5 Ways Anxiety Is Affecting Your Startup
Did you know that Anxiety Disorders can reduce productivity per month by an average of 5.5 work days?
Yeah, that can result in a lot of wasted time… and time is one of the top things entrepreneurs wish they had more of.
So, how is anxiety affecting your productivity?
It feels like everything is out of your control
When it comes to running a startup, there are too many factors at play to have control or be certain about everything that is going on in your company. As certainty becomes elusive, an anxious mind will try and run through all imaginable possibilities, in order to prepare for every potential scenario.
This can eventually become exhausting and really affect your ability to properly concentrate and be attentive to your work, as the “what if” thought pattern hijacks your mind. This exhausting thought pattern can often lead to a lack of focus and the inability to concentrate for long periods of time - which can severely affect your productivity and creativity.Asks can seem too large or difficult to handle.
When you become anxious, some tasks can seem too large or difficult to handle. This often leads to putting off tasks to a future date. The feeling of procrastination can become far too familiar, and you are left feeling quite unproductive.
Not paying attention to one task at a time
Having a racing mind can often lead to jumping from one task to another, this is known as - ‘task switching’. By task switching, you can become invested in how much needs to get done rather than getting the task done - resulting in worrying that you just don’t have enough time to complete them.
Failing to pay attention to one task at a time will slow you down and can lead to more anxiety.
Listening to the wrong thing
Whether it’s an investor meeting, sales call, or employee meeting - anxiety can wreak havoc with your ability to truly listen and take everything in. You may hear one thing, and then start thinking about worst-case scenarios or try to fix problems that don’t exist yet.
As a founder, this can be a huge issue, as you may be missing the most important information - the information that may be the solution, idea or person that may be able to help.
Worried about what people may think
When it comes to anxiety, a large part of it often comes from a fear of embarrassment or judgement, particularly with social anxiety. If we are constantly worried about what other people may think about us, it can really negatively affect how we work and lead our startups. The pressure of feeling like we need to have all the answers to all of the questions all of the time can often have us caught up in our own thoughts.
Often, this can lead to a public anxious moment, which can lead to us worrying about if others can sense our nervousness. If you are listening to potential clients, you may be too wrapped up in thinking about what the other person thinks about you, rather than listening to what they may be telling you.
You may also be worried about saying the right thing or making a good impression, rather than really listening, which may lead your mind to go blank when it’s your turn to talk.
But whether…
You have an anxiety disorder or not, stress can still wreak havoc on your productivity if you don’t have healthy coping mechanisms.
What are your healthy coping mechanisms to combat anxiety or stress?
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