a business with her business partner and they opened a highly-anticipated concept salon in Manhattan.
Meg believes that beauty professionals have a tendency to use their anxiety to get stuff done and view it as a “super-power” that enables them to multitask and do all the things that need to be done.
On the flip side, it can also be extremely detrimental to a business. As Meg discovered when her concept salon failed miserably.
The biggest reason was Meg’s constant anxiety.
After only a year of being open, she had to make the decision to put her health first and she handed over the business to her partner.
Shifting the Mindset
She then spent time soul searching, trying to figure out what went wrong and where she wanted to go from there. That’s when she found coaching and started working with her own coach.
Working with her own coach opened her up to mindset and the idea that we have control over our bodies as far as stress responses go.
As Meg learned more about how language influences our mindset and how we can manage our stress and overwhelm with our minds, she started to see a new career path forming before her eyes.
She now works with people one-on-one with a 6-month program. She meets with her clients once a week and works on the anxious tendencies and the limiting beliefs that hold us back from being successful.
She caters to anxious entrepreneurs. People who experience stress, anxiety, overwhelm, imposter syndrome or fear that limits the ability to stay balanced in our business.
What is Anxiety?
There’s a lot of misunderstanding of what anxiety is. When it comes down to it, anxiety is fear. And there are two different types of fear: fictional fear and factual fear.
Factual fear is pretty straightforward, think of being attacked by a bear, being in a car accident, having someone chase you on the street. There is a very valid and real reason for the fear.
Fictional fear, on the other hand, is a little harder to understand. Fictional fear can be broken down further into two separate categories: a fear of being not enough or a fear of losing control.
Fictional fear can feel like factual fear, which can make it that much harder to navigate.
Anxiety happens when there is a chemical flood that surges through the body. The way to control it is through managing your mind so that you can then categorize your fear, take a step back and then soothe that floodgate and allow the chemicals to process through our bodies.
Stop Anxiety in Its Tracks
Meg has 3 simple steps to stop anxiety in its tracks (sort of):
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Notice the anxiety starting, notice what’s happening around you
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Categorize if it’s fictional or factual fear
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Shift your perception into something that’s more helpful or more real
Now, this isn’t going to just magically stop the hormones rushing through your body. You’ll still feel some things, but just knowing that it’s happening is the first step to releasing the fear.
The most important part of this process is to get into your body by doing a body scan. Notice that you are a human who is in control. You have full control over your stress response.
And finally, take a couple of really deep breaths.
A Westernized View of Success
We can have all the aspirations in the world, but if we’re not managing our emotional life, our mind, our bodies and taking care of that, it will fail.
Meg had a very westernized view of what success was, what it looked like, and what it could come from.
I am no stranger to the “hustle culture” and would often boast about how “busy” I was, or how “exhausted” I was at the end of the day. As if that was the “true mark” of a successful business owner.
We’re often taught from a very young age to simply “embrace the overwhelm” and “push through the fear”.
When in reality, that just causes the emotions to keep growing and doesn’t actually eliminate the problems.
If you’re experiencing the overwhelm and constantly feeling anxious, it’s important to acknowledge the fear, put it in its category (factual or fictional; fear of not being good enough or not having control) and from there, you can then be gentle on yourself.
Self-compassion is so important in this area.
Only Human
One of the most freeing things I’ve done for myself in life and business is admitting that I’m human and mistakes are, ultimately, going to happen.
I used to say “yes” to any client request, even if the science was absolutely impossible, and then I would get overwhelmed trying to figure out how to make it work. God forbid I ever did anything wrong.
Being honest with myself and my clients that I am going to make mistakes and I can’t do everything has been huge in reducing my anxiety.
It’s also allowed me to be more compassionate with others as well.
I loved this conversation with Meg so much and I learned a ton from her. She’s so knowledgeable in this area and has so much to share with entrepreneurs who struggle with anxiety.
Anxiety doesn’t have to ruin your business. If you listen to just about any successful business owner, you’ll hear a lot about fear and anxiety. It’s just part of the game. And if other people can overcome anxiety and grow a successful business, so can you!
If you want to connect with Meg check out her website here. She’s got some free resources available to help you finally break up with that anxiety for good!
See ya next time, friend!
