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I spotted a van on the interstate with “Too Blessed to Be Stressed” emblazoned across its back windshield. How appropriate that the driver divined that this mantra might be relevant for others to meditate upon while they navigate the freeways.

Stress is considered an occupational hazard for entrepreneurs. Having positive mantras as we navigate our business lives is one way of dealing with stress. But there are times when positive phrases are not enough to manage stress or anxiety. Emotional self-management techniques are helpful in these instances.

After the birth of my first son, I was diagnosed with post-partum depression and suffered from severe anxiety. My husband and I not only held full-time jobs, but were managing our business which included processing orders for our new online sites.

It took every fibre in my being to fight and work through the malaise of depression with all the means available to me. This included visits to medical doctors and cognitive therapists. One of the most successful treatments I found was an emotional self-management (EMS) technique recommended to me by a psychologist. The theory and techniques are explained in Instant Emotional Healing : Acupressure for the Emotions. It combines the principles of cognitive behavioral techniques along with those of Oriental medicine and the body’s energy system. My inelegant explanation is that there are physical and emotional blocks in ourselves that can be relieved by tapping certain parts of the body that correspond to meridian points in the bodies energy sytem, as in accupunture, while simultaneously repeating positive phrases that penetrate the sub-conscious mind.

The information in the book was easily accessible to me at a time when I the most stressed and unable to concentrate. I was relieved to find a technique that I could self-administer and utilize to take control of overwhelming and unproductive stress. All independent business people would benefit from techniques such as EMS to not only relieve unproductive emotions, but to optimize performance.