New book aims to help entrepreneurs deal with stress, anxiety

Choosing to become an entrepreneur means choosing a stressful and often times difficult life. To help entrepreneurs cope with this unique journey, author Tiisetso Maloma is releasing a book, entitled The Anxious Entrepreneur.

“Over time, our anxiety threshold builds up. It can explode. Mine has several times,” says Maloma in a press release.

The book is a collection of anecdotes, emotions, feelings and frustrations. It will cover ways to defuse anxiety and depression in entrepreneurship life, manoeuvre from anxiety to creativity, as well as helping entrepreneurs create their chosen venture.

Entrepreneurs always have expectations about the goals they want to achieve and the opportunities they want to pursue.

“Expectations are rarely met. Subconsciously when they aren’t, we are shaken. It is an opportune window for anxiety or even depression to set in, depending on the severity or extend of the misfortunes,” says Maloma.

Read more: Startup Picnic invites Jozi entrepreneurs for casual get-together

According to a study conducted by Dr. Michael Freeman, entitled Are Entrepreneurs Touched with Fire, entrepreneurs are prone to mental pains and social anxieties. The survey had 242 respondents, of which 72% had mental health concerns, 45% had one or more lifetime mental health conditions, and a further 5.4% with suicidal. World Health Organisation further states that the world’s lifetime prevalence of depression ranges from 3% to 17%.

Maloma, who’s also the founder of the Startup Picnic initiative, has previously written two other books based on entrepreneurship, Forget The Business Plan Use This Short Model and Township Biz Fastrack. The Anxious Entrepreneur will be released 28 October 2015.