Entrepreneurship comes with stress. It’s part of the package deal. Fortunately, there are plenty of effective ways that you can handle the pressure without cracking. Here are five strategies that will help you manage stress, avoid burnout, and thrive as an entrepreneur.
1. Guard your sleep
The first step to managing stress an entrepreneur is getting the proper amount of rest. Don’t buy into the myth that you should sacrifice sleep to get ahead. Everything seems worse when you’re exhausted, so you’re more likely to be stressed when you’re tired. To ensure you get a good night’s sleep, make it a priority and stop working at least one hour before bedtime.
2. Exercise
Physical activity is a great way to manage the stress that comes with owning a business. Exercise releases endorphins in your body, which are often referred to as “feel-good chemicals.” Try to work up a sweat for at least 20 minutes every day. If you make this a habit, you’ll be healthier, calmer, and ready to tackle anything the day might bring.
3. Write down your to-do list
As an entrepreneur, you will cause yourself unnecessary stress if you allow your to-do list to live in your mind. Instead, write down everything you need to do as you think of it. Writing down your tasks will ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. It also removes the pressure of needing to remember everything and allows your brain to focus on one task at a time.
4. Delegate
Since you’ll be writing down your to-do list from now on, you can go a step further and delegate some of the tasks on it. Don’t be afraid of handing responsibilities out to your team. Delegating effectively will free you up to accomplish tasks that make the biggest difference in your business and it will also reduce your stress levels.
5. Keep a journal
Lastly, try keeping a journal. Writing out your thoughts is a great way to declutter your mind and release stress and anxiety. You don’t have to write a summary of each day (unless you want to), but try to write down a couple of thoughts each night before bed. You might be surprised to find that stressors don’t seem quite so bad after you’ve written them down.
Although owning a business will always have its challenges, if you do these five things every day, you’ll find that the stress is much easier to manage.