Managing Stress In A Small Business

I spotted a van on the interstate with “Too Blessed to Be
Stressed” emblazoned across its back windshield. How appropriate
that the driver divined that this mantra might be relevant for
others to meditate upon while they navigate the freeways.

Stress is considered an occupational hazard for entrepreneurs.
Having positive mantras as we navigate our business lives is one
way of dealing with stress. But there are times when positive
phrases are not enough to manage stress or anxiety. Emotional
self-management techniques are helpful in these instances.

After the birth of my first son, I was diagnosed with
post-partum depression and suffered from severe anxiety. My
husband and I not only held full-time jobs, but were managing
our business which included processing orders for our new online
sites.

It took every fibre in my being to fight and work through the
malaise of depression with all the means available to me. This
included visits to medical doctors and cognitive therapists. One
of the most successful treatments I found was an emotional
self-management (EMS) technique recommended to me by a
psychologist. The theory and techniques are explained in Instant
Emotional Healing : Acupressure for the Emotions. It combines
the principles of cognitive behavioral techniques along with
those of Oriental medicine and the body’s energy system. My
inelegant explanation is that there are physical and emotional
blocks in ourselves that can be relieved by tapping certain
parts of the body that correspond to meridian points in the
bodies energy sytem, as in accupunture, while simultaneously
repeating positive phrases that penetrate the sub-conscious
mind.

The information in the book was easily accessible to me at a
time when I the most stressed and unable to concentrate. I was
relieved to find a technique that I could self-administer and
utilize to take control of overwhelming and unproductive stress.
All independent business people would benefit from techniques
such as EMS to not only relieve unproductive emotions, but to
optimize performance.