Managing Stress, Anxiety, and your Business

Being a business owner is no easy quest. When you lay down to rest I bet you’re still thinking about work, and what needs to be done. Paperwork, sales, inventory, customer service, satisfaction, and new business expansion, are just a small selection of things that may dominate your daily thoughts. No wonder people are always so impressed when someone takes the leap to become a business owner. The affairs of your business are bound to be stressful and can really take a toll on your life. If you let it, that is. Here are 3 methods to manage stress and anxiety and still be a BOSS at running your business.

Remember you are human.

We are all living breathing mammals, this means we all have emotions and feelings. It’s normal to be upset when a proposal for a new client falls through the cracks, when an employee makes a mistake big time, or when we don’t hit our goals at the end of the quarter. As humans we also have another power, to decide what we let affect us. Instead of, dwelling on what went wrong, try acknowledging the negative and allowing yourself to feel whatever emotions you have about it. But here is the trick, get yourself out of that state quickly, and move on. By allowing yourself to process your feelings and not just ignoring them or acting in rage you will eventually be able to expel the bad thoughts and let the positive back in.

Advance within your means.

Something about new business, new opportunities, new places, and more tend to make us a little crazy. Can you remember the last time you got offered a promotion or an opportunity to take on a huge new client? You probably accepted the offer almost instantaneously, and immediately begin to stress your mind on how you were going to excel at this amazing test. You didn’t think about your employees being overworked, your family life spiraling out of control, or that getting 3 hours of sleep at night is quickly becoming the norm. When we don’t have the means to do something, chances are high that we fail more, become more overworked and anxiety gets really comfortable. We’re not saying you should never go for new sales, but take a second to make sure you have a working plan on how you can accomplish the things that will be required once you take the offer. When you are already confident in yourself, your team and the current assets of your business stress will begin to minimize.

Take advantage of the gift of prioritizing.

Prioritizing is literally a gem. When you run your own business there is always something that needs to be done or something you could be doing. The good news is, typically you don’t have to accomplish everything today. Record your tasks and goals each day you come in, by day and time, from the most urgent priority to least urgent. Complete the higher priority tasks and move the others to another day. The process of prioritizing will immediately dissipate stress as you see a list of 20 items on your to-do list become just 4 for the day. Not only does it reduce anxiety it boosts your confidence when your load is lighter and you feel your tasks are within your means.

You are running your own business but it doesn’t have to kill you. Making clear and conscious decisions about how your manage your thoughts, tasks, and business goals will save you from a lifetime of stress. Once you take back control of your stress and anxiety, it makes room for you to excel in your business as the BOSS you know you are.

Along with controlling your mindset and decisions, you can further enhance your stress management by being active. Whether you go for a bike ride or just take time to care for yourself, here are 5 activities you can implement to help you escape from the stress and anxiety of your business.

Implement daily exercise.

If you are one of those people who cringe at the sound of exercise, be rest assured your exercise does not have to be strenuous. Simply walking or stretching for at least 30 minutes a day can help you escape your worries. Try taking a short walk during your work breaks or downtime. A moderate routine to start could be walking for 20-30 min on your lunch break and stretching for at least 10 minutes when you wake you and before you go to sleep. If you want to go for harder exercises, just find something fun that works for you. You can try yoga, taking a bike ride, hiking to an amazing view, the options are endless. 

Start Journaling.

Journaling is an excellent way to get your thoughts out on paper and release them from your mind. You can write about your workday, your fears, or any random thoughts that play your mind during the day. When you pay attention to your thoughts you are more likely to let go of them and move on. Try journaling for 10-20 minutes per day. You can journal in the morning and night to start the day afresh and dump your feelings before you sleep. 

Plan to spend time with friends and family.

Consider the ones who love you and perhaps who you are working so hard for. Spending time with friends and family can get your mind out of the continuous stress zone with minimal effort. Before you know it, you are laughing, reminiscing on good times, and making new memories. Simply taking time to be present, enjoy a movie, or outing can do wonders for anxiety and stress. 

Engage in volunteering or charity work.

Being able to give back to others in need, or just help out a family or friend with a daunting task can quickly reverse anxiety. There’s just something about feeling like we are needed and are useful to someone when things are not going our way that appeals to our emotions. Volunteer to help a friend clean out their garage, paint their house, give away some items you no longer have use for. Volunteering comes on an as-needed basis so rather than scheduling time to give back, make a point to be available when help is needed, and not thinking about what you could be doing for your business instead.

Indulge in a massage.

Our body and muscles always tend to be left behind, until they start causing trouble. Scheduling routine massages for your body is a great space for your mind and body to let go. Try having a massage at least once a month. When we stress our muscles feel it too. By embracing massages you not only clear your head but prevent future pain and imbalances due to not caring for your body.

Learn about more tips and tools to enhance your business here: 

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