You run a business. You care about your work. So, of course, things feel personal. One sharp comment. One refund request. One short email. Your mind knows it is small, but your body reacts fast. Your emotional resilience drops!
This is not a weakness. Your nervous system thinks you are under threat. Your job is to guide it back to steady ground.
Emotional Resilience is not about blocking feelings.
Resilience is about staying present when feelings rise.
Why smart women still get shaken
Women in business are often taught two things:
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Push feelings to the side and keep going.
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Spill everything and hope it helps.
Both take you away from your centre. Nervous System Regulation brings you back to yourself so you choose your next step with a clear mind.
When old bruises get poked
Maybe you share an opinion online. Someone replies, “Who do you think you are?”
Your body hears older messages: too loud, too bold, not safe.
Or a client sounds rushed. You tense up.
You rewrite everything late at night because conflict feels dangerous.
This is not an overreaction.
This is your system trying to protect you with an old map.
Your goal is not to avoid triggers.
Your goal is to shorten the time between activation and clarity.
A simple way to think about Emotional Resilience
Picture your emotional range like a window.
Inside the window, you think clearly. Outside the window, you either speed up or shut down.
Speed up looks like:
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Overexplaining
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Talking fast
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Urgency
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Micromanaging
Shut down looks like:
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Blank mind
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People-pleasing
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Avoiding decisions
Regulation is your return to the window.
Two clients who changed their patterns
A founder felt panic each time a client asked for an update.
Her body linked requests with failure.
She learned to pause, breathe slowly, and repeat, “A question is not a verdict.”
Her recovery time shrank from days to minutes.
Another client avoided posting online because criticism from an old boss still lived in her system.
We built a simple routine: post, step away, one slow breath, hand on heart.
After a month, she felt steadier.
Feedback stopped feeling like danger.
Small steps work. Repetition works.
Your Emotional Resilience Stack
Use these steps in order.
1. Stabilise your body
Slow exhale. Drop your shoulders. Feel your feet.
Say: “Sensations first, stories later.”
2. Label your state
“I’m activated.”
“I’m in protect mode.”
Naming lowers the intensity.
3. Ask a gentle reality check
“What else might be true?”
This widens your perspective.
4. One regulating action, one clear action
Regulating: walking, stretching, water, sunlight, shaking out hands.
Clear action: one question, one next step, one boundary.
5. Close your loop
Use BRAKE:
Breathe.
Recognise progress.
Allow what is unfinished.
Keep/Keep Out (what waits for tomorrow).
Exit clean.
The Four Horsemen of Dysregulation
1. Catastrophising
Thought: “This ruins everything.”
Reset: List three outcomes: worst, best, next step. Take the next step.
2. Personalising
Thought: “Their mood is about me.”
Reset: Ask one clarifying question before reacting.
3. Mind Reading
Thought: “I know what they think.”
Reset: Check the facts. Reflect back what you heard, and ask if it is accurate.
4. All-or-Nothing Thinking
Thought: “If it’s not perfect, it’s pointless.”
Reset: Aim for a 70 per cent version that moves things forward.
Your emotional resilience first-aid kit
Keep these close:
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Calming playlist
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Card with the words: “Sensations first, stories later.”
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Box-breath cue
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Water + protein snack
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Boundary script
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Small wins list
You will use these more than you expect.
Daily habits that keep your system steady
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Light before screens
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Protein and water before tough calls
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A short buffer between stressful tasks
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One minute of something joyful
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A simple shutdown ritual
These build a calm baseline.
When business still feels personal
That means you care. You built this. Your feelings make sense.
Try saying: “I can feel this and still lead myself.” “I can be moved and still stay steady.”
This is the real strength. This is what makes success safe.
A one-week practice
Each day, write down:
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One moment that activated you
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Which Resilience Stack step did you use
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How long did you take to recover
Aim for shorter recovery, not perfection. Your system learns through repetition.
If you want this to become part of your weekly rhythm, come to the Reset & Rewire Masterclass.
If you want support for your full business operations, join The Inner CEO Rewire Accelerator.
You deserve success that feels steady, not stressful. Success should feel safe.
Watch this video here to find out more: https://youtu.be/QtyUDUmIyms
If you ever feel wired, overwhelmed, or shaken by small moments in your business, you are not alone. Your nervous system is doing its best to protect you, but the cost is exhaustion, overthinking, and self-doubt. Click here for a clear way to understand these reactions, emotional resilience and a simple plan to steady yourself without pushing feelings aside. Your decisions get better when you feel safe. This is how you get there. Read my newsletter for more: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andreaasmith01_mentalhealthawareness-activity-7394697286016057345-YNCP
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