How to Live a Calm Life as an Entrepreneur
@skylarmarshai
When people hear the word entrepreneur, rarely do they envision a calm + collected person. In fact they probably picture someone rushing around, worrying about their next win, trying to balance ALL the things, experiencing emotional highs + lows, with the only comfort being that they get to do what they love each day.
Sometimes entrepreneurship doesn’t paint a pretty picture. I can even understand how in our current culture, hustling + worrying can feel like a right of passage lol.
However, I believe when the times change so must we. It’s time for us to shift the culture of entrepreneurship from burnt out boss babes to calm + confident CEOs.
Without further ado, here are 7 ways you can start living a calmer life as an ambitious entrepreneur.
Be sure to save + share any of your favorite tips with us over on Instagram.
01 | Focus on the Good
@deunivory
It’s funny how society says that we focus on the positives in life way too much but, according to statistics that’s the furthest from the truth. In fact, did you know that according to the National Science Foundation about 80% of the average human’s thoughts are negative + 95% of them are repetitive? This phenomenon can also be referred to as the “negativity bias.” All in all it means that as humans we can actually become addicted to focusing on the negative parts of life + revel more in our downfalls than our triumphs.
Look, I understand that there can be a natural resistance to embracing the positives in life because it feels like you’re neglecting reality just to feel good. But that’s not what positivity is. Positivity is actually defined as “the PRESENCE, rather than the absence of something” + it’s also defined as being “fully assured.”
All this means is that focusing on the good in life doesn’t invalidate the bad, it just means that when you sprinkle in some good it can bring about powerful benefits.
Don’t believe me? The Harvard Business Review reports that being more optimistic actually leads to more successful, promoted, + lucrative business owners. So once we recognize that positivity actually serves a tangible purpose, we will be able to face life with more joy + assurance.
02 | Celebrate Your Strengths
Calm people are typically confident + confidence comes from knowing who you are + what you have to offer. Trust me, when you know what you’re made of it makes life seem a lot less scary. When you have an unshakeable understanding of your capabilities you will be able to navigate life with less anxiousness + a sense of calm.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few of my favorite quizzes + assessments that can help confirm your personal strengths AND any potential blind spots in your life + biz.
16 Personalities: This assessment is a modern take on the Myers Briggs personality test. It reveals how you show up in the world + what your internal motivations are {meaning why you do what you do}. I believe it’s a great starting point in identifying your natural born strengths.
The Enneagram: The specific Enneagram test I linked is to help God lead biz owners become more aware of their potential giftings + personal challenges. However other enneagram tests can simply be used for self-insight + self acceptance. Either way this test tells you what childhood experiences shaped who you are + how you can grow into the strengths + healthy behaviors of your archetype. This quiz is the most insightful in my opinion.
Irresistible Brand Personality: This fun + elevated quiz is used to identify how you excite, connect to, + influence your clients. It is based on Carl Jung’s 12 behavioral archetypes. However, it actually includes important brand takeaways such as your preferred brand voice, brand image, ideal client profile, + pre-made marketing strategies. You’ll walk away with an authentic cheat sheet to build a solid brand + become a more secure biz owner.
How You Fascinate: This quiz is not about being the best but, about being different. Sally Hogshead designed this quiz to show you how you set yourself apart from others in your field. It even combines your top 2 archetypes so you have a unique combination of assets that will help you stand out in your career. I personally like this quiz because what you may have perceived as an average skill set may actually be quite valuable to those who connect with you.
All in all when you understand your strengths you become a more calm + secure ceo.
03 | Keep Quiet
This may be my shortest + most controversial tip but we live in such a loud + fast paced world that I believe its best for biz owners to incorporate more quiet time in our lives.
You can do this physically by immersing yourself in quiet activities like going for a walk in a garden, strolling through a quiet neighborhood, sitting by the pool, or simply enjoying a book at your local library. This definitely helps when you feel overloaded or overstimulated from your biz tasks.
You can also incorporate quiet into your life by not giving your reactions, emotions, feedback, or physical energy to everything that comes your way. This is crucial in the social media world. There’s a lot of click bait out there hungry for people’s attention + commentary but, sometimes it's best to be mindful of what deserves our attention + to reserve our energy expenditure for the issues that matter most.
04 | Embrace Flexibility
Flexibility isn’t just important in pilates; it’s also important if you want a calmer lifestyle. Most people are anxious + rattled by unexpected life changes (whether in business, relationships, finances, health, etc ) + can become resistant.
While I understand that resistance stems from our innate survival instincts, at some point we have to learn how to change course + adjust our sails in this journey of entrepreneurship.
Want to know the secret to remaining calm no matter what comes your way? Expect change + flow with it. We may be the head honcho in our respective professions + the ones people count on to run a tight ship, however we can’t control everything. Control is the enemy of progress + a sign of internal turbulence. We must accept that at every level + season you enter in your life there will be unexpected changes so it’s best to accept that fact + simply move forward.
How do you do this? By being proactive instead of reactive. Always have a contingency plan + don’t be afraid to ask for assistance during a transition. Sometimes transitions will require support + it helps to know that you have someone by your side to guide you through it all.
This is why biz + life coaches are so important because they can help you navigate unfamiliar territory with more calm + assurance.
Always remember that no matter what changes come your way, life is 90% what happens to us + 10% how we respond.
05 | Refine Your Stress Response
This tip goes hand in hand with the last one. Learning how to handle change is the difference between being a burnt out boss babe with an unregulated nervous system + a calm ceo with an intentional way to soother her nerves.
Take it from a woman who’s been hospitalized because she didn’t manage her stress responses while working in toxic environments. It’s okay for us to get upset when things go awry, but we can’t let our response to stress derail our life, mind + health.
When we understand how we typically handle life’s pressures, then we can be proactive in changing how we handle them. Be advised that self regulation isn’t about suppressing your emotions it’s about having self control + creating safer ways to handle high stress situations.
That’s exactly why I created this FREE guide to help CEOs like you live what I call “a low stress lifestyle.” You will gain 10 creative ways to de-stress + feel your best as you build your Fempire.
All in all, when it comes to working through stress you can either choose how you want to respond or your body will choose for you.
06 | Audit Your Entertainment
The truth is that society is largely ruled by the influence of entertainment + its proven that entertainment can influence our values, beliefs, + even lifestyle choices. With that said it’s important to be mindful of what you watch + listen to. Intaking a heavy dose of entertainment with messages of fear-mongering, division, drama, paranoia, fatal incidents/mysteries, etc, can subconsciously impact your mindset + increase anxiety.
In fact, a 2023 study from the Cleveland Clinic revealed that shows with similar content can actually increase anxiety + cause hyper-vigilance. Having a calmer feeling life is cultivated intentionally + that can includes removing anything that can stir up negative emotions unnecessarily.
I speak from a place of personal experience. Years ago it wasn’t foreign for me to watch multiple reality shows, get caught up in the dramatic storylines, start disliking or getting angry at reality stars that I didn’t even know personally, + it all stemmed from watching a show that was meant to stir up heightened emotions in its viewers.
Since then I’ve replaced tv dramas with more fictional or inspirational entertainment that feels fun + light-hearted. Of course I’m not telling you what you can + can’t watch. I’m simply encouraging you to be more selective about what kinds of movies, music, + even social media trends that can possibly trigger you + to intentionally decrease the dosage.
It’s all about minimizing what doesn’t nourish your mental health. Sometimes all it takes is the smallest cut backs to create a large + positive lifestyle change.
07 | Make a Life While Making a Living
@anno.ginger
Sometimes all we need to do to live a more calm + steady life is cultivate a work life balance. Not by time blocking, scheduling, + getting a new calendar but, by balancing how much time we spend in our business with how much time we spend in our lives.
Did you know that the APA reported that women are 27% more prone to cancel their social plans? Now imagine how many social plans a woman in biz probably sacrifices.
The truth is that female entrepreneurs account for a large percentage of the entrepreneurial world (a whopping 82.5% in comparison to 69.8 of males). So we deserve to relax + enjoy life in between achievements.
That is why I created this luxury activity guide to help female biz owners claim back their free time from the grind + have 52 weeks of fun with loved ones.
Implementing just one activity a week will allow you to feed your social life without disrupting your work life. As women we are fueling the modern biz world so we deserve to indulge ourselves without guilt + with much pleasure!
“Cheers to more Calm CEOs.”
I’m so proud of you for doing what it takes to create timeless calm in your life. I know that this wasn’t the trendy “better your breathing, sit in a warm bubble bath, + put on a fresh face mask” advice. While these are truly relaxing activities, true calm will always stem from the peace we carry inside.
Let me know what your favorite lifestyle tip was over on IG @pondrblog + be sure to share this with a fellow Fempreneur who you want to see blossom into a calm + confident CEO.
~ Until Next Post