What is your frenzy factor on a
scale of 1 to 100? 

That is the question my client’s coach asked her. Normally she hovers right around 50, but today her answer was 70.

Like my client, most entrepreneurs realize it does take a certain level of frenzy to maintain this lifestyle.  If you look at the definition of frenzied, you get two rather different perspectives, on the same continuum. 

Frenzied

adjective

wildly excited or enthusiastic:

frenzied applause.

violently agitated; frantic; wild:

a frenzied mob.

On a scale of 1 to 100, if 0 represents a complete lack of excitement, and 100 represents a state of mania, where do you lie?  I would guess that 50 is a nice balance of calm and excited energy – both of which are beneficial to being an entrepreneur. But then I started to think about another word: frazzled.  What if your frenzy factor consistently hovers at 75 or above? How long will it take – at that level – to reach the state of being frazzled?

Frazzled

adjective Informal.

worn-out; fatigued:

a party that left us frazzled.

What are the signs of a high frenzy factor?

• Running around like a crazy person, with very little downtime
• Irritability or agitation at even the smallest things
• Inability to think straight and effectively solve problems
• Unable to sit still; a need to be doing all the time
• High levels of anxiety
• Poor sleep patterns; prolonged bouts of insomnia
• Inability to stay focused; jump from one activity to the next with getting anything accomplished

What are the signs you are frazzled and on the slow road to burnout?

• Tired all the time
• Subtle mood swings
• Symptoms of depression: withdrawal from normal activity, sadness, sleeplessness
• Unexplained physical ailments such as headaches, neck pain, weight gain, nausea, rapid heartbeat, increase in blood pressure or getting sick more often
• Forgetfulness or loss of memory
• Too much focus on negativity
• Any other emotional or physical signs of stress

Unfortunately, frenzy and frazzle are all too common when you are an entrepreneur.  It takes a concerted effort to keep your life in balance. Personally, I am constantly evaluating my mental health and asking myself what I could be doing differently to reduce my stress.  So here is a brain dump of 20 activities I’ve learned can help keep your life in balance.

1. Work out on a regular basis.
2. Practice daily meditation.
3. Get rid of clients and team members that create constant stress.
4. Surround yourself with people you LOVE working with.
5. Let go of perfectionism.  It’s just not worth it.
6. Give yourself and others grace.  We are all human beings with different needs.
7. Know your own needs and honor them.
8. Align your life with your most important values.
9. Reduce the need to engage in people-pleasing.
10. Learn to say no when there is too much on your plate.
11. Invest in and rely on a team to support you and reduce your workload.
12. Stay in your zone of genius and let others do the same.
13. Stay connected to other entrepreneurs who get it.
14. Institute full “no work” days.
15. Engage in social activities that bring you joy.
16. Practice good sleep habits.
17. Put away your electronics for long periods of time.
18. Take a deep breath and trust that everything will be okay.
19. Rely on planning to increase your effectiveness and efficiency.
20. Do something creative that inspires you.

So answer these questions for yourself:

What is your frenzy factor right now on a scale of 1 to 100?

What is your frazzle factor right now on a scale of 1 to 100?

What ideas can you share to bring balance for entrepreneurs, including you?

Need a team to help reduce your frenzy or frazzle factor?  Amazing OBM supports heart-centered coaches by managing their day-to-day digital marketing activities.  Take time for you. You deserve it.