In entrepreneurial life we are under constant pressure. Some imposed by our clients and some by our own expectations.
Cash flow needs to stack up and customers need to be satisfied.
The more pressure we are subjected to the further we can move from feeling good to being under pressure. The stress that begins to accumulate can also stifle the joy that we would otherwise feel.
These are a few of the negative outcomes of pressure. But the good news is, there’s hidden silver linings in such moments that are often under debated.
There are three main ones detailed in this article. Each of these points shed light on an opportunity for transformation when facing pressure.
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Overwhelm Teaches Self-Awareness
When we are in overwhelm there is a part of our emotional system that begins to flare up. It will show its presence in a variety of ways.
It could be a silent moment of swallowing back a tear. It could be an abrupt word with a colleague that alerts us that our internal emotional state has lost its center.
When we lash out it merely indicates we are not happy internally and we have inadvertently slipped into judgment of those around us.
When we fail to find time to connect diplomatically, we are momentarily forgetting what it means to be a compassionate human being.
But worst of all these outside indicators are pointing to internal sabotage.
We are judging others because we are in fact still judging ourselves! The internal judge is always stronger towards self than others.
We are lashing out because we are failing to connect with our deepest joy-filled, calm space inside. IF we were grounded in this way, the abruptness would not have arisen.
Thus we are not being compassionate toward ourselves because had we been, we would have chosen a joy-filled inner state! This is a sad truth….
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Understanding Leads to Self-Compassion
Once we are aware that living with pressure is failing to be compassionate to ourselves, a moment to reflect can change everything.
The reflection could evaluate how our biggest recent success arose? Did it happen under pressure or was it a byproduct of when we were the most calm?
I know for sure, the more I stay calm and enjoy myself the easier it becomes to manifest what I want. In fact our earliest successes often came with ease, unexpectedly, whilst we were simply being ourselves and enjoying ourselves!
They did not arise because of self imposed pressure, and we forget that when we live our entrepreneurial life!
If we see it as we are wasting energy when we pour it into worry, panic or imposing stress or feeling outside expectations, we might become more thoughtful about this wastage.
Instead all that energy could be redirected and used more resourcefully. By keeping the momentum on the task at hand we become more productive and HAPPIER too.
This is self-compassion… reuniting us to our original desire to be in this particular line of work.
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Breath and its Connection with Fear
If you watch yourself carefully, when you are under pressure, your breath does not go so deep into your belly. It sort of remains in the upper quadrant of your body and sometimes is held back and constricted.
Try to experiment right now. Imagine a stressful situation and watch what happens to your breath.
It naturally becomes shallower. Stress is always accompanied with fear. “Fear I won’t make my rent.”, “Fear I wont be able to satisfy the deadline.”… Fear to be rejected, criticized etc.
When we are calm, the nervous energy in our body is not felt.
Instead the fear that surfaces from not meeting expectations dissolves into its polar opposite- and fills your body with excitement and anticipation of success. It has a very light and expansive feel to it.
This is the sort of feeling you initially felt when you first launched into this career.
So in its simplest form, when under pressure remind yourself to breathe deep down into your feet. As soon as you do that you will start taking the energy away from fear and overwhelm, into grounded-ess.
Use the earth to support you. Push the breath deep down into the ground, through your feet, as if you are laying roots into the floor to support you.
This simple act of self-awareness can redirect you back into your current moment reality, away from the emotional volatility that comes with pressure.
Use these moments to reflect, become more aware and use your breath to become more self-compassionate!
About the Author, Kindi Gill ACA
Kindi is a former CEO who offers Self-Awareness Executive Coaching, teaches principles of Consciousness and specializes in Change & Mental Health as a Professional Speaker.
Kindi has been a student of the Dalian School for Health and Consciousness and is a Facilitator of the Self Healing Dalian Method, an evolutionary tool for Transformation. Kindi has shared this system with hundreds of people, since founding Spark Expansion Consulting in 2015, and without fail, adults, teenagers and children delight in their changes.
Call Kindi at 778-558-5110 for help in getting your business and personal life back on track to achieve its natural full potential or visit www.www.InwardLeadership.com for her free leadership report.
