An entrepreneur brings with it many things. The freedom to be your own boss, but with that, also comes responsibility. You are the one that has to make your business work, to bring enough money in to make it survive, and of course, for you to take home enough money to pay the bills.
That inevitably brings with it a level of stress, which I’m sure that every single entrepreneur will admit to having. A certain level of adrenaline and pressure to perform and not rest on your laurels can be a good thing to keep you motivated and moving forward, but there’s a fine line.
Too much stress can be damaging – not only to your health but also the health of the business. It can encourage overwhelm, procrastination and a feeling of not knowing where to turn, or what to do first.
Remember that your business depends on you. If you are suffering, then your business will too. Therefore, it’s of the utmost importance to look after number one.
If you are feeling like it’s getting a bit too much, then it’s time to step back, assess the situation, and come up with some solutions to reduce the stress.
I’ve worked with many entrepreneurs whose businesses have suffered when stress levels are too high and below is my advice on how to reduce the stress and get yourself back on track to getting your business to succeed.
- Exercise – not only will this give you some time out and allow you to gather your thoughts and think more clearly, it has been shown that regular exercise has a direct link to reducing stress levels, and making you feel generally happier in life too. Exercise boosts the happy hormones in your body, so take time to sign up to a gym, or head to the swimming pool, or even just take a run round the block
- Meditation – and by meditation, it can be as simple as taking 10 minutes out to sit, concentrate on your breathing and clearing your thoughts. Sometimes there’s too much going on in our brains which means not thinking clearly or logically on the problem at hand. So build this into your plan or schedule if you need to, but give it a go, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly it makes a difference to your well-being
- Take some time to look at your progress, and congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come. It’s so easy to get your head down, concentrate on the day-to-day and not think about the bigger picture. When you take stock of where you are, and where you’ve come from, it may just surprise you what you’ve achieved. And enjoy your successes! Pat yourself on the back, and reward yourself!
- Get enough sleep. Recently, some research was released which showed that even just after one poor night’s sleep, performance and brain function was significantly reduced. If you aren’t performing on all cylinders, you won’t get through the to-do list, and that will add to your stress
- Learn that it’s ok to say no. You don’t want to let people down, turn away business, but there is a limit to how much you can take on. Think about saying, ‘not right now’ instead of yes; so you’re not saying no, but you have to be realistic about when you can schedule the activity in. Plus it helps clients or customers if they think you are in huge demand, it gives the perception that you are popular and therefore good (not that you aren’t!!)
- Outsource. Although you want to try and keep control over everything that’s going on in your business, you are only human! If there is a task which takes you longer than it should, or that you simply aren’t the best person to do, then don’t do it! Outsourcing will take tasks off your to-do list, reduce overwhelm and also stress levels
- Track what you are spending your time on. You will be surprised at what tasks take the time. If you aren’t being productive, then you need to analyse how you can reduce the time on tasks which are too time-consuming, which will also help to reduce stress levels
So try and give these tips a go, you’ll be surprised at how the little changes will make a lot of difference. A less stressful you will mean a better performing business, a happier you, and a freer you to spend time with family and friends. It’s all about the planning.
If you’d like an independent person to help you take stock of what is and isn’t working in your business, then please get in contact, I can help make a significant difference in a short space of time.
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