3 tips to get you through tough times as an entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship and building businesses is seldom a smooth sailing cruise, but more like roller coasters of great ups and unnerving downs. Through the years building Ascentic I have gathered a few reflections on what helps me through stressful times, applicable for entrepreneurship just as much as in other careers.

Boost your feel-good hormones

Dopamines, endorphines, oxytocin and serotonin are commonly known as the feel-good hormones, helping you to feel content, positive and energised. During stressful times in our worklife, we paradoxically often start deprioritising the activities that boost these hormones — activities like exercise, cooking, listening to music and other things that makes us happy. Instead we increase the time spent on activities generating stress hormones. For me, exercise has always been my go-to in order to stay sharp and focused during demanding times. The cocktail of endorphines and dopamine rushing through my body after a good surf, run or workout is just what I need to detangle messy thoughts and fuel up on new energy.

Go back to the roots

Building a new business includes a significant amount of trial and error — trying out new ventures and acting on different business opportunities. Rolling out initiatives that doesn’t go as planned is a part of the process but can feel discouraging in the moment, often making you question more aspects of your business. Apart from lifting the gaze ahead, I have found it to be important to remind myself of the core of the business in those situations. What is it that we do really well? What do our customers love about our services / offering / products and what do our team members get proud about? Spending more time with your core customers or users; reflecting on the strengths of the organisation and your team, not only helps in boosting you with energy but also to

• Identify and cut struggling parts of the business
• Remind yourself of the crew around you, building that core so strong
• Refine your offerings and market communication
• Open up for new business opportunities

And lastly,

Take a shower

Yep, not only positive for your desk neighbour but also an effective method in generating some new solutions and fresh perspectives. It has been shown in many studies that it is during activities like taking a shower that most people come up with creative ideas or solutions to problems, rather than when sitting by a desk. Identify the activities that help you reset your mind and take breaks when you get stuck, and you’ll be better equipped to take the right decisions for the next steps.

I hope you found this helpful, let me know the activities or actions that works best for you in the comments below! 👇🏼