You know what’s always annoyed me is how celebrities or media personalities can have a nervous breakdown, go to a facility for six weeks to recover and work through their issues, then return to work and still have their job. The reason that this bugs me is that for the everyday Jane that’s just sometimes not an option (usually isn’t an option). When our anxiety is at an all-time high we still have to find a way to get out of bed and go to work and pretend that everything is ok. If you have the bittersweet calling of trying to run an online business or having a side hustle in addition to your daytime job and other commitments, then you find yourself having to be “on” even more often. For me, while my blog was inspired by the idea that I should write more it also kind of started out of a place of anxiousness and feeling the need to do something. Writing had always been that thing for me, so I decided to go for it. It really was a bit of a catch-22. The outlet and an opportunity to work through things by writing and distracting myself for my mind by focusing on writing were great, but then the new obligations and deadlines were also somewhat stressful.
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Dealing with anxiety in your online biz
Make a Schedule
I often have people laugh at how organized I am. They laugh at the fact that I have an alarm for my gratitude journal and that I plan strategic work sessions on Saturday with organized to do lists but what they don’t get is I need these. While planning and organizing this stuff beforehand might seem stressful to others, to me it’s soothing to know what I’m doing and when I’m doing it. Having a clear expectation for your work session will greatly reduce your anxiety and maximize your work time because you won’t fall that rabbit hole of, “Where do I start?”
Create Systems
One major cause of stress in most businesses stems from a lack of organization. If you are constantly recreating the same steps why not put them into place and create a system? Spreadsheets are your friend. I have processes for almost everything I do on a regular basis. I keep meticulous records to make things easier to find. I currently do all the copy and social media posting for my business but in the event, I plan to build out a team and it will be easier to onboard them.
Here is my standard process for a new blog post:
Brain dump- Write any notes that come to me and think of sections on the topics.
Fill out Blog Post Keyword Sheet (Wait till post is complete to do social media posts)
Write post
Proof with Grammarly
Read post out loud
Use a headline analyzer and tweak to try to get a score of 70 or higher
Find photo for graphic
Make graphics using Canva- Pinterest and square social media image
Do SEO Checklist
Record and edit audio (if applicable)
Finish Blog Post Keyword Sheet (social media posts)
Publish
Log post on proper google sheet then start sharing the post on the places listed on the sheet and marking them as done. These include: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram (via Buffer), Google Plus, Stumble Upon, etc
Add to the newsletter when for the week.
Add prewritten tweets and Facebook posts to buffer
Sporadically add back to social media schedule
Find What Works For You
We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. If you find a way that actually works for you to do something in your side hustle then stick with that way. This can be hard for a lot of us because A. We either have a hard time identifying what we are good at (this isn’t because you aren’t good at anything, it’s because when you’re naturally good at something or you have a lot of experience with something it can be hard to see it as a talent or something special because you’re so used to it). B. We are constantly victims of shiny object syndrome and hearing new ways to try things. While it is important to stay with the times, there is no need for you to try to reinvent the wheel. You need to grow with your building but do it in a smart way, figure out what works for you, master that then slowly try new ways to do things, if they appear like they will be better or more beneficial.
When you find something that works stick with it. You don't have to do what other's do. Click To TweetKnows What Doesn’t Work For You
Does Instagram just stress you out, give you super comparison anxiety and make you want to get in a ball and cry? Then maybe you shouldn’t be on Instagram, or maybe you should change the way you use it. If you are a fashion blogger or have a very visual product to sell, I think Instagram and Pinterest are your best bets for social media. But if you find that Instagram sends you in an anxiety frenzy then you need to create a strategy to avoid this. I would suggest creating a social media calendar using a tool like Buffer to schedule and then take your Instagram application off the main screen of your phone and turn off the notifications. Then set times to engage with it. Limit the time you spent, only use it strategically, and if you know, certain profiles are a trigger do not follow them.
If you hate being on video, then you don’t do it. Sometimes the way to find what works for you is by understanding what doesn’t work and why.
Remember You Are The Captain Of Your Fate
The remarkable thing about having your blog or online business is that you pretty much decide how busy you are and how much time you spend on it. By that token, you also determine how successful you are. You get to choose which forms of social media you tackle. How often you post, publish and create. So when you just aren’t feeling it or just can’t handle it and you need to take a break, that is more than okay. Taking the occasional break will not crumble your business, especially if you’ve set up systems beforehand. What will crush your business is having a full on breakdown after you’ve ignored your body’s pleas for a break and rest.
Be ambitious but also realistic. What I mean is dream big, set huge goals but don’t unrealistically pack your schedule because “she believed she could so she did.”
She believed she could create XYZ, so she made a business plan and actionable steps to achieve this. She didn’t say I want to make five figures this month even though my typical income is only $1500. Then think she would make her first five figure month in 30 days by writing and selling 100 $100 articles, in the 3 hours a day she has to write. Not saying it’s not possible, but it’s not very strategic.
If you want to reach a particular goal be strategic and realistic about how you plan to do it. Don’t set yourself up for failure. If you get home from work at 6:00 pm don’t schedule back to back coaching calls till midnight, when are you going to eat? Poop? Sleep? Think about your needs not just your goals. I am all about the hustle but not about unnecessary anxiety.
Ask For Help
This is one of the most difficult things to do for some of us (myself included). We don’t want to be a bother, or we believe we can do it ourselves.
There are so many ways of asking for help; you just have to be willing to do it. Whether it’s taking a course, starting a mastermind group, emailing a friend who has more experience in the issue than you, hiring a coach or purchasing a book. There are so many ways to find help. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own, that is the beautiful thing about the web. Also, it’s all about taking and giving, tonight I have a call with a blogging friend to talk through some of my issues, and then two nights from now I have a call to help a blogging friend out. No one and I mean no one has it ALL figured out. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and identifying where you need help and not being afraid to ask for it is a great show of your determination to improve.
I want to offer my help to you personally. If you have issues with blogging, time management, and your online biz, anxiety or just have a question, you think I could help you find the answer to please drop me a comment. It might inspire a post, email or start a real conversation.
How do you deal with anxiety in your business?
