A little known fact about me: I have a degree in Psychology. And, I struggle with anxiety. Living with anxiety as a mom is hard and being a business owner with anxiety sometimes feels even harder. If I know anything, I know that I’m not alone. Today, I want to take a moment to remind you that you are NOT alone if you struggle with anxiety. And, I want to share a few things I’ve learned about being a business owner with anxiety, too.

Learn from Criticism and Let it Go…

Take a lesson from Elsa, and let it go. I take criticism super deeply. I want everyone to be happy and love what I do. I mea, who doesn’t? But as someone who struggles with anxiety, I can take this criticism to heart sometimes. Instead of just taking it and learning from it, I spiral into worrying about whether or not I’m actually good at what I do. Sound familiar? While I’m far from perfect, I’m doing my best to take the important pieces from what my clients tell me and let go of it once I’ve made the update, correction, or change. One mistake doesn’t mean I’m not good at my job! And it doesn’t mean you are either!

Your job is not to make everyone happy…

I LOVE making people excited when we work together. I want them to love everything I write and do. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But making everyone in the world happy is NOT your job. There are going to be people that don’t like what you do or who you are, and that’s okay. You’re not meant for everyone. It’s time to start letting go of the expectation that you need to make everyone happy.

Set boundaries and follow them…

For me, the biggest thing I’ve learned from business is setting boundaries is KEY. By setting boundaries early on in my work relationships, I have something to reference when I feel that lines have been crossed. I set exceptions for myself and my clients for when I’m working, the hours I’m available, and what our workflow looks like. Setting boundaries helps everyone know what to expect so there’s no surprises and no chances to feel badly about when you have to stand your ground. Boundary setting isn’t always easy but it’s so, so important for making sure you can balance everything in your life.

Learn to walk away…

If a relationship, a client, a task, or piece of your business is no longer serving you, walk away. I don’t mean just get up and go – I’ve learned the best way is to have a secondary plan of action to offer whoever is involved, but find a way to peace out. Your sanity is MUCH more important. Often times, I’ve found when I remove myself from these “bad” situations, my anxiety over work lessens. Coincidence? I think not…

When it comes down to it, building a business is about creating something that serves you and your clients well. Letting your anxiety run your business doesn’t really help anyone… but I know how hard it is to do these hard things. Take it one step at a time, and do what makes you feel happier and stronger. If you need help setting boundaries or figuring out how to make your business work for YOU, let’s talk. I want you to know you’re not alone and you can do this!