Managing stress effectively is crucial for online marketers who often juggle tight deadlines and an endless to-do list. These stress management tips will help you stay productive, focused, and in control, even when the pressure is on.
“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time,” said Leonard Bernstein…
This describes the reality for most online marketers. They’re constantly racing against time, always feeling like they’re behind the curve. There’s a never-ending list of things to learn and tasks to complete – and never enough time to handle it all.
How can anyone keep up?!!
Building an online business demands significant mental effort and countless hours in front of a computer. Isolation, setbacks, frustration from technical glitches, overwhelm, and a host of other challenges will become part of your journey.
You’ll experience the exhilaration of short-lived victories and the discouragement of temporary failures. It’s a mental and emotional rollercoaster ride that seems endless.
Amid your highs and lows, you’ll often question whether it’s all worth it… and may even consider giving up.
You might start blaming yourself – but it’s not about you. This is just how the process works, and to achieve success, you must embrace it.
Stress isn’t a matter of “if,” but a matter of “when.” At some point, you will face stress – it’s unavoidable.
The key to success lies in your ability to manage that stress and keep moving forward.
Countless beginners in online marketing quit because the stress overwhelms them.
You won’t be one of them… if you apply the 7 tips outlined below…
1 – Know yourself
The key to managing stress lies in understanding the root cause of your stress. Most marketers’ stress typically falls into one of the categories below.
Which of these categories applies to you?
Financial stress
Millions of people venture online to make money quickly, hoping to pay off bills and ease financial pressures. However, their goals often conflict with the realities of online marketing.
Building a successful online business quickly is extremely challenging. The rare few who manage it are exceptions, not the rule.
If your goal is to make money fast, consider getting a second job instead. It’s less stressful, and you’ll have quicker access to the funds you need to address your financial obligations.
This way, you can work on your online business in your free time without feeling overwhelmed. Success takes time—usually more than you initially expect. Give yourself that time.
Emotional stress
If you’re pursuing online business success as an escape from a job you despise, you’re setting yourself up for a stressful experience. Desperation to leave your toxic workplace or a disliked boss will create a sense of urgency that hinders your progress.
Ironically, this desperation can slow your online business growth and heighten your stress.
A better approach is to leave the toxic environment and find a more agreeable job. Then, you can work on building your online business while enjoying a less stressful work environment.
Trying to rush your way to online success is one of the most common causes of stress for marketers.
Overwhelm
Taking on too much can quickly lead to stress. Beginners often experience this when they purchase too many tools or courses and feel paralyzed by not knowing where to begin.
Even seasoned marketers who are earning well can feel overwhelmed when they create too many income streams and struggle to maintain them all.
In such cases, the businesses own the marketers rather than the other way around. While this is a stressful situation, it’s often easily resolved by streamlining and simplifying your workload.
Performance stress
Marketers who create products may experience stress when sales fall short of expectations. Others may worry about low lead generation or underperforming ad campaigns.
Repeated small ‘failures’ can feel like ‘death by a thousand cuts’ and erode confidence.
Intermediate marketers often compare themselves to others who are more successful, which only exacerbates their stress. The solution? Stop comparing yourself.
Additionally, hitting an income plateau can be frustrating and stressful when it feels like no matter how much effort you put in, you can’t break through.
A lack of motivation
One of the biggest stressors is self-sabotage. This often takes the form of procrastination, lack of focus, or inconsistency.
Marketers may know exactly what they need to do but struggle to take action. Fear of stepping out of their comfort zone often leads to inaction, which then results in guilt and stress over unmet goals.
As you can see, stress can stem from a wide variety of stress factors. Identifying what’s causing your stress is essential to addressing the problem and easing the discomfort and uncertainty that weigh you down.
2 – Write it down
There’s something incredibly therapeutic about putting your thoughts on paper – and that’s exactly what you need to do here. Write down everything you’re feeling and, most importantly, the reasons behind your stress.
Do NOT filter or edit your thoughts. Be completely honest with yourself and put down exactly what’s on your mind and in your heart. The solution to your challenges lies within the words on that piece of paper in front of you.
Remember Stephen Covey’s words: “Self-awareness involves deep personal honesty. It comes from asking and answering hard questions.”
3 – Focus
Once your problems (stressors) are clearly written down, it’s time to ask yourself how to resolve them.
As mentioned earlier, if financial stress is the issue, consider finding another job instead of depending solely on your online business. Focus on paying your bills first so you can work on your business calmly during your free time.
If failure is causing you stress, remember that failure simply means there’s something you don’t know yet. Your task is to identify the issue and learn how to fix it.
Feeling overwhelmed? – Simplify your business. If you’re new to online marketing, stick to ONE proven business model and master it.
Struggling to compete with more successful marketers? – Stop comparing yourself to others. You don’t know whether their online success stories are genuine or just carefully curated highlights. Focus on improving your own results instead.
Lacking motivation to work? – No problem. Start small.
Commit to working on an activity for just 2 minutes. This removes the pressure of big tasks. Interestingly, you’ll often find that once you begin, you’ll continue working well beyond those 2 minutes. Starting is always the hardest part.
These are just examples of how to address stress. The most important takeaway is to identify the root cause of your stress and focus on solving it.
4 – Create a plan of action
Once you’ve pinpointed the source of your stress, it’s time to take proactive steps to reduce it. For some, this might involve creating a structured work routine and adhering to it.
For others, it might mean delegating tasks to dependable freelancers.
Your solution will depend on your unique circumstances. Only you can determine what is mentally and emotionally burdening you. Address it directly, or it will only grow worse over time.
Develop a plan and stick to it.
5 – Simplify
Leonardo da Vinci famously said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
By simplifying your business processes, you’ll reduce overwhelm and clear the mental clutter in your mind.
Focus only on tasks that drive your business forward and contribute to its profitability. Routine tasks that are essential but drain your energy should be outsourced whenever possible. This will free up your time and energy to concentrate on what truly matters.
Similarly, eliminate anything unnecessary for the moment.
For instance, if you have incomplete projects or new ideas for potential ventures, file them away in a “Keep in View” (KIV) folder for now. Your focus should be on the most immediate priorities.
Once you’ve completed the critical tasks, you can revisit your side projects – tackling them one at a time.
6 – Eliminate the energy sappers
Each morning, you wake up with a limited amount of energy. This valuable resource is gradually drained throughout the day by various activities, such as checking your phone, engaging in debates on social media, working on your business, watching TV, and more.
To maximize productivity, aim to work during the times when your energy levels are at their highest. Beyond that, you’ll want to preserve your energy as much as possible.
Cutting out energy-draining activities, like endless social media scrolling, can leave you with more energy for meaningful tasks. Similarly, remove any habits or routines that, while enjoyable in the moment, are sapping your energy in the long run.
Doing this won’t just help you avoid dopamine overreliance but will also leave you feeling more refreshed. Many people who try a digital detox report experiencing increased energy levels and improved mental clarity.
To keep your stress levels low, focus only on what truly matters for advancing your business and life. You don’t need to operate like a machine, but you also don’t want to get lost in indulgence.
7 – Act the part
Marketers often stress themselves out by fixating on how far they still have to go rather than appreciating how far they’ve already come.
If you’re feeling frustrated because your goals are still out of reach, take a moment to reflect on your progress. Look at the knowledge you’ve gained, the work you’ve done, and the marketer you’ve become. Every step forward is proof that success is inevitable if you stay consistent.
To maintain your motivation, start embodying the mindset and behaviors of a successful online marketer, even if you haven’t reached your destination yet.
What does a successful marketer do?
He/she continues learning, working, and experimenting with new ideas. Successful marketers remain focused and maintain a positive outlook.
Every failure is seen as a stepping stone toward eventual success. Their business is streamlined and profitable.
A marketer who stays ahead of the curve is disciplined and takes the necessary actions… regardless of whether they feel motivated or not.
Can you imagine yourself stepping into this role?
Even if it feels awkward or ‘inauthentic’ to act like a seasoned marketer before you actually are one, do it anyway.
It’s only a matter of time before your external reality aligns with your internal mindset.
By adopting this attitude, you’ll have little time to dwell on worries or feel overwhelmed. Instead, you’ll be energized and motivated by your progress. This is one of the most effective ways to improve your mental and emotional well-being.
In conclusion, feeling stressed is a natural part of the journey. However, allowing stress to linger for extended periods can lead to anxiety, depression, and ultimately, a negative impact on your business.
Implement the 7 stress management strategies outlined above to tackle your stress head-on. Remember, stress is merely your mind working against you. Take charge of it, and the stress will naturally dissipate.
“Ships don’t sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.” – Unknown
