By burning the midnight oil and seizing opportunities wherever possible, you’ve forced your way into an industry of your choosing. It wasn’t easy, and it’s undoubtedly a man’s world, but things will get better from here. They have to get better.
While navigating the world of business should become more comfortable, there is one thing business women fail to consider: stress. Although it impacts millions of people around the world, it’s something that the majority of female entrepreneurs believe they can pass off as inconsequential.
Sadly, that isn’t possible, and here are the reasons why.
Imposter Syndrome
You know for a fact that you deserve your position and worked harder than anyone to obtain it, yet other people won’t be as fair. Lots of them, men and women, look at your standing with jealousy in their eyes and assume you must have cut corners. Regardless of whether you agree or not, it’s almost impossible not to feel the urge to prove them wrong. As a result, you work harder and push yourself into the ground to show you’re a deserving boss, leading to higher levels of cortisol. Sometimes, ladies, you’ve got to let people talk and understand that green isn’t their color!
Keeping Up With The Billionaires
If you’re a boss who’s in charge of the entire process, you’ve got another problem: equality of outcome. Right now, the men at the top of the industry – Bezos; Zuckerberg, etc. – have a work ethic that is hard for most bosses to grasp. You don’t want to work 100 hours per week and only take a vacation day once in a blue moon. Yet, to get to that level of entrepreneurialism, it’s almost mandatory. Even completing days that are half this length will boost stress levels, which is why you must set a line in the sand. Where do you want to get to in business that will strike a balance between success and contentedness?
Leaning On Booze
Triggers encourage you to fall into bad habits, such as drinking alcohol. While booze isn’t inherently unhealthy, it’s not good for you in large quantities, and that’s for both your mental and physical health. Unfortunately, high levels of stress lead entrepreneurs to drink more as a way to relieve stress, leading to addiction. A residential detox center might be able to reset your factory settings, but there’s no need to get to that stage. The next time you reach for the bottle in your bottom desk drawer, remember that compulsions quickly escalate.
Zero Work/Life Balance
To get a startup off the ground, or to consolidate its early promise, you might spend more time at the office than at home. And, when you finally clock out, you’ll take work back to your humble abode in the shape of emails and plans. This lack of balance between life and the workplace is a massive contributor to stress as it becomes a grind. You need a way to relax, which is why working remotely and scheduling time for friends and family are essential.
Are you letting this silent killer impact your career and health? How do you plan on fighting back?
