Every entrepreneur experiences the roller coaster. The thrilling highs and the lonely lows that come with starting & running a business.

The highs make you think, "I'm a genius. This business is crushing. I knew this would work."

The lows make you think, "What have I done? I can't believe I dragged my family into this. I'm not made out for this."

Those two thoughts can happen within 24 hours of each other. Sometimes less.

Here are a few things that have helped me manage the ride:

Identify where you are

What am I feeling in this moment? Where in my body am I feeling it?

We can be holding anxiousness in our gut or stress in our shoulders but be unaware of it. Take a few minutes each day to write in a journal about where you are and what you're feeling.

Don't make decisions at the top or bottom

Both situations blur your vision and judgement. Making big decisions while you're overly optimistic or utterly pessimistic is less than ideal.

Instead, match the type of work you do with where you are on the ride.

Sales and marketing are great projects when you're flying high. That's when you're most stoked on your business and can funnel that energy to the right places.

Finances and budgeting work well when you're in the dip. You're in the mindset to have a critical eye on expenses and forecasts.

Ask for help

This is the hardest one for most entrepreneurs. We're independently minded problem solvers who rely on ourselves to find a way through.

That skillset has a shadow side; going it alone doesn't end well. Asking other people for help provides perspective, insight and encouragement to keep us going in the right direction.

It also helps us feel less alone. We typically don't burn out because it's too hard; we burn out because it's isolating.

The entrepreneurial roller coaster is unavoidable, but it doesn't have to be a scary ride.