What Am I Stressed About?

Lately, I’ve been helping with my husband’s company’s marketing. It’s not a huge commitment - just one or two hours a day - but it’s surprisingly draining. A big part of the frustration comes from the team member handling marketing. They lack a solid understanding of the field, so I end up having to explain everything from scratch. Their attitude also gets under my skin. They rely heavily on personal connections to solve every issue. While networking can be useful, this constant dependence on others feels like a lack of initiative. They seem busy all the time, but I can’t help but wonder if they’re truly contributing to the company’s growth or spending their time meaningfully.

As an outsider, I feel hesitant to give overly direct feedback or get too involved. Yet, because it’s my husband’s company, I’m deeply invested in its success, which makes me feel impatient and frustrated. Reflecting on why this situation stresses me out, I’ve realized it’s largely due to the team member’s lack of proactivity and their struggle to grasp the core of issues or seek solutions independently. Even the depth of their questions and reflections often feels lacking. For instance, I once asked them to outline the broader business goals and strategy before setting marketing objectives. When I reviewed their Notion document, it looked like a copy-paste job from an AI tool. Using AI isn’t the problem, but for something as critical as the company’s direction, I believe there should be clear evidence of personal thought and effort, even if it takes time. I sometimes wonder if they care about the company’s success as much as I do.

Facing these issues bit by bit has been exhausting. Since it’s not my business, I’m cautious about being too blunt with feedback. Still, my attachment to my husband’s company makes the situation feel urgent. At the same time, I recognize that someone like this team member might be necessary at the company’s current stage. Regardless, I plan to share these thoughts honestly with one of the co-founders, aside from my husband.

Through this experience, I’ve realized that stress will follow me even in new environments. What matters most is managing my mindset. I want to dive deeper into this topic and reflect on it further.

Things I Want to Reflect On

• What situations cause me stress?
• How can I avoid them?
• Or, what are ways to relieve that stress?

stress-free moment