306: Is Stress Holding You Hostage Whether You Are Starting A Business Or Side Hustle, A Solopreneur, Entrepreneur, Mompreneur, Freelancer, Bookkeeper, Virtual Assistant, Business Owner
- Financial Adventure, LLC
- Jun 2
- 9 min read
306: Is Stress Holding You Hostage Whether You Are Starting A Business Or Side Hustle, A Solopreneur, Entrepreneur, Mompreneur, Freelancer, Bookkeeper, Virtual Assistant, Business Owner, Or Self-Employed
If you’re listening to this episode right now, I already know something important about you. You’re someone who cares. You care about your business, your career, your clients, your deadlines, your team, your family, and maybe somewhere in the middle of all of that, you’re trying to care for yourself too. But let’s be honest… that last one? That “you” part? It usually ends up at the bottom of the list. Are you overwhelmed and over it? I get it. I’ve lived it. And after working with countless accountants, business owners, and high-stress professionals, I understand that the weight you’re carrying isn’t just heavy, it’s exhausting. You might be wondering if there’s a way to keep showing up and performing at a high level without feeling like you're constantly teetering on the edge of burnout. Yes, there absolutely is. And that’s exactly what we’re diving into today. How high-stress professionals break free from stress and overwhelm without burning out. Let’s dive in…
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Show Notes:
Hey there, I’m Chris Panek, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Coach, and the host of the Mastering Your Small Business Finances Podcast, and I want to welcome you to this new series I’m doing on this podcast. My intention is to drop one of these additional episodes every Monday while I continue to provide you with the regular Mastering Your Small Business Finances podcast episodes, which will continue to help you take control of and understand your business finances with topics that ultimately impact your bottom line. I have many business owners, accountants, and other high-stress professionals who listen to this podcast, and I want to get more help out there for individuals like you when it comes to mastering your mindset. I’ll be taking a few moments each week to touch on topics that many high-stress professionals are dealing with and provide solutions to help you increase your overall well-being. Because I know your time is valuable, just like the Mastering Your Small Business Finances podcast, my goal is to keep these episodes short and straight to the point but full of useful information to help you succeed in not only your professional life but your personal life as well.
If you’re listening to this episode right now, I already know something important about you. You’re someone who cares. You care about your business, your career, your clients, your deadlines, your team, your family, and maybe somewhere in the middle of all of that, you’re trying to care for yourself too. But let’s be honest… that last one? That “you” part? It usually ends up at the bottom of the list. Are you overwhelmed and over it? I get it. I’ve lived it. And after working with countless accountants, business owners, and high-stress professionals, I understand that the weight you’re carrying isn’t just heavy, it’s exhausting. You might be wondering if there’s a way to keep showing up and performing at a high level without feeling like you're constantly teetering on the edge of burnout. Yes, there absolutely is. And that’s exactly what we’re diving into today. How high-stress professionals break free from stress and overwhelm without burning out. Let’s dive in…
High-stress professionals like you and me are wired for achievement. You’re responsible, smart, and you get things done. However, the superpower you have can turn against you when stress becomes your baseline and “overwhelm” becomes your new normal. It’s the hidden cost of high performance. Think about it. Deadlines? Check. Back-to-back meetings? Check. Family obligations, kids’ schedules, tax season chaos, meal prepping, and keeping your inbox from exploding? Check, check, check, and check. Now add one more layer. The pressure to always be “on.” To never drop the ball. To say yes when you want to say no. To keep all the plates spinning even when your hands are shaking. Sound familiar? I had a client, a CPA, who owns their own firm, who told me during one of our first sessions, “I just feel like I’m failing at everything. My business is growing, but I’m barely surviving. I’m so overwhelmed that even the smallest things make me want to cry.” And yet, on the outside? She looked like she had it all together. That’s the thing about high achievers. We hide the mess well. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t breaking down behind the scenes.
I want you to know that stress isn’t a personal failure. Burnout isn’t a character flaw. It’s a byproduct of a system that rewards hustle over health, perfection over presence, and productivity over peace. So many of us were never taught how to regulate stress, build emotional resilience, or set goals without self-sacrifice. We were taught to push through. To work harder. To ignore the warning signs and keep going until something forces us to stop. That’s exactly why I created The RE*INVENTION™ Process. Because it’s not about doing more, it’s about doing things differently. It’s about learning to manage stress, set goals that actually serve you, and create a life that feels good from the inside out.
Within my signature program, The RE*INVENTION™ Process, we focus on three core pillars that help high-stress professionals not only survive their lives but truly thrive in them. Let me walk you through each one, and I want you to imagine, as I do, how this might look in your life.
The first pillar is stress management and resilience building. This is where we look at stress through a new lens. Not as something to fear or eliminate completely, but as something to understand, regulate, and even master. Stress doesn’t just happen in your life, or with what you are doing, it happens in your mind. Let’s take, for example, one of my coaching clients. He was running a fast-paced accounting firm and dealing with staff turnover, client demands, and the never-ending tax season chaos. His nervous system was on high alert 24/7. He told me, “I’m white-knuckling my way through every single day.” So we started with awareness. We uncovered his stress triggers and started working through each trigger to learn more about them, and he began seeing what he was thinking, and his overall mindset was what was creating much of his emotional state. He started working on small mindset shifts and regulating how he was feeling and realized quickly how much of an impact this had on his performance, even in high-pressure moments. Instead of spiraling into overwhelm, he started practicing being more intentional. In the past, he would have thought things like, “I have too much to do,” and now he thinks things like, “I can only do one thing at a time, and that’s enough.” Little shifts that create big results. He now handles the same workload with less stress and more clarity. He says he has a new sense of control that he forgot was even possible.
The second pillar includes goal setting and achievement. Did you know that high performers don’t struggle with setting goals? They struggle with setting sustainable goals. If you’ve ever said, “I know what I need to do, I just don’t do it,” welcome to the club. Here’s what we do differently inside The RE*INVENTION™ Process. We align your goals with your values and energy, not just your to-do list. We set SMART goals, yes. But we also create emotional fuel for those goals. I helped one of my clients, an overwhelmed tax preparer and mom of three, take a dream she had of starting her own side business and turn it into a reality. She was terrified of failing and kept saying things like, “I don’t have time.” But time wasn’t the issue for her; fear was. So we worked through the fear she was feeling. We broke the goal into small, doable steps. We celebrated every win along the way. Six months later, she launched her business, and she did it without sacrificing her sanity, sleep, or self-worth. She stopped hustling and started leading her life on purpose.
The third pillar is a game changer. It’s all about integrating work-life balance and fulfillment. Because guess what? You can hit all your goals and still feel miserable if your life is out of alignment. Balance isn’t a luxury. It’s a survival strategy for high-stress professionals. We look at how you spend your time, where your productivity and energy leaks are, and how to integrate actual self-care into your life. Not bubble baths and spa days, but don’t get me wrong, these can be great too. I’m talking about the real work. Setting boundaries, mindset, nervous system regulation, saying no, and finding joy again. Have you ever thought that you don’t even know what you enjoy anymore because you’ve been in survival mode for too long? This is what I’m talking about. Does it sound familiar? This is when I work with my clients on guilt, people-pleasing, and the belief that prioritizing yourself is selfish. This is where you start to take your power back. When you start taking time for yourself, reconnecting with your family and friends, you’ll actually start feeling excited to go to work again. When you’re fulfilled personally, your professional life becomes more energized because it’s all connected. This is why I work with my clients to ensure they are integrating work-life balance in their lives.
I want you to know that thriving isn’t about fixing everything overnight. It’s about slowing down enough to notice what needs attention, and giving yourself permission to want more than just making it through another day. You are allowed to thrive. You are allowed to be supported. And you do not have to figure this all out alone. The RE*INVENTION™ Process is about community, tools, support, and strategy, all built specifically for professionals like you.
I want to ask you, where is stress holding you hostage right now? What area of your life is quietly screaming for your attention? Is it your schedule? Your health? Your sleep? Your relationships? And what would change if you had someone in your corner to help you see what’s possible and give you the tools to actually make it happen? That’s what we do together inside The RE*INVENTION™ Process, and whether you join my program, hop into one of my workshops, or just keep tuning in here each week, I want you to know I’ve got you. Take a moment after this episode to write down one area of your life that feels the most stressful right now. What’s one small thing you could do to support yourself in that area? What’s one thought you can practice this week to feel more grounded? Remember, awareness is the first step. The next step? Is action. If you’re ready to take that step with me, to explore what your RE*INVENTION could look like, go to www.FinancialAdventure.com and click on the work with me button. You don’t need to earn rest. You don’t need to keep proving your worth. You just need a better system—and I’ve got one waiting for you.
If this topic resonates with you, don’t wait; the rest of this episode is waiting for you inside my free private podcast, Mastering Your Mindset Moments. It’s created specifically for business owners, accountants, and high-stress professionals like you. People who are done feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or stuck in survival mode, and are ready to live a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life. When your schedule is packed and the pressure is high, it’s easy to lose sight of why you’re working so hard. Inside this private podcast, I share quick, powerful mindset and productivity tools you can apply right away, even during your busiest seasons, to reduce stress, reclaim your time, and enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to achieve. It’s free to join, and you’ll get instant access when you go to www.FinancialAdventure.com/private. Don’t put this off; this podcast is your shortcut to meaningful results in just a few minutes a week. Your next step toward feeling more in control, less overwhelmed, and finally enjoying a more balanced lifestyle again is only one episode away. I’ll post links to this and other valuable resources for business owners, accountants, and other high-stress professionals where you are listening to this podcast.
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