#LifeatMEST5 — Dealing with Stress & Anxiety as an Entrepreneur

A Session of our wellness class

According to a study conducted by UC Berkeley, up to 72% of entrepreneurs were found to have some kind of mental health issue. Another study shows that while 7% of the world’s population suffers from depression while a whopping 30% of entrepreneurs do.

It is apparent that entrepreneurs are going through it, especially with the current economy of the world, building a business is hard, and building in Africa is even harder

So why then is the mental health and emotional wellness of entrepreneurs barely talked about?

Expecting it to be this way

I went through a period of stress and anxiety during my first month at MEST. but I expected it to be this way, after all, isn’t that what being an entrepreneur is all about, preparing us for the harsh realities of the world

I didn't think anything of the constant headache or intense mood swings, in fact, I kept wondering why I wasn’t strong enough, after all, I wasn't the only one going through this stress. Everyone was going through it as well

It wasn't until I had an anxiety attack on a busy Friday that I knew this was unusual, the entire discomfort and angst I constantly felt for two weeks was not right.

Exploring Channels of Healing

Knowing that you need help is one thing, actively seeking that help is another. Seeking channels or ways to get better was difficult, I couldn't find something suitable for me and budget-friendly. It was such a relief to know that MEST provides wellness sessions for all entrepreneurs in training. I booked a session with the therapist, and after a 30 minutes session with her, I felt better.

In addition to the weekly Therapy we have an opportunity to get, we also have wellness sessions with a wellness expert

Understanding Stress & Anxiety

Imagine the body as a system, like a chemical system and then hormones are like catalysts that accelerates certain processes

Every month, Araba Ofori-Acquah, hosts us for a wellness session, it was my first time experiencing one and it was such an enjoyable experience. This session was all about managing stress and anxiety and I captured a few things I learned from her session;

1. Stress is how we respond to frightening situations: The body channels all its resources and energy to get us out of that situation. Think about the body as an engine fueled by food and blood, when your body is stressed, these resources divert from going to all other parts of your body to dealing with the situation at hand
2. Stress isn’t bad: Stress causes the body to release the hormone cortisol responsible for giving us the “adrenaline rush”. Long-term stress is bad because the body keeps using up resources meant for other parts to curtail stress
3. The 4 As of stress management are:: Avoid, Alter, Adapt or Accept.
4. Stress is different from anxiety: while stress is usually external, with a valid reason, Anxiety is being constantly worried for no particular reasons

How to Deal with Stress

Reframe: reframing helps us deal with stress by looking at the good in the situation

Kill intrusive thoughts: these are the constant reoccurring negative things we tend to repeat in our head

Eat well and Exercise: most people eat and exercise to improve their physical looks. we forget that exercise can also improve our mental health

Ask for Help: Whether it's reaching out to a team mate to reduce your team load or scheduling a therapy session, we shouldn't be afraid of admitting we need help

Have some Down Time: down times are when you do nothing. the art of doing nothing is actually an Asian practice I want to dive into

After the class, Araba gave us some take-home “assignments” to help us deal with our stress, they were so simple yet so challenging to do. and here they are;
- Have a sleep time activity
- ask for help today
- keep a stress tracker

I notice how difficult it was for me, to keep my phone aside, when I want to sleep, or how I always feel up every free space in my calendar with activity. y. I want to try these out and observe how they improve my overall health. I will track my well I observed these and how they improved my health. so far i am

• taking daily yoga classes
• eating well
• journalling and drawing
• tracking my mental health journey using sanvello app

over to you, do you experience stress and anxiety, and how do you deal with them? what practices do you use to curtail them? Share your thoughts in the comment below or write to me personally via mail: favour.onukogu@meltwater.org