If you are an owner of a small business you are well aware of the everyday stress you have to deal with. And while the stress is manageable most of the time, sometimes there’s just too much going on and you are in the middle of it all.
But, while doing an endless list of tasks might stress you out, there are always stress management tips you can use.
Remember that this small business you own is only worth it all if you are getting to feel the satisfaction of having it. If you have a family, this business is also meant to provide for the family so it adds to the pressure.
When all is said and done, the most important thing of your business journey is keeping your good physical and mental health. And here are a few tips on how to do that:
Prioritize
One of the most often sources of infinite stress is the inability to clearly have a list of things to do. And some things are more important than others. If you are spending energy on every single task (multitasking), you’ll burn out very fast. Focusing on individual things makes you more productive and it saves time, believe it or not.
Make quick notes on all the things you have to complete the next day. Rank the tasks from the most to least important and always leave some space for the unexpected (because something always happens at work). If the unexpected thing breaks your list, treat it like every other task – do it and then go back on resuming what you have planned.
Writing down tasks can also cause stress when you see the number of things you have to do, but then again, you have to do them anyways so why not get organized?
Take Breaks
Can an advice be more simple than this? If you are not getting any breaks, then you have done the ‘priority’ thing wrong.
Breaks should rank high on your list, because we all need them. If your environment is too stressful it will decrease your productivity, and your mind will walk away from focusing on the task and start panicking about deadlines, complications etc. When your mind walks away, your body should too.
The goal of a break is to do something that has nothing to do with business and relaxes you. That’s something we all have to find out. Some like browsing through social media, some like taking a walk or even get more physical with some training. It’s important that you get your blood flowing and relax your mind in order to refresh it and make it task-ready!
Take Care
What good can you do if you are not healthy? You should always have this question on your mind, because small business owners often get stuck in the perpetual business machine and have no time to take care of themselves.
And most of the time, taking care of yourself doesn’t even have to be complex.
Eat regularly – 3 to 5 meals a day. Drink at least 2 liters of water. Sleep at least 7 hours a night. Take a quick nap. Take breaks. Laugh. Ease up on caffeine.
Exercise should be optional, but you have to understand that all the stress will take a toll on your body if you don’t get it all out of your system. Also, your heart is a muscle and needs to be trained. No one is asking you do become a gym addict or run for miles and miles, but you should get physical and take up an activity that you enjoy. Biking to work is always the shortest answer (if possible).
Delegate
There are small businesses that work with only you taking care of it all and that’s fine.
But, if your small business demands hiring people, make sure you manage their working time well.
If you want them to take care of something you have been doing well so far, teach them. Don’t assume they will just know how to manage a complex task. If you invest time today to properly train them for the task, it will save you a lot of stress in the future.
If you are in need of services only from time to time, don’t fear to hire part-timers or freelancers to do your biding. If it makes time and financial sense, why not?
Be clear on giving orders and requests, because being vague is not going to take you a long way. People only work for you, they don’t have to share the same passion for your business as you do. And if you want them to, it is again your task to make them believe.
All in all, being a small business owner can cause you a lot of stress, but if you follow this simple tips it will make your life a lot more enjoyable.
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