Overcoming Stress as a Christian Entrepreneur

We all get stressed at some point in our business adventure. Stress does not just magically disappear when we become a Christian or when we get started in business. Stress is a real part of our human nature. Our brains are literally hard wired to respond to stress. So, what do we do about it?

In Christian circles, we say “pray about it” or “look to scriptures.” Those are great things to say, but when you are busy running a business, it sometimes gets frustrating to hear such overused statements without some real action behind them.

I want to share some practical insights that have helped me when I get stressed. Yes, we should pray and yes, we should read our Bibles, but more than that, we must take action to get past the stress and back to success.

We need to breathe.

This may sound like a weird statement, but if you pause and take a deep breath and let it out slowly, it triggers a relax signal in your brain. God built simple biological triggers in our body to help us deal with rough times. Taking a deep slow breath, and repeating it seven times, will put your brain in a state of relaxation.

This is so important because when we are stressed our brains are firing in erratic patterns. Stress affects your mind just like a real threat. Your brain reacts to stress just like you react to a large animal jumping in front of you. Stress in your brain is processed just like a real life or death situation.

Stress is a reaction. When we take a moment to breathe, we reset our brain and can handle our situation with a better equipped mind.

We need to get our minds off our problems.

Stress gets worse when we look at our problems over and over. Looking at our list of things to do does not change the list. Looking at those financials does not change the financials. We must take action and change our pattern of thinking if we want to find creative solutions.

When our brain is stressed, we tend to focus on what is causing the stress. It is important to step away from the problem and get a better perspective. It may be a simple as going for a walk, listening to your favorite music, or talking to a mentor.

Our problems only seem big when we are looking at them directly. Try to look at your problem in light of the successes you have. Stress is all about perspective.

We need to remember our purpose

Remember why you are in business. When stress hits, we want to just throw in the towel and do our own thing. That is how we fail. We must remember why God wanted us to start our business in the first place. What purpose do you have in your business? Why did you start your business?

If you return to your purpose, you can see how far you have come. You can also see what God wants you to do with your business for the long haul. There may be times where God is telling you to move to another business, but there may be times where God just wants you to grow so that He can give you even bigger blessings.

Our purpose helps us define why we are in business and helps us see stress in light of the longevity of our life. Learn from your struggles and become the person God wants you to be.

We need to remember our habits

Eating, sleeping and exercise are important. So is spending time with loved ones, relaxation and worship. Habits are regular patterns in our life that keep us grounded when times get tough. They remind us to focus on the important things in life and not to let struggles get us down.

If you are feeling stressed, take time to do a simple evaluation of your habits. When did you last eat, exercise and spend time with someone who encourages you? When was the last time you relaxed with your favorite hobby? When was the last time you exercised, even if it was just walking a few laps around the block? When was the last time you lost yourself in a worship song or got serious about digging into God’s word?

Habits help us center our lives on what is important so that stressors don’t have our complete attention. Find the habits that get you out of the stress rut and into your growth adventure

Conclusion

If you are stressed, know that it is only temporary. Stress comes and goes, but who you are as a Child of God is so much more important that any situation on this earth. You may need to delegate something, hire a business coach or lean into a good mentor. Do what you need to do and grow to become the person God wants you to be in this situation.

We have to take action whether we feel like it or not. Honestly, I did not want to write this article because of some horrible stress in my life, but I pushed through it. I used all of these techniques this last week to help me keep my focus and become the person God wants me to be. My prayer is that this small article gives you one thing you can do that helps you step out of stress and into God’s presence.

Take action right now: Take a deep breath, step away from your computer, leave your phone on your desk and take a ten to twenty minute walk. As you walk, contemplate this questions: “What do I need to learn in this situation so that I can become a better Christian business owner?”

When we focus is on the solution, instead of the problem, our minds line up with God’s purpose for us.

When we focus is on the solution, instead of the problem, our minds line up with God’s purpose for us. Click To Tweet