Are you considering starting your own small business? Maybe you will partner up with another entrepreneur and oversee the day-to-day activities. Regardless of what type of venture you are in or contemplate starting, there will be many obstacles along the way, especially when it comes to dealing with the stress and anxiety that will buildup within you. Knowing what to do to cope with these feelings and still function as a business owner is crucial to your long term success. In this article, you will find 5 strategies which can help you deal with the stress of being a business owner.
Establish Your Boundaries
As a fledgling entrepreneur, one never thinks about applying a boundary to their work life. A business owner typically thinks about the store, staff, inventory, clients, and paying the bills. This can eat away and drain the life out of anyone. By establishing a detachment between your work and personal life you will see a positive effect on both your mental and physical well-being. Establish boundaries of when you should be in work mode and when not. Do not cross those boundaries unless it’s an absolute emergency. Set daily and weekly goals to keep you on track and organized so those “so-called business emergencies” don’t derail you. Set an alarm on your phone indicating the work day is over. Turn off the computer, shut off the office lights and go enjoy life with your loved ones. Setting these boundaries will help alleviate the anxiety, tension, and stress of running a business.
Take Time To Excercise
Entrepreneurs often feel like they need to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year…However, we all know that no one could sustain that type of wear and tear on the body. Make sure you put the same commitment for your health and wellness as you do for your business or clients. Regardless if you want to run the trails at the local park, push some weights at the local gym, or maybe take in yoga, balancing out your daily life with physical fitness will help you better cope with the rigors of running your business.
You don’t have to become Arnold Schwarzenegger at the gym. Fifteen to thirty minutes, 3-4 times a week, can bring about a total transformation in both body and mind. You can work out those frustrations right there and release the stress, anxiety, and negativity of the day. Of course, the gym may not be for you. According to one entrepreneur, Jack Rady from Zit Buys Homes, he finds that “walking each night to the local HEB store to pick up milk for my 2-year-old daughter contributes to helping me wash away the stress of that day’s work activities. It only takes 20 minutes or so but during that time I feel so refreshed. It helps prepare me for the next day.”
Get A Good Nights Rest
One of the most important things an entrepreneur needs to do is get a good night’s sleep. Sure you may be thinking I’ve got a business to run or a start-up to plan and sleep just isn’t that important. Some can get away with a lack of sleep and our successful business people and entrepreneurs. However, that’s not the typical approach for the majority of successful people. Getting the proper amount of rest will do wonders for you and your business. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that every individual should make sleep a priority. They have found that the amount you sleep has an impact on your metabolism. the immune system, cognitive reasoning, memory, and can actually hinder your learning aptitude. There will be occasions as an entrepreneur that you will be required to put in some late nights, just don’t make it a habit.
According to Daniel D’Ambrosio with SC Home Offer, “I’ve found myself at times in the past getting too involved with the business noise of the day and don’t make time for myself. I’ll get 3 or 4 hours sleep thinking that will do it for me but later on realize I have no energy, no drive, my mind is a blur. I make a conscious effort now to get the sleep I know I need. This way I am better prepared to run the business and service our clients.”
Take Time To Enjoy Something
Whether you’ve started your business or have been operating one for a while, it’s going to take up a lot of your time. Combining that with your family’s needs, and sleep…there isn’t much time left. Whatever ‘extra” time you may have left, you need to use it for you. Do something you enjoy. Maybe you want to learn how to play guitar? Maybe possibly learn photography or maybe you’re an avid fantasy football player. The point is, it doesn’t matter what it may be as long as you enjoy doing it. This gives yourself a break, a chance to forget about the day’s troubles and time to concentrate on you. Being able to distance yourself from your business, even for a short period of time, can do wonders to help cope with the stress and anxiety of being an entrepreneur. Rob Morris from Fast Home Sales mentions, “it’s not easy operating a new business or even one that’s been around for some time. Taking this brief amount of time away from the business helps remind me of why I’ve worked so hard in the first place.”
Be A Leader…Not A Dictator
Do you have to micro-manage every aspect of your business? Finding the right people for your team to handle certain aspects of the business is vital for a successful business. If you don’t value their opinions or trust their decisions then you have the wrong team or you are not being a leader. Yes, it’s difficult letting go of a business you started from the ground up but having the right people who you can trust goes a long way in helping you to do deal with the tension, headaches, and stress of operating a business. Let your team help you take on those daily activities that may consume you. If you are always trying to do everything then why did you hire them in the first place?
By becoming a better leader for your small business, you will allow your team to do their part in making the business a success. By doing this, you will be able to concentrate on the important issues facing your business.