When you're a social media influencer, your life is all about brands. You pitch to them, you work with them, and ideally, you get paid to promote them. But what if the thought of dealing with brands makes your anxiety spike?
It can be so hard waiting to hear back from a brand you are dying to work with. But letting anxiety get the best of you will make the entire process far less enjoyable. So, here are five ways to reduce anxiety while applying for brand deals.
1. Prepare ahead
When you are waiting to hear back from a brand, you know you will either get a “yes” or a “no.” Those are the only two options. Far too often, we dread the negative and don't even dare to expect the positive. Talk about anxiety-provoking.
But what if you began preparing yourself now for either outcome?
Let's say you get the brand deal. Amazing!! What's your next step? Have you fleshed out all of your ideas? What exactly do you need to accomplish if you achieve this brand deal? Making a game plan before you know the outcome will help you stay calm, cool, and collected during the waiting process.
On the flip side, what if you don't get the brand deal? What is your first step to help you move on with a good attitude? Some brands will say no to you; that's part of the package. Your job is to have a plan in place for how you will get over the rejection. Maybe you give yourself a day to feel disappointed. Maybe you plan a fun outing with your best friend. You might even consider looking over your media kit to see what you could improve next time. Do what you need to do to process, and then move on.
The unknown freaks us out because we don't know what to do when it happens. To combat this, spend a little time planning ahead for either outcome!
2. Stay present
Mindfulness is essential for reducing anxiety and stress during the waiting period. Most anxiety and worry stem from too much thought of the future. Purposefully staying in the here and now helps ward off negative thoughts.
You may think that staying present and having a plan are contradictory suggestions, but they go hand in hand.
Make your plan; know step-by-step what you will do regardless of the outcome, and then move on. Leave the plan for when you need to use it. After your plan is made, stay present in the now.
If you have a hard time with this, you might consider yoga, meditation, or breathing techniques to help you out.
Remember, you can't predict what the outcome of this brand deal will be. No need to create negative scenarios that may not even happen.
3. Learn to handle uncertainty
A big reason that waiting causes anxiety is the fear of uncertainty. Uncertainty is uncomfortable. It's stressful. It can't be predicted or controlled. But it's important to recognize that uncertainty is a normal part of human existence. You can't always control your environment, future, or other people.
Remember that discomfort from uncertainty is temporary. You will get an answer one way or another. So make your plan of action, live in the moment, and make a conscious effort not to fight the uncertainty because you will inevitably lose.
Accept uncertainty and allow it to run its course.
4. Distract yourself
Distractions can help you during long waiting periods. They offer stress relief and a way to move your attention to a different topic.
Most people, especially content creators, use technology as their main source of distraction. We don't encourage this.
If you've read any of our other posts about social media and mental health, you know that social media can increase anxiety in users. So if you are trying to distract yourself from anxiety caused by social media, we don't recommend using social media to distract from the anxiety. It feels a little cyclical, don't ya think?
Instead, consider your favorite form of exercise, reading a book, or catching up with a friend you haven't seen in ages.
See how you feel after a couple of hours of not thinking about the brand deal. Likely, you will feel refreshed and ready to tackle whatever the outcome may be.
5. Stay positive
Waiting can lead to negative thoughts and feelings. This is the opposite of what you want. In order to not fall into the trap of negativity, you need to take control of your thoughts.
You can put all of these tips into practice, but if you aren't consciously deciding to stay positive, it's all for nothing.
Remember, you have a plan in place, you are staying present, you know it's normal to fear uncertainty, and you are going to find healthy distractions. From there, choose positivity. You are literally the only person that can control your mind, so take a conscious step away from negativity and into positivity.
We know it's not always easy, but keep at it; habits aren't formed overnight!
Conclusion
Managing your anxiety while you wait to hear from a brand deal can be tough. However, it's important to remember that letting anxiety win will only worsen the situation and impede you from whatever next steps you need. These five tips should help you stay calm and focused so you can put your best foot forward when the time comes.
Anxiety management is different for everyone, so don't be afraid to get creative and find what works best for you! Have you tried any of these tactics before? Let us know how they worked for you.
