You can blame it on Mercury In Retrograde, the full moon, or the Instagram algorithm – whatever you think the cause is, overwhelm as an entrepreneur is a real struggle that can make you feel frustrated, misaligned, and downright upset.

I felt called to share these tips today because this is a common theme I’ve noticed among my business besties, clients, and myself as well. Overwhelm is not talked about often enough!

So let’s get ahead of the overwhelm before it drives you completely crazy. I get it – sometimes we want to make things look easy breezy, but let’s face it – being an entrepreneur is tough and we all have our moments.

In this episode, I’m sharing my 9 favorite tips to combat overwhelm.

The Good, the Bad & the Woo-Woo

The Good: One of my favorite things about being an entrepreneur is easily the freedom and flexibility I have to travel, so my highlight of the week was visiting my parents, my brother, and one of my best friends, who live about two and a half hours south of where I live now. So, so grateful!

The Bad: I don’t have a bad this week!

The Woo-Woo: I’m going to see Deepak Chopra, acclaimed speaker, spiritual leader, and author. I read his book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success every year.

Let’s Dig in:

Here are my 9 top tips for overcoming overwhelm as an entrepreneur:

• TAKE A BREAK: Nothing good is going to come from sitting in front of your computer for hours each day and pushing too hard. Step away and if you can, take a full day off so you can come back creatively energized.

• JOURNAL YOUR OVERWHELM: Take a deep breath and think about why you are overwhelmed. What is making you feel crazy and panicky? Maybe you set some really big goals and now you’re feeling super behind (like I did!) or you’re not focusing on the big picture. So here’s my action step for you: What is ONE thing you can do today – just one thing you can do, that will get you closer to your goal?

• DO LESS: Entrepreneurs wear way too many hats. Take a look at what you are doing and figure out where you can outsource. Why are you trying to do #allthethings? Sometimes we mistakenly think we’re better off doing it all ourselves, but it’s not sustainable or productive.

• MAKE A PLAN: After you take your amazing break, set your priorities of what needs to be accomplished. I always suggest choosing one goal and creating an action plan around what you need to do to make it happen. You could also start each Friday by making a list of your priorities for the following week so you can get ahead. What needs to happen first?

• COME BACK TO YOUR BOUNDARIES: When we find ourselves overwhelmed, it’s often because we’ve completely lost control of all things structure. If you struggle with boundaries, check out last week’s episode where I go deep into this topic and help you set and implement boundaries in your business!

• GET SUPPORT: This is the reason why I recorded this episode. I had hit my wit’s end with overwhelm and wasn’t being intentional or creative. I was burning out! Instead of internally processing all of it, I reached out to my business coach, girls in my mastermind, and other business besties and found out they could all relate to what I was going through and we were able to exchange tips and support. Knowing they were going through it too, I felt so much relief.

• GET RID OF YOUR DISTRACTIONS: Put your phone away! Our phones are an easy “go-to” when we don’t want to get tasks done, but it only prolongs the discomfort. Even on breaks, I advise against it. It’s easy to get lost in the comparison tunnel and fuel your anxiety and overwhelm. For an even greater challenge, consider a 1, 2, or 3 day detox.

• FOCUS ON YOUR HEALTH: It is so important to have a morning ritual. Need more convincing? Listen to Episode 4 of the podcast. This is the first step to setting yourself up for success, and it needs to be a non-negotiable ritual. Putting yourself first brings you back to alignment. I personally love intermittent fasting, getting enough sleep, and exercising for at least 30 minutes.

• DONE IS WAY BETTER THAN PERFECT: Making any action is better than not taking any action at all. If you are a perfectionist, this tip is for you. Be transparent and authentic and push the needle forward. What you do now is going to affect you 60, 90, and 120 days from now.

NOTABLE QUOTE:

“Making any action is better than not taking any action at all.”

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra

My Productivity Planner – Free Download

Behind the Design Episode 12: An Entrepreneur’s Secret to Sanity: Setting Boundaries

Behind the Design Episode 4: 3 Steps to Creating a Daily Ritual and Setting Your Day Up for Success

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