230: How I confront My Anxiety And Be Successful
In today’s episode, Shelby shares her journey from denying she had anxiety to learning to work alongside it while building a successful business. After being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder while waiting for open heart surgery, she discovered that anxiety isn't a sign of failure. It's often a sign of growth and expansion.
Shelby opens up about her current anxiety triggers as a business owner: making decisions that impact her team, navigating corporate structure for the first time, and the weight of responsibility as the company grows. She shares how anxiety manifested during her six-month wait for open heart surgery during the pandemic, and how doubling down on her business during that time actually helped her manage the fear.
Five practical tools Shelby uses to manage anxiety:
- Shorten the decision window
- Give yourself 24-48 hours max, then trust yourself to decide and adjust later
- Separate facts from fear
- Write down what's actually happening vs. the story you're telling yourself
- Regulate before you strategize
- Get outside, move your body, calm your nervous system before making decisions
- Treat anxiety as data, not directive
- It might mean prepare or slow down, but rarely means quit
- Build tolerance, not avoidance
- Confidence comes from doing the things that make you nervous, repeatedly
Anxiety and success are not opposites. Every successful person feels fear and anxiety. They just keep moving anyway. You don't need to be fearless or anxiety-free to build something meaningful. You just need to be willing to move while fear is in the car with you.
Disclaimer: Shelby is a nurse life coach, not a therapist. This shares her personal experience. Seek professional support for your individual needs.
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