Think about what your priorities are each day. For me, they shift all the time and I try to pay attention to I need to do and want to do. Those two things can be very different. Each week I make time to exercise, to be present with my family and see friends, and make time to see clients. These days, I schedule everything in my calendar because if I don’t see it, I will forget about it. I find that helps me stay structured in all work and fun activities which helps me stay somewhat balanced. But I do think balance is an ongoing adjustment and we each define it differently. As a new mom, I try to create alone time. It used to be so easy to get before being a mom, and now it’s definitely a challenge. When I figure that out, I will let you know!
I had the pleasure of interviewing entrepreneur and therapist, Angela Ficken of ProgressWellness.com. Angela is an entrepreneur and psychotherapist in Boston, MA. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology from Northeastern University and then received her Master of Social Work from Boston College. She began her career as a residence counselor at the OCD Institute at McLean hospital before attending graduate school. After receiving her MSW, she worked as a senior clinical social worker at McLean Hospital and was a primary therapist for college students at Harvard University before moving to her full-time private practice ProgressWellness.com. She is certified in DBT and CBT and is trained in exposure and response prevention (ERP). Her primary interests are working with young adults who have OCD, eating disorders, and anxiety-related concerns. As an expert, she has been featured on Buzzfeed.com, ThriveGlobal.com, HuffingtonPost.com, Bustle.com, Nylon.com, and is a contributor to Today Parenting. Recently, just released her first course, Coping with Anxiety and Stress and launching her anxiety and stress management app, ProgressWellnesApp.com.
What inspired you to create the Coping with Anxiety and Stress course?
I heard from clients that it took them a long time to find a therapist who specialized in teaching strategies to manage stress and anxiety, and most importantly, the skills they were learning in our sessions was helping. Hearing this feedback made me think of everyone else out there (not just in Boston) who struggle with stress and anxiety and might be having difficulty finding help. Others all over the country can now access what I teach in sessions. I hope it’s as helpful as seeing me in the office!
What is the name of the app? How does it differ from everything else out there?
The app is called the Progress Wellness App. It’s different from everything else out there because it offers skills and strategies for all the difficult emotions, we feel on a day-to-day basis. If you are feeling stressed and are in need of in-the-moment skills, just hit that emotion icon on the app and several skills will pop up that you can try right then and there. Same for anxiety, anger, and sadness. You have access to skills at your fingertips.
What are your top tips to balance work as an entrepreneur and mom?
Think about what your priorities are each day. For me, they shift all the time and I try to pay attention to I need to do and want to do. Those two things can be very different. Each week I make time to exercise, to be present with my family and see friends, and make time to see clients.
These days, I schedule everything in my calendar because if I don’t see it, I will forget about it. I find that helps me stay structured in all work and fun activities which helps me stay somewhat balanced. But I do think balance is an ongoing adjustment and we each define it differently.
As a new mom, I try to create alone time. It used to be so easy to get before being a mom, and now it’s definitely a challenge. When I figure that out, I will let you know!
What are your top favorite business tools/resources?
Mailchimp has been a great resource which allows me to stay in contact with my followers and makes it easy to send out newsletters. Instagram and Pinterest are also great ways to reach and connect with people.
How do you make downtime for yourself?
Downtime can be hard to find. The other day, I tried to remember the last time I was alone in my house; it was almost six months ago. The night before my daughter was born, I was lying on the couch watching Netflix. It was a beautiful thing! Now, my schedule is no longer my own, which means I can’t come home and plop on the couch or see friends whenever I want.
Because I see my downtime as a mix of socializing and alone time, like everything else in my life, I have to schedule it to make it happen.
Originally published at medium.com