Stress Management Archives

doomscrolling and psychological safety threats

Posted on September 25, 2025September 26, 2025 by Dr. D Ivan Young

Doomscrolling – Protecting Psychological Safety

by Dr. D Ivan Young, MCC, NBC-HWC

Why Stress Feels Different Now

We all know stress is part of life, but the stress we’re carrying right now feels heavier, sharper, and harder to shake. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 43% of adults reported feeling more anxious in 2024 than the year before, with the economy, politics, and public safety topping the list. Globally, Gallup’s State of Emotions Report shows that stress and worry remain stubbornly high. For executives, the rise of digital overload has made Doomscrolling and Protecting Psychological Safety one of the most pressing challenges of modern leadership.

As an executive coach and expert in behavioral neuroscience, I hear this every day from CEOs, physicians, attorneys, and entrepreneurs. They aren’t just tired; they’re on edge. They’re leading companies, running households, and trying to keep it together in a world that feels increasingly out of control. And here’s the truth: when an executive is overwhelmed, the stress doesn’t stay locked inside. It spreads—into their leadership, their culture, and even into their families.

When Recognition Feels Like Betrayal

One of the most overlooked drivers of stress today isn’t just inflation or deadlines. It is what we see celebrated in the public square. Recently, a political leader chose to elevate a figure long associated with divisive and supremacist rhetoric, even suggesting a national holiday and ordering flags lowered on federal buildings. At the very same time, true acts of sacrifice and service were left in the shadows. Leaders like Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who gave her life advancing policies that brought people together, went unnoticed. The children who perished in floods, the fallen service members who defended this country, and the Capitol Police officers who died protecting democracy received no such tribute.

Moments like this inflict what psychologists call moral injury. Unlike ordinary stress, moral injury arises when core values such as truth, fairness, loyalty, and courage are betrayed by those entrusted with leadership. It leaves people feeling invisible, devalued, and abandoned. Neuroscience shows the body interprets betrayal as threat. The amygdala fires, cortisol surges, and the nervous system braces for conflict. Over time, these repeated violations not only drain resilience but erode trust in institutions and weaken the social fabric.

That is why so many executives tell me, “I feel like I’m constantly under attack.” It is not only stress; it is cultural conditioning. Doomscrolling – Protecting Psychological Safety in the Age of Noise captures this cycle perfectly. We are glued to negativity, while the sacrifices that should unite us are buried beneath the noise.

The Hidden Price of Stress on Leaders

In more than twenty years of practice, I’ve seen what stress does to leaders when it goes unchecked. Chronic stress keeps the HPA axis—the body’s stress response system—locked in overdrive. That leads to:

Foggy decision-making
Irritability and short tempers
Physical exhaustion and sleep problems
Teams that mirror their leader’s anxiety

I once had a client, a highly respected attorney, who told me, “I feel like I’m fighting fires every day, even when nothing is burning.” That’s exactly how stress hijacks the brain. When leaders operate from this place, they unintentionally spread fear instead of confidence, and their teams feel it immediately.

This is why leaders cannot ignore Doomscrolling – Protecting Psychological Safety in the Age of Noise. It’s not just about avoiding distraction; it’s about protecting the very foundation of trust and resilience in organizations.

Coaching as the Antidote: Evidence Meets Neuroscience

The good news? Stress doesn’t have to define us. Evidence-based coaching, grounded in neuroscience, gives leaders tools to reset their nervous systems and reclaim their focus.

1. Dialectical Behavior Techniques (DBT)

DBT helps executives balance logic and emotion. One of my clients, a CEO preparing to deliver bad news to shareholders, used a DBT grounding exercise: naming five things she could see, four things she could touch, three things she could hear. In minutes, her nervous system shifted, allowing her to speak with calm authority instead of panic.

2. Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

TTM reminds us that change happens in stages. Leaders who understand this stop labeling resistance as laziness. When I was guiding a hospital executive through a digital transformation, he realized his most resistant staff weren’t saboteurs—they were in the contemplation stage. With that awareness, he adjusted his leadership style, and within months, those same employees became champions of change.

3. Positive Intelligence (PQ)

PQ identifies the “saboteurs” in our minds—voices of fear, doubt, and control—and teaches us to strengthen our Sage mind: curiosity, empathy, and creativity. I’ve used this myself. As my practice expanded globally, I caught my “hyper-achiever saboteur” pushing me toward burnout. PQ training helped me step back, breathe, and lead from clarity instead of compulsion.

Metaphorically, coaching is like upgrading from an old smoke detector that screeches at burnt toast to a finely tuned system that only responds to real fire. Leaders learn to tell the difference between true emergencies and noise.

From Doomscrolling to Discipline

Executives are not immune to doomscrolling. In fact, they often justify it as “staying informed.” But research shows doomscrolling only fuels existential anxiety and drains work engagement.

That’s why I teach my clients the News Diet 3-2-1:

Three scheduled news check-ins a day
Two reputable sources only
One long-form article for depth

When they follow this, their stress drops, their focus sharpens, and their leadership presence grows. Setting boundaries around information intake is one of the most powerful ways to live out Doomscrolling – Protecting Psychological Safety in the Age of Noise instead of being consumed by it.

The Weight of Financial Anxiety

The Associated Press reports that most Americans list grocery prices as a major stressor, with nearly half calling it a serious problem. Even executives—who many assume are insulated from money worries—feel the weight differently. Their anxiety is about keeping payroll, protecting shareholders, and sustaining growth during uncertainty.

I’ve coached more than one executive who admitted privately, “I can handle stress in the boardroom, but when I sit at the kitchen table and look at our expenses, I feel powerless.”

That’s why I endorse strategies like the Cashflow Clarity Sprint. In just 20 minutes, leaders map out expenses, identify one controllable lever, and act on it. Neuroscience shows this small act of agency lowers cortisol and restores problem-solving capacity.

Climate Anxiety: A Silent Burden

Beyond politics and economics, climate anxiety is surging. Younger employees in particular want to know where their organizations stand. As leaders, ignoring this isn’t neutral—it creates disconnection.

I tell my clients: climate anxiety is like carrying a heavy backpack uphill. Every step is harder until you start unpacking it, one value-driven action at a time. That action may be small, like launching a sustainability initiative or backing community projects, but it transforms fear into purpose.

Stress Doesn’t Stay at the Office

“Anxiety and stress doesn’t end when the workday does—it follows leaders home. When leaders carry it through the door, it spreads into their relationships. Presence requires intention, not proximity.” Dr. D Ivan Young, MCC, NBC-HWC

When the nervous system is overstimulated, patience fades and presence disappears.

I know this firsthand. Early in my career, before I mastered these methods, I carried stress through the door every night. Even though I was physically home, I wasn’t fully present with the people truly cared about me.

What changed everything was learning a simple practice of mindful transition—five minutes of reflection before walking inside. That small shift gave me back my family time and strengthened the relationships that mattered most.

Here are tools I now give my clients:

Mindful Transitions: Leave work at work with a brief reflection ritual.
Relationship Debriefs: Weekly check-ins with partners, applying TTM to revisit commitments.
Sleep Anchors: Fixed wake times, light exposure in the morning, and body scans at night to reset the nervous system.

These practices don’t just protect personal relationships, they make leaders more effective at work too. In fact, they are essential in the practice of psychological safety because they anchor leaders in stability when the outside world is unstable.

Why Organizations Must Care

Unmanaged executive stress is never limited to the individual. It seeps into the culture, erodes trust, and silently drains organizations through absenteeism, turnover, and disengagement. The financial losses can be measured, but the greater cost is the breakdown of confidence between leaders and the people who depend on them.

When companies commit to evidence-based coaching, they are not simply investing in executives. They are fortifying the entire system by cultivating stability, resilience, and psychological safety. In a world defined by noise and volatility, the ability to protect human potential becomes the ultimate competitive advantage.

Conclusion: Leadership as Nervous System Regulation

Stress is not weakness. Stress is data. But if leaders don’t learn how to read that data, it turns destructive.

Profit-driven media may thrive on outrage, and politics may reward division, but executives don’t have to absorb that chaos. By applying DBT, TTM, and PQ, leaders can regulate their nervous systems, strengthen their teams, and create organizations that thrive in uncertainty.

Leadership today isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the tuning fork, the one that sets the tone so that clarity and stability resonate through the noise. That is how leaders protect themselves, their teams, and their families from the toxic cycle of Doomscrolling – Protecting Psychological Safety in the Age of Noise.

And I know this works. I’ve seen it in global boardrooms, in medical practices, in law firms, and in my own life. When leaders learn to regulate themselves, they don’t just survive the noise, they rise above it.

Dr. D. Ivan Young, MCC, NBC-HWC, CPDC is a globally recognized thought leader in behavioral neuroscience and executive coaching. An ICF Master Certified Coach, National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and Certified Professional Diversity Coach, he helps leaders and organizations navigate stress, build emotional intelligence, and foster psychological safety. His TEDx talks have reached millions worldwide, and his work is known for translating complex science into practical strategies for sustainable leadership.

The Cost of Your Prayers Being Answered

Posted on April 30, 2025April 30, 2025 by Dr. D Ivan Young

The Cost of Your Prayers Being Answered

Blessings, Burdens, and the Fire That Refines

by Dr. D Ivan Young, MCC, NBC-HWC

There’s an aspect of answered prayer that almost no one prepares you for—the breaking point that follows the breakthrough. You ask God, the Universe, the Divine for more: more peace, more purpose, more provision. But when “yes” finally comes, it often arrives wearing the robes of discomfort, disruption, and divine pressure. You prayed bold prayers, and doors opened—but along with those doors came weight you didn’t anticipate; this is the often unspoken Cost of Your Prayers Being Answered.

Right now, I’m walking through that fire. And if you’re reading this, there’s a strong chance that you are too. What you hoped would feel like relief now feels like stretching. What looked like a blessing is starting to feel like a burden. But I’m here to remind you: you’re not cursed—you’re being carved.

The Answer Costs Something – Blessings, Burdens, and the Fire That Refines

The Refiner’s Fire: Why Growth Always Costs Something

Here’s a truth most people don’t realize until they’re in the thick of it: growth demands something from you. While we long for transformation, we often resist the very process that makes it possible. We pray for elevation—but we shy away from the heat that prepares us to sustain it.

Yet, Isaiah 48:10 (NIV) brings the process into sharp focus:

“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”

God doesn’t whisper about the cost—He makes it clear. Refinement is intentional. The fire doesn’t destroy you—it reveals you. Every affliction you walk through serves to remove what no longer belongs. It’s not destruction; it’s divine separation.

To better understand this, picture raw gold encased in rock. The gold can’t shine until it passes through intense heat that strips away the impurities. That’s the cost of answered prayers. The fire burns away the parts of you that can’t go where you’re headed. It demands your ego, your need for control, your outdated coping mechanisms—all so the version of you worthy of the blessing can rise.

This principle also lives in the Bhagavad Gita (2:47), where Lord Krishna teaches:

“You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.”

Your Responsibility

In other words, your responsibility is to act in alignment with purpose—not to control the outcome. You’re called to show up, to do the work, to move with integrity. The results? Those belong to the Divine.

So even when you do everything “right,” and life still feels like it’s shaking you to your core, that doesn’t mean you’re lost. Quite the opposite. It means you’re in the middle of something sacred.

Think of your life like a home undergoing renovation. At first, things feel exciting. But quickly, demolition begins. The walls come down. Dust fills the air. The structure looks worse before it gets better. In those messy middle moments, doubt creeps in. But the blueprint remains intact—even when you can’t see it.

That’s what the cost of answered prayers often looks like: demolition disguised as delay, disorder masking divine progress.

So if everything around you feels like it’s falling apart, keep going. You’re not off track—you’re on sacred ground.
This is what divine preparation looks like.

When Your Blessing Feels Like a Breakdown

Let’s be honest—an answer to a prayer rarely arrives wrapped in ease. Instead of feeling like divine intervention, they often feel like divine disruption. You ask for expansion, and suddenly life stretches you in every direction. You call in abundance, and almost immediately your finances face unexpected strain. You step up to lead, and before long, unseen burdens land squarely on your shoulders.

The Quran reminds us:

“Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you, and like something which is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:216)

This turbulence doesn’t mean you’re off track. It means God is rearranging your life to match the promise you prayed for. What feels like chaos may actually be confirmation. Often, the cost of answered prayers shows up as a divine reordering—removing, shifting, and stretching everything in preparation for the very thing you asked for.

In “When All the Doors Have Closed,” I shared how easy it is to misinterpret resistance, delays, and discomfort as signs that something’s wrong. Yet more often than not, those very obstacles are proof that something sacred is forming. They are labor pains—painful, yes, but necessary—marking the birth of the next version of you.

So if your world feels unsteady, don’t rush to fix it. You’re not losing your footing—you’re gaining new ground.

In the Quran, reminds us:

“Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you, and like something which is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:216)

You’re not losing it. You’re being led through it. This chaos isn’t evidence of failure—it’s a sign that your life is rearranging itself around the promise you made with heaven.

We often interpret delay, resistance, or discomfort as divine silence. But in reality, these are the labor pains of answered prayer being born.

The Fog Between Revelation and Realization

Every answered prayer takes you through a sacred middle space. This is the unseen stretch between “I asked for it” and “I’m ready to carry it.” It’s where your old identity no longer fits, but your new self hasn’t fully emerged. You’re in motion, but not yet in manifestation. And while it may feel like confusion, what you’re really experiencing is a deep internal recalibration—one designed to align you with what you asked God to bring into your life.

This in-between space often carries weight. It’s part of the spiritual cost of answered prayers. Yes, your prayer has been heard—but now your life must stretch to accommodate its fulfillment. That stretch feels like instability, but in reality, it’s sacred preparation.

The I Ching names this season “Difficulty at the Beginning” and teaches:

“The beginning of everything is difficult. Disorder must be overcome bit by bit.”

So, if you feel overwhelmed or unsteady, take heart. The disorder around you isn’t working against your blessing—it’s clearing space for it. This moment is not failure—it’s fertilization. You’re being softened, strengthened, and shaped to hold more than you’ve ever held before.

I love this article, “What Is Spiritual Discernment? Its Signs and Power Explained”, I believe that. faith works best when paired with discernment. Right now, your discomfort isn’t a warning to retreat—it’s a divine invitation to dig deeper. Instead of running from the process, let your roots settle into it. This space is not just transition—it’s transformation.

So breathe. Be still. Trust the timing.
This is the cost. And this is how you rise.

Five Ways to Stay Resilient When the Blessing Gets Heavy

1. Reframe the Fire

If life feels like it’s burning you from the inside out, pause and reframe it. What if this fire isn’t meant to destroy you—but to forge you? Instead of consuming your purpose, the heat might be refining your character. Your perspective matters. How you interpret this season will either make you bitter or shape you into someone better equipped for your calling.

So rather than asking, “Why is this happening to me?”, begin asking, “What is this shaping within me?” That one shift changes everything. Difficult seasons act as sacred resistance training. Every trial stretches your emotional capacity and strengthens your spiritual core.

Just as lifting weights tears muscle fibers to rebuild them stronger, spiritual fire breaks down what no longer serves you—your ego, fear, and false sense of identity. It clears space for truth, power, and a deeper connection to your faith.

Consider the formation of a pearl. It doesn’t begin in beauty—it begins in irritation. A tiny grain of sand invades the oyster’s inner world, causing constant discomfort. And yet, over time, that same discomfort becomes the foundation for something exquisite. Likewise, this season may wound you, but it also holds the potential to produce something invaluable in you.

So hold on. Let the fire work. You’re not falling apart—you’re being formed.

2. Practice Daily Truth-Telling

When chaos swirls around you, one of the most powerful practices is speaking truth—your truth—out loud. Daily truth-telling acts like an anchor in a stormy sea. When the world feels uncertain, your words must become your compass.

Say aloud:

“I am being shaped, not shamed.”
“My pain has purpose.”
“This is temporary. But I am permanent.”

Write them down. Keep them visible. Declare them until they rewire your nervous system and reshape your belief system.

This isn’t about delusion—it’s about direction. You’re choosing to point your spirit toward faith rather than fear. Words create worlds, and the world you’re building starts with the truth you rehearse.

3. Honor the Messy Middle

The most disorienting place to stand is between what used to be and what’s trying to emerge. Yet this middle ground is exactly where your new identity takes root. Although the terrain feels murky and vulnerable, it holds the sacred space required for deep transformation.

You may experience confusion. You might sense disconnection. At times, you may question everything. Still, you haven’t lost your way—you’re simply in transit. This in-between season functions like a spiritual suspension bridge. Even though the fog may obscure your path, each step forward still counts. Every move becomes progress, even when it feels uncertain.

As I explained in “Faith, Fear, and Financial Stress: How to Quiet the Noise and Reclaim Your Power,”, you don’t find peace by rushing to fix everything. You find peace by allowing yourself to fully be in the moment. So honor this stretch of time. It may feel like delay, but in truth, it’s divine incubation. This isn’t wasted time—it’s preparation.

Remember: the butterfly undergoes its greatest transformation inside the cocoon, where everything familiar melts away. That’s exactly what’s happening to you. Your former life is dissolving so that your higher self can take shape. Something breathtaking is not just coming—it’s already forming within you.

4. Ask for Help – Cost of Answered Prayers

Even the most gifted leaders rely on support. Moses leaned on Aaron. Jesus walked with His disciples. Muhammad (PBUH) drew strength from Khadijah and Abu Bakr. Arjuna turned to Krishna. They didn’t carry the weight of their callings alone—and neither should you.

You don’t prove strength by isolating yourself. Instead, you demonstrate wisdom when you recognize the need for help and act on it. Whether you reach out to a coach, therapist, prayer partner, or a trusted friend, asking for support signals maturity—not weakness. It’s not surrender—it’s strategy.

Just as a tree thrives through connection with sunlight, water, and rich soil, you grow best when rooted in environments that nourish your emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being. You weren’t designed to carry your calling by yourself. Asking for help empowers you to bear the blessing without breaking beneath it.

So if the weight feels heavy, don’t hesitate—reach out. Support doesn’t slow your journey; it strengthens it.

5. Choose Grace Over Grind

We live in a world that praises hustle and glorifies productivity, yet it often forgets to honor humanity. While culture pushes you to do more, move faster, and prove your worth through output, you must remember this essential truth: you don’t have to grind your way into value. Your worth doesn’t depend on how much you produce—it flows from how fully you choose to honor your process.

So when you feel tired, give yourself permission to rest. Rest isn’t laziness—it’s a spiritual strategy. Tears don’t signal weakness—they reveal insight. Pausing doesn’t mean you’ve given up—it means you’re gathering strength for what’s next. In seasons of spiritual transformation, soul-care becomes essential.

Think of your spirit as a candle in the middle of a violent storm. The flame doesn’t burn harder to survive—it instinctively seeks shelter. Likewise, grace doesn’t ask you to fight harder; it invites you to soften. Let grace become the safe covering that shields the sacred part of you the world so often overlooks.

In this noisy, demanding world, grace over grind is not just self-care—it’s self-preservation. So breathe, step back when needed, and trust that your stillness holds just as much power as your striving.

You’re Not Being Punished. You’re Being Prepared.

You haven’t missed your moment—and you’re not falling behind. You’re evolving. This is spiritual transformation in motion—not stagnation.
As Romans 8:18 reminds us:

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

That ache in your chest? It holds more than pain—it holds purpose.
The pressure you’re under isn’t punishment. It’s divine preparation, clearing space for something greater.
Even when progress feels invisible, know this: you’re being equipped to carry what you once only dreamed of.

Think of a seed beneath the soil. On the surface, nothing appears to change. But below, the seed breaks apart so it can grow roots. That breaking isn’t destruction—it’s expansion. And just like the seed, you may feel buried, but in truth, you’re being planted in purpose.

The cost of answered prayers rarely looks like what we imagined. Sometimes it’s silent. Sometimes it’s lonely. Often, it’s slow. But that cost is proof that the calling is real.

So take a breath. Keep showing up. Let grace meet you where grit runs out. Even when everything around you feels uncertain, your process is positioning you for the promise. You are not alone—and you’re nowhere near the end of your story.

Testimonial from Dr. D. Ivan Young

“I’ve lived this message. I’ve had doors open—only to be tested harder than ever before. At times, I felt abandoned by the very blessings I prayed for. But now I see it clearly: the fire didn’t destroy me—it defined me. Every delay became discipline. Every breakdown turned into strategy. If you’re in the middle of it, trust me—you’re not being punished. You’re being positioned.”
— Dr. D. Ivan Young, MCC – Behavioral Neuroscience Expert | Master Certifed Coach | National Board Certifed Coach.

About the Author

Dr. D. Ivan Young, MCC, serves as a Master Certified Coach, behavioral neuroscience specialist, and Professional Fellow at the Institute of Coaching, McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. He holds board certification in health and wellness coaching (NBC-HWC) and applies over two decades of experience to his work in emotional regulation, relational intelligence, and spiritual development.

His three TEDx talks have reached more than 4.9 million viewers. Major networks including CNN, MSNBC, and NPR have featured his insights on human behavior, leadership, and transformation. Dr. Young works directly with individuals, couples, and organizations navigating personal and professional transitions. Through a combination of evidence-based methodologies and practical wisdom, he helps clients integrate growth, purpose, and sustainable change.

To learn more, visit drdivanyoung.com.

How to Stay Motivated When You’re Ready to Give Up

Posted on May 15, 2023June 7, 2023 by Dr. D Ivan Young

by Dr. D Ivan Young, ICF Master Certified Coach

Most highly successful individuals have a great story. Inasmuch, there are usually many ups and downs that are seldom shared with the public. There’s a season where all hell breaks loose. Typically this happens at what seems to be the worst of times. Then there’s the breakthrough.

The question is, how do those few individuals who survive the mayhem stay motivated?

The difference between those who make it and those who don’t is that those who are successful kept going. Even when they didn’t think they could possibly go any further.

It’s challenging to stay motivated when you’re going through a major life change or trying to accomplish ambitious goals. It’s even harder when you’re worried about how you’re going to pay your rent, provide for your family, and keep your sanity intact.

But it’s possible.

There are ways to stay motivated even when your back is against the wall and you feel like you’re ready to give in.

As a master-certified life coach, I’ve worked with many clients who are initially motivated to achieve their goals yet fall short or are on the verge of throwing in the towel. That’s where people like me come in.

I help my clients gain clarity of vision while empowering them to connect with their internal and external resources. The first step is motivating them to refocus while silencing the inner voices of their judges and saboteurs. Success necessitates staying motivated when we experience setbacks.

When you’re struggling to stay motivated, there are a few factors you can hone in on to improve your process.

Using Your Resources

When life hits you hard, it’s easy to forget about what’s available to you.

Your external resources may be limited, chances are you have much more than you think at your disposal. You also have unlimited internal resources.

There’s one condition – you must be willing to do some introspection and put in the work to tap into them.

As a neuroscientist and master certified coach, I teach my clients how to silence internal distractions and tap into the things they’ve overcome in the past that positioned them to be successful in the present.

Your brain is like a complex computer that perfects the use of old programming. But your mind is the brain’s operating system. Learning to operate with foresight as opposed to hindsight creates the paradigm shift needed for success.

Stay Motivated by Taking Advantage of External Resources

When building a business from the ground up or entering a leadership role, it’s almost second nature to put on a brave face and keep up appearances. But pretending you’re not struggling or scared won’t do you any favors. Be upfront with yourself, and those closest to you about your situation. Transparency includes sharing any roadblocks or fears you’re experiencing. You never know who might be able to help you.

It can be beneficial to:

Build relationships with others in your industry.
Lean into the relationships you already have.
Ask for help.
Hire a well-qualified coach.
Educate yourself by attending conferences and professional development seminars

When you’re authentic and honest, you open the door for support while creating room to explore external opportunities. Even if your friends, colleagues, or other connections cannot help you monetarily, having emotional support and credible advice can help your focus and momentum.

Using Your Internal Resources to Stay Motivated

Making your business successful requires sacrifices. There are financial, mental, and emotional costs initially. Typically the first thing to go is usually your perception of well-being. But it shouldn’t be this way.

Making sure your mental and physical health is stable is crucial for your ability to stay motivated¹.

One of your most vital internal resources is resilience and a willingness to make and learn from your mistakes. Sacrifices are necessary when taking on something as huge as starting a business or a new role. But if you sacrifice your well-being and happiness in the process, everything else suffers with you.

Internal resources are necessary to stay motivated. But to access them, you must take care of yourself. Consider these practices for improving your mental well-being and building up your resilience.

Meditate.

Meditation has proven emotional and physical benefits. You don’t have to be an experienced meditator. Short daily meditation can enhance your attention, improve your mood by decreasing stress levels, and even influence your working and recognition memory².

Form healthy habits.

Routines can be healthy, as long as you’re not overly strict with yourself. It can be hard to find a balance between holding yourself accountable and cutting yourself some slack.

Once you’ve developed a healthy habit, missing it once or twice likely won’t cause you to stop engaging in the habit³.

Don’t stop doing things you enjoy.

Downtime and socializing are important, especially when you feel like you don’t have time for these activities.You might have to sacrifice your weekly bowling night with friends, but try to go out once every two weeks. You shouldn’t stop spending time with your loved ones or cut out all your hobbies.

Make room for mindful moments.

Every day take two or three five-minute breaks and sit still while disconnecting from everything. These little breaks go a long way in managing anxiety and stress.

Make sure your habits and routines are set up to help you stay motivated to meet your goals.

How to Stay Motivated as an Entrepreneur

Consistently engaging in reflection can be highly beneficial. If you want to keep the doors flinging and the cash register ringing, here are a few questions you should ask yourself.

What new resources are available to me? Keep reassessing who’s in your corner and put effort into cultivating those new relationships.

What have I done right or wrong?

Look at yourself and your process objectively. There’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Everyone has growing pains and makes mistakes, including you.

Do I need to adjust or course correct?

Self-assessment goes along with #2. Analyze your mistakes and find a better path, but don’t dwell on them. Dwelling on mistakes can make it challenging to stay motivated.

What’s truly meaningful to me?

Success looks different from one person to the next. Sometimes your goals or needs will change. It could benefit you to be open and regularly evaluate where you are in relation to where you want to be.

Self-reflection and your ability to accurately analyze your situation will heavily impact your odds of staying motivated.

Every entrepreneur should ask themselves these important questions.

Keep Going

Starting a business, building a brand, entering a new role. These are all challenging – and exciting – ventures.

Even though your journey is bound to test you, you will get there if you commit to not giving up. But this is easier said than done, which is why many aren’t able to accomplish their goals.

Your ability to stay motivated can be improved by utilizing your resources, taking care of yourself, and surrounding yourself with the right people.

Sometimes the right people include a therapist, a master-certified coach or a combination thereof. These professionals can help you maintain and improve your mental health, provide support and guidance, and help you figure out what’s most important to you.

Nothing worth doing is ever done alone.

Bio – Dr. D Ivan Young is an expert on human behavior and relationships. He’s a Master Credentialed expert on personality type, an ICF credentialed Master Certified Coach, a Certified Professional Diversity Coach, and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. Dr. Young is also a member of the prestigious Forbes Coaches Council.

Read my other blog about how to overcome depression as an entrepreneur. It’s more common than you might think.

Overcoming Entrepreneur Depression: If You’re Suffering, Your Business Will Too

Struggling to Achieve Your Goals? Here’s What You Can Do About It

Posted on October 11, 2022October 24, 2022 by Dr. D Ivan Young

If you’re human, you’ve felt the sting of failure and walked away thinking that’s all it was – an embarrassment and nothing else – no more to think about. This sting has likely kept you from being able to achieve your goals more than once.

You had a relationship that “wasn’t meant to be” or you had bad luck, and your business failed quickly. You tried to lose weight, but these programs that work for other people simply don’t work for you. You’re just doomed to fail, right?

What you’re not considering is why you’re not having success. What can you do differently next time to succeed?

You’re discarding your whole experience and labeling it as a failure without looking for the golden nuggets that exist in every unsuccessful attempt. Knowledge, experience, and a change in mindset.

These are all things that you can gain from your perceived failures.

The reality is – the resiliency built from failure is the secret sauce for success. It is possible to take your failures and learn from them. But it’s not for the faint of heart. Many would rather drown in self-pity or believe that the universe is out to get them.

If your actions aren’t in alignment with your goals, you will fall short every time.

But it’s difficult to see why or how you’re missing the mark. You’re too close to the situation. And the people you’ve surrounded yourself with either don’t understand your position or they have their own interests in mind.

I know your situation, and I see what you don’t. As a respected health coach – I help professionals take themselves and their future to the next level – the level where you’re flourishing in all aspects of your life. So let me tell you what I know to be true.

What Do I Know About Failure?

You see successful people and assume they know something you don’t. Well, I can assure you, I didn’t have a fairy godmother floating around and granting me wishes.

I’m a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach with an ICF Master Certified Coach Certification. Believe it or not, I took both of these exams twice. The first time I took the test for my national board certification, I was only off by two questions. I could’ve stopped right there and chalked it up to bad fortune; when I didn’t pass my ICF test, my first thought was the assessor could tell I was African American, and I failed due to bias.

But if any of that were true, I wouldn’t be where I am now. The greater truth was I needed to learn from my mistakes and work harder.

Helping my clients shift their mindset regarding failure – enabling them to accomplish their goals. And giving them the tools to ensure that all aspects of their lives are in alignment with their values.

You can benefit from my coaching if:

You’ve achieved success in one area, but you’ve felt the need to sacrifice other parts of your life in the process.
You feel like there’s a disconnect between your values and your actions.
You’re working hard to achieve your true goals, but you’re missing the mark.

I can help you shift your beliefs about failure to help you achieve the goals that elude you.

Whether you’re a professional athlete, an entrepreneur, or an individual with hopes and dreams like the rest of us – I can help you determine how failure fits into your life and contributes to your overall success. If you’re lucky enough to have natural talent, it will only take you so far.

I know firsthand what it’s like to taste failure but not lose your appetite for success. I also know that your relationship with failure and success impacts every other area of your life. Especially your relationships with others.

I assist you with overcoming failure, handling success, and developing a healthy mindset that will serve you well in all areas of your life.

First, to learn from failure, you have to overcome your fear.

How to Overcome the Fear of Failure to Achieve Your Goals

Maybe you think you cope well with failure. But doesn’t coping with failure involve doing the bare minimum? If coping with failure means not falling apart, you won’t learn anything by simply coping.

It’s better to overcome failure than to cope with failure – as overcoming means you gain power over it. You learn what you need to do to succeed the next time.

It’s not easy to change your mindset towards failure; if that were the case, everyone would do it. But it is what’s required to move forward – before you are faced with adversity – and after you have experienced it.

The shame and guilt you experience from failing yourself, or someone else can be debilitating. But only if you let it defeat you. The most important thing to remember is you can learn as much – or more – from your failed experiments as you can from those that are successful.

When you think of failure as another way to learn and grow – instead of a crushing blow that means you’re worthless – doors that didn’t exist before will start to open for you.

If you can recognize that failure is temporary, you’ll start to see that most things are not actually failures. If you persevere, the results you perceive as failures are often delayed successes.

What Do you Gain When You Learn How to Handle Success and Failure?

When you’re an athlete, do you play the same exact way against opponents with different strengths? This would be the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over – expecting a different result.

When you play against someone who is stronger than you, you don’t try to outdo them with your strength. That’s a losing battle. But maybe you leverage your speed or focus more on defense.

Every time you fail, it is an opportunity to learn. Your skill set and knowledge build with each unsuccessful attempt – allowing you to take a more comprehensive approach toward success.

So how does having a positive relationship with failure also inform you on how to handle success?

For starters, it teaches you humility. I’m not saying you’re self-absorbed if you’ve only had a few failures followed by massive success. But experiencing some failure does help you recognize the value of success.

It can be easy to sweep valuable experiences under the rug – when they feel like a massive disappointment in the short run.

But if you choose to only see failure at face value – and not as an opportunity that gets you one step closer to your goal – then it will truly be just a failure.

I help my clients see the big picture in order to achieve their goals. Everything in your life is related. From your mindset to your physical health and your career to your relationships. So if one of these things is out of alignment, then your life is too. Make sure your values align with your goals and your goals align with the life you want. Take a step in the right direction and book a call with me here.

As an expert on human behavior and building fulfilling relationships and a Master Credentialed expert on personality type, Dr. D. Ivan Young is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and media personality. Dr. Young is an ICF Credentialed Master

Certified Coach (the gold standard in coaching), Certified Professional Diversity Coach, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and a Credentialed Master MBTI Practitioner. Dr. Young is also a member of the prestigious Forbes Coaches Council.

“Only when you stop embracing old attitudes and self-serving ideologies can things change for the better.” Dr. D Ivan Young MCC, NBC-HWC, CPDC

Finding the right stress management to help cope with a job and relationships.

Posted on December 24, 2018December 16, 2018 by Dr. D Ivan Young

Stress is a part of life. But we don’t have to succumb to the health risks that it causes. Everyone has experienced stress at some point in life. Unfortunately, some individuals experience more stress than they can handle and need stress management to learn how to habitually handle stress when it rears its ugly head. This overwhelming anxiety can affect them physically as well as psychologically, causing problems with relationships at home, work or in public.

Stress management is a way of coping with anxiety and stressful situations that we encounter in our day-to-day. Medical professionals have long recognized the negative effects stress can have on the body and mind. Stress management encompasses a wide range of techniques and practices designed to manage and control an individual’s stress levels. Understanding how to utilize stress management in our daily routines can help lessen the impact of stress and help us recognize and remove the root source of anxiety. Stress management can include professional treatment and counseling, or self-help techniques, such as daily exercise, developing coping skills and discussing personal problems with trusted social contacts.

What is stress?

Stress is the way we react to conditions in our environment, body or mind. The conditions that trigger this reaction are called stressors. Examples of stressors can include driving in traffic, severe weather, loud noises, aggressive behavior and lack of money. When humans are faced with triggers, stress can overwhelm the senses so that it’s challenging to deal with the harsh realities of life.

Stress is an expression of the body’s natural “fight or flight” mechanism – a way to defend ourselves against real or perceived dangers. When your brain feels stress it releases copious amounts of chemicals like cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline into the body. These cause increased heart rate, faster breathing, heightened alertness and the muscles to tense as our body prepares to either stay and confront the stressor or flee to safety. Stress management teaches us how to calm our breathing, relax our muscles and find our inner peace to deal with the pressures of life.

The more stressors we experience, the more stressed we become. Acute, or short-term stress, is generally benign and can even be beneficial in emergency situations. This includes the anxious feelings we get while awaiting the arrival of a newborn or the outcome of a sporting event. However, chronic or long-term stress, such as that caused by ongoing financial problems, a dysfunctional family situation, or an unhappy marriage, can have a negative effect on your life. It has been linked to several health conditions, including depression and heart disease.

Physical symptoms of stress

Stress manifests in many forms. Physical and emotional symptoms of long-term stress can include:

Headaches
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Indigestion and other stomach aches
Chest pain
Back pain
Depression
Irritability
PTSD
Muscle aches, spasms, and cramps
Sexual dysfunction and loss of libido
Nervous twitches
Autoimmune problems
Fainting
Insomnia

Stress management helps us alleviate the mental and physical symptoms of stress, especially harmful chronic stress. Many people experience stress at work, at home and during new and transitional times.

Stress in the workplace

Where do you experience stress? Most Americans cite the workplace as a significant source of stress. Low wages, excessive workloads, deadlines and lack of advancement opportunities are just a few of the causes of stress in the workplace. Unfortunately, work-related stress doesn’t go away when you clock out for the day, we often take it home with us. Sometimes we can’t avoid on the job stresses, but stress management can help us control it. When work stress becomes chronic, it can be overwhelming — and harmful to both physical and emotional health. Many companies are incorporating stress management programs, health and fitness rewards, and other activities to help employees deal with the common anxieties associated with work.

Marital stress

Stress in a marriage can cause serious damage to a relationship. Every marriage goes through difficult periods, but chronic stress-related problems can tear it apart slowly causing an underlying conflict between spouses. Marital stress can lead to such behavior as alcoholism, infidelity, gambling and substance abuse. Financial problems, miscommunication, children, in-laws, sexual problems, work, and arguments are just a few of the causes of marital stress. Stress management can often help couples learn how to open up to each other, discuss their problems and seek solutions. Professional counseling can also help bridge the gap between couples who have lost sight of how to communicate. Counselors can encourage couples to work together using effective stress management tools.

Family and relationships

The challenges and responsibilities of raising children is frequently a source of stress for parents. Despite the fact that they love their children, parents are in many cases unprepared for the challenges of raising a family. Relationships with children and other family members may become strained due to stress at work or in the relationship. Stress management is important for parents who can’t handle the mood shifts of their children and don’t know how to cope with their sudden change in behaviors. Finding a counselor to help navigate the rough waters that come with raising kids can help parents learn the proper coping skills to handle whatever kids are going through.

Stress management techniques

There are many ways you can manage anxiety in our life. Which ones have you tried? Which ones would you be willing to try to help with stress management?

Exercise
Talking to a friend
Meditation or yoga
Social networking
Eliminating stressors
Counseling
Keeping a diary
Recognizing stressful situations
Prescription medications
Training workshops
Attend motivational speaking events

Stress management can help reduce the intense pressure that can affect your job, marriage or family. An expert in stress management, Dr. D. Ivan Young specializes in providing singles, couples and professionals the tools they need to successfully manage stress in their lives. A certified Master Coach, Master Neuro-Linguistic Programmer, and credentialed Master MBTI Practitioner with a Ph.D. in Holistic Life Coaching, Dr. D’s stress management counseling allows individuals to enjoy life to its fullest and achieve their highest possible potential.

Choosing the Right Life Coach

Posted on December 13, 2018December 16, 2018 by Dr. D Ivan Young

Whether you are an entrepreneur or established business person, there comes a time when you feel stuck and have no idea what next step to take. You might find yourself slowly slipping into depression as you watch your dreams fade out of your grip. While these situations can be devastating, most people don’t realize that the solution could be as simple as working with a life coach. While just saying the words sounds easy enough, the hurdle isn’t finding a life coach, it’s finding the right life coach. The right life coach will be someone who understands your unique needs and can offer expertise to help you be successful. Although it may seem like finding your match is like looking for a needle in a haystack, there a few questions to consider before you start your search for the right person.

What are my goals?

The first mistake people make is thinking that their whole life needs coaching. That is why specificity matters. What exactly do you need coaching support in? Whether you’re looking to be a better business leader or want to develop a more personal relationship with your employees, it is important to know what you want. That way your potential life coaches will be able to tell you how they can help. Although your life coach can certainly help you figure out the details and the process of accomplishing your goals, it is important to know where you want to start.

Do we have chemistry?

As much as experience and expertise matters when choosing the right life coach, compatibility gets a top priority. If you don’t click, you are going to find it hard getting the experience you are looking for. Engage in a “Chemistry Session” where you solely focus on the chemistry between you and your future coach. How does this life coach make you feel? Excited? Inspired? Bored? Do they possess the kind of personality that you admire? Do they make it easy for you to trust them and pour out your feelings more readily? If after this “Chemistry Session” you don’t feel that they are the right life coach for you, feel free to walk away. You know yourself better than anyone and can determine if it’s going to work out in the long run.

Is this person qualified to give me coaching about my life?

You might often be told that a life coach doesn’t have to go to school or get training. The truth is, a life coach with relevant academic qualifications and experience is the best and will, in the end, be the most helpful. Would you let someone fix your car if all they have done is read a book on mechanics? The answer is no, you wouldn’t. Unlike your car, when it comes to your life, you only get one and the stakes are much higher. If your future coach has a degree or has received an award in human relations, psychology, or other affiliated fields, they will be tremendously more qualified. Having certifications and awards from recognized institutions is also nice in that they validate their work. They should have experience in implementing famous life coach methods and techniques that are proven to work. The right coach should be able to identify patterns of behavior and emotional intelligence to build trust and deliver the desired results.

How do I know if this person will deliver on what they promised?

One way to gauge if a life coach is a right fit for you is by looking at their previous clients. If you know someone that has previously used their services, talk to them and ask whether if they were attentive and followed through with their goals. If you don’t know of anybody that has worked with this life coach before, visit their website and social media profiles and go through their testimonials. Most of these will give you an insight into the kind of person your prospective life coach is. Ask friends, family and business partners if they have any referrals they would recommend.

Does they have credibility?

Apart from setting a personal meeting, look at how often your target coach appears on the media and how much relevant work they have published. This can also help you make an informed decision. Reading their publications and media interviews will give you a glimpse into their thought leadership. You will be able to gauge their authority and credibility from the way they discuss popular life issues. If you feel a connection after reading their work and watching their videos, you have found a prospective life coach.

In a recent interview, Dr. Young stated, “I know what it’s like to work twice as hard only to be seen as half as good. Nothing can stop an individual who is well coached, well-prepared, and who possesses a made up mind. I am proof that anyone who lives their brand and operates in a spirit of excellence will silence the worst of naysayers. Unfortunately, the hardest voice to silence is often the one from within and that’s what I’ve mastered,” states Young. To learn more about Dr.D click here.