Have you ever had someone imply that sales is easy? I used to be that guy.  Isn’t that frustrating? Little do people know who aren’t in the game the pressure, rejection, long hours, uncertainty of never knowing how much your next cheque is going to be, and what often seems like a thankless job at times. There’s definitely more good than bad, but the challenge lies in balancing the rollercoaster of emotions. 

I used to be immune to burn out and was your typical workaholic. I felt I could handle everything that was thrown at me and I welcomed it because I took pride in being the busiest person in the dealership.  Until it finally all caught up to me.  For the last 2 years, I’ve lived completely stress-free and it’s changed not only my life, but those who I surround myself with regularly as well.

How do you go from hitting your stress threshold to living stress-free virtually overnight?  First, I’m not a doctor nor claim to be, the following strategies are what have worked for me and I’d like to share them with you in hopes that if you’re in a similar situation or know of someone in this situation, you can free yourself from the mental prison you or someone you know is in.

#1. Protection through visualization

I started visualizing myself every morning with the people I care about most all in a circle of light with everything else dark around us.  All I see is myself and those closest to me in this circle.  When I start to feel stress, anxiety, depression, or any other negative emotion coming on in different situations, it becomes my responsibility to protect that circle of light from those negative emotions with everything I have.  If I let any of that darkness creep into my circle of light, not only do those negative emotions affect me, but they affect those in my circle as well because I can’t be my best for them when I’m stressed.  These negative emotions don’t stand a chance against someone who’s motivated to protect those closest to him with everything he has!

#2. Practice Meditation

This one was a stretch for me because as someone who is active and likes to stay busy, sitting still in silence for 10 minutes wasn’t something I was initially attracted to.  But the more biographies I read on successful entrepreneurs, the more I found a common theme which was the vast majority of them practice some form of meditation daily.  This was enough to convince me to give it a shot.  An app recommendation that kept coming up was one called “Headspace” and I’d like to recommend it to you as well.  It’s the best tool to use for beginners.  In order to maximize antidote #1, you need to put this one in place first and start your day with a clear conscience.  Headphones, darkness, and 10-minutes alone is all you need every morning.  I promise it’s worth the investment in time!

#3. Share Gratitude

Why do we have to wait for Thanksgiving to share thanks around the dinner table? Why couldn’t we make this a common practice?  It’s impossible to be grateful and feel negative at the same time.  So why not give yourself the best opportunity to succeed by being aware and grateful for the little things we tend to take for granted? Tell your spouse without warning that you’re thankful for their support, love, connection, and friendship.  Appreciate your material items, there is always someone who wishes they had what you have.  Be grateful for your health, sight, hearing, opportunity, lifestyle, and anything else that’s easily taken for granted.  Start your morning off by writing down something your grateful for, leave a notepad by your bedside so it triggers your brain to get in the habit of doing this, and tell your spouse and/or children what they mean to you, or text a friend just to check in and see how they’re doing.  All of these things lead to feeling better about yourself, thus reducing stress before your day begins and keeping it under control throughout the day.

I’ll leave you with one last crucial antidote against negative emotions… progression.  Progress somehow physically and/or mentally every single day.  What I’ve found is that progression leads to confidence, sense of accomplishment, and pride. It leaves you with a feeling of achievement at the end of the day and encourages you to do the same for tomorrow because you want that feeling again.  It develops momentum.  I hope this serves you well!