Scary Side Effects of Stress

Back in ‘94, when I was an entrepreneur, my life was busy. I had a car payment and bills, a mortgage, and a new business I wanted to launch. I had babies (ages 3-5) in the house and we just made a significant life change with a move to a new location.

My stress levels were through the roof, and health scares soon followed. My doctor sat me down and directly told me I was on track to being dead or having a devastating health consequence within a year if I didn't slow down and take care of myself.

You can measure your stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale, and there are many other stress tests out there. But let’s be honest, as a small business owner, you probably don’t need a test to tell you you’re under stress.

The real deal is I’ve seen great humans taken to their knees by physiological and psychological conditions, many stress-induced.

I’m not saying that stress is inevitable, but I will tell you that there are ways to prevent lasting health scares due to stress and its deterioration of health on the body and mind.

1. Take Damn Good Care Of Yourself. You’re from the DNA that says I sacrifice for the mission, always willing to take the first hit. Let me remind you what flight attendants say, put your oxygen mask on first and KEEP it on. Otherwise, you’ll be a liability to everyone else on the plane.
   
   You might not faint under stress (like you would without oxygen), but I actually did faint twice in the 90s from not taking care of myself. My wife at the time told my doctor that I was worried, exhausted, not eating, sleeping, dehydrated, etc. She could see what I refused to. You’re not a machine. You’re a human being.
   

2. Sleep Matters. We discussed the benefits of a good night’s sleep a few weeks ago. Lack of sleep will cause you to slow down over time instead of speeding up. So yes, work hard and accomplish your goals, but stay well-rested while you do that.
   

3. Prioritize Good Nutrition. Your body needs vital nutrients to function correctly. An excellent place to start is eating healthy foods 80% of the time and fun foods 20% of the time. This process will give you a nice balance but still allow for some fun date nights with your partner. Fuel your thoroughbred self, and you’ll bring a better self to your family at the dinner table.
   

4. Quit Running Alone. Why do you think it’s wise to be the lone wolf? I don’t know much about wolves’ biology, but from my understanding, most wolves run in packs. Similarly, find your like-minded peers. If the TLP Cohort - badass individuals on the journey to the 0.01% - mastery of business, life, and self - is your crew, great! And if it’s not us, find somebody else.
   

5. Always Know What Your Worst Case Scenario Is. I knew in ‘94 what bankruptcy would mean for my family and me. I carefully calculated the looming possibility. It would be ugly, but it was not life or death. The scenarios we create in our head, guided by fear and doubt, feel like imminent doom, but those thoughts aren't true. Use our Decision Accelerator Tool and map out what could be the worst-case scenario.
   
   Why? Because once you have the worst-case scenario, everything else is a better-case scenario. Percentage-wise, it’s much more likely you’ll hit the better scenarios. When you compare those two things clearly, you are reducing your stress. You are preventing that inner voice from living out in a future that will probably never happen. You’re taking back control.

Remember, if you don’t take care of your health and stress levels, it will be the worst-case scenario (your health.)