I'm not a country or blues music fan, but Chris Stapleton fascinates me.

I remember seeing him perform on an awards show (I think it was the Grammys) years ago. At that time, there was a woman standing on stage near Chris as he performed. She wasn't a backup singer nor dancer. She was just standing there. And I thought, what in the world is she doing?!

Well, it turns out that lady is Chris's wife. Chris had so much performance anxiety that he needed his wife to be present on stage for him to stay grounded. She was apparently doing this at all his concerts.

I found myself saying "maybe he's chosen the wrong career if he's that uncomfortable performing in front of people."

But I recently saw Chris perform on the Grammys again. This time, his wife was not on stage. And I watched him closely. He sang amazingly! Very soulful. He never once looked out at the crowd. And he didn't make eye contact with the camera.

I went to his Wikipedia page to find out more about his personality, but...

The comfort zone is so attractive isn't it?  It's safe, easy, secure, and cozy.  Why would you ever want to leave the comfort zone?!

Because you know deep down that growth does not exist in the comfort zone.  Your big dreams will not be achieved by staying in the comfort zone.

We know this.  And so we tend to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones....often pushing too hard and ending up in the panic zone. 

Case in point: you've no doubt heard that video is the future.  So you muster up all your courage and force yourself to go live on Facebook.  It's stressful!  And you don't feel good about it after.  Then and there you decide that video is not for you.  You end up in the panic zone - exhausted & overwhelmed - and probably suffer the introvert hangover too.  The panic zone is no bueno!

The issue here is that you completely skipped the learning zone.  You went 0-60mph instead of 0-30mph.  The learning...

Watch the replay of the live Peak Productivity Workshop!

Kids are still schooling at home meaning parents are teachers too.

Politics make the headlines daily with the upcoming election.

Friends become enemies on Facebook.

Coronavirus still threatens our health....

Seesh!  It is a super stressful time to be on this Earth.

Protecting our energy and mental health is vitally important right now.  Typically, introverts will nap, read, paint, or binge-watch TV to restore energy.  In this current climate though, you may find that you need more ways to reduce stress.

This video discusses 6 additional ways to reduce stress right now.

Leave a comment below and let me know which one resonates with you:)

Feeling exhausted after being around people for extended periods of time is a real phenomenon for introverts.  And when you're exhausted, productivity goes down.  For an entrepreneur, it's a careful balance between getting the rest you need and moving the needle in your business.

I could absolutely feel my introvert hangover after attending a business retreat over the weekend.  There were 20 of us working on our methods and providing feedback for each other.  I really enjoyed my time the group.

We started around 9am Friday morning and went to 6ish.  Then I went out to dinner with 4 other wonderful female entrepreneurs.  Saturday started around 9:30am, but went until 9pm.  I could feel the urge to leave.  When the tables got moved for a salsa lesson, that's when I had to bow out.  My social battery was completely drained!  I called the Uber and said peace out.

Stage Set for an Introvert Hangover

During my flight back home, I planned...