With a background in Psychology and having working in the mental health sector, our Volunteer Lexine has penned a guest blog on the importance of mind over matter when running your own business! 

When creating your business, it’s important to remember that this a time for your mind to be tested. This does not incur a pass or fail as such but knowing the best mechanisms to handle the emotional and mental roller coaster building a business can take you on. 

A business can be extremely rewarding when managed well. The sense of achievement and reward can override feelings of stress when a business is successful, but it does not eradicate the feelings all together. These four simple steps can be to make your journey all the simpler.

This easy guide is here to provide you with a little more clarity of what to incorporate into your lifestyle and what you can benefit from to make the journey all the simpler.


1. Fight and flight awareness:

A simple awareness that most of us fail to integrate into our personal life, let alone professional. As humans, we tend to look for threat in situations that can harm us, which is great to keep us out of danger and ensure we stay alive. However, in our current climate on earth most 1st World citizens do not need to fear imminent death (the prospect of being eaten by lions and tigers) and most of our fears are due to the ones we create in our minds (how will I create more customers, am I going to lose profit). Being aware of this can prevent the emotional response of stress and anxiety from escalating (chest pain, headache, sweating), and we are able to find solutions. Yes, this threat could be real (in terms of loss of earnings, needing new customers), but hyperventilating is not going to lead you closer to finding a solution.

2. Shake your brain: 

Remember this in that moment (of anxiety/low mood) shift your mindset. This could look like listening to music, running/walking in fresh air, dancing, and anything that will challenge the mind to shake out of its intensity of negative mood. Challenge your brain to change by physically shaking your senses (so to speak).

 3. Present over past: 

This is a Debbie downer that keeps your mind in the woes of all the bad that’s happened in the past. Reliving negative thoughts not only induces all the same negative feelings that are associated with those events in the past, but also reduces the enthusiasm to want to do much about it. This can keep your mind locked out of the present, which is where all your magic and productivity happens. Equip yourself by becoming aware of your thought when your mind trails back further than 5 minutes ago, and ask do I really want to be falling down the rabbit hole?

4. Mini goals and rewards: 

Who doesn’t want a hyper successful business? Shooting for the stars is great ambition, but don’t forgot about the small stars and successes. Give yourself small achievable goals and record these also: spreadsheets, pin boards, vision boards, diaries. Reward yourself accordingly, whether this be a trip to the cinema, a new set of pyjamas, lunch and coffee for yourself at your favourite bistro – whatever your vision of treat looks like do that to give yourself a pat on the back for what you’ve achieved (preferably weekly/fortnightly).

5. Shut down mode: 

By this it means have a period in your day where you will shut everything down. Ideally for at least 30 minutes but aim for a solid hour. Bask in the glory of turning mobile, desktop, laptop, iPad, television, (you get the picture) and just relish in the real world. Place a timer onto an hour and reconnect back with the real world and out of your business and technical mindset. In this hour do whatever you please. If you have a million and one things you realise you want to do, write it down, make a bullet point list, and leave it to start after the hour is up.

This is a quick and easy guide to add fullness to your life. Try it before you deny it, as you may read this and think how could this help? But, realistically big change happens with small steps, and don’t ignore the greatness that comes with small changes. You heard the saying, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Thanks Lexine! Find out more about our Lexine on her ‘meet the team’ blog here.

And if you are in the planning stages of starting a business, find out how the Enterprise Hub programme can help via 0151 706 8113 enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk