LOS ANGELES—It is natural that we experience challenges when trying something new. Whether it a new job, a fresh business idea, or a change of location, fear of the unknown can cause us to get nervous before we even get started. Thankfully, there are some ways of encouraging calmness when you get going into challenging activities.

Use Meditation and Mindfulness Apps

Studies show that the LA area residents tend to have the same levels of stress as people from other parts of the country, but that they are more likely to do something about it. One of the most interesting ways of dealing with this is through mediation and mindfulness classes.

The people here have generally always been open to the idea of new ways of improving their outlook on life, and the latest technology is now making it easier to do this. Headspace Inc. is an example of a modern firm that is using the combination of ancient techniques and cutting-edge technology to help us to feel more relaxed.

They raised some $50 million in funding earlier in 2020, to help them to develop and promote a calming management app. They are currently offering free access to the app to residents of Los Angeles County, as a way of “providing mental health support for our neighbors”.

While mobile devices are most commonly seen as not being helpful in this regard, the company believes that giving access in this way makes it easier for people to get hold of the benefits. They have also hooked up with Netflix and Vox Media to create a series of mindfulness content for streaming.

This is just one of the LA companies currently offering meditation and mindfulness training in modern formats. Unplug Meditation is another, offering online classes through Zoom and their own app. Many yoga studios in LA also now provide the benefits of this exercise in similar ways, meaning that a relaxing break from the routine can be done more easily than ever before.

Try a Demo or Trial Period

The cost of starting out on something new is undoubtedly one of the key aspects that put a lot of people off. The amount of money needed to get a business idea going in LA varies according to the type of company you want to start and whether you need to rent premises and hire a lot of staff, while any change to your lifestyle is probably also going to cost you money.

This is why it is a good idea to look for trial periods and demos, to lower the initial cost in as many different areas as possible. This gives you some breathing room in the first couple of months while you work out the financial side of things and look to build for the future sensibly.

For an online business, you can get a trial period for your anti-virus program and most other types of software you will need. You might even get a trial period for your site hosting. We can also see the idea of demos when we look at taking out a gym membership, joining a sports club, or getting a streaming service set up.

What if your lifestyle change involves a new way of dealing with your money? In this case, some sort of trial period is even more suitable, as you will want to make sure that the new approach works for you. A good example comes with online investment vehicles and trading platforms, which tend to let you sample them before putting in a lot of money.

Forex trading can often be carried out on a demo account, with a welcome forex bonus one of the many bonuses offered to make it easier to get started. There are even no deposit bonuses, that let you start trading before putting any of your own cash into the account you have opened. Just meet the trading requirements to be able to withdraw any profits with no issue. An added level of convenience is added as the site lists the best and most trusted brokers, which helps you pick a service without spending hours of research.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Stay in Control

One of the main reasons for feeling pressure is a lack of control. If you feel that you are at the mercy of circumstances and other people’s decisions, then growing anxiety is an almost certain outcome. To start with, you should look carefully at what you are planning and work out how you can stay in control as you do it.

If it is a new business, look for something that you can manage according to your skills, or else gain the skills you need before you get going. If it is a change to your lifestyle, then carefully consider how it will impact the rest of your life and how you can keep all of the plates spinning even with the extra time and effort needed to add something new to your days.

Bearing all of this in mind, it is clear that stress doesn’t always have to be a side-effect of starting something new, as long as you go about it in the right way.