How small business owners can manage stress
No matter who you are, at times, as a small business owner, you will get stressed.
It's how you deal with it that counts.
Which has me thinking. I am what I affectionately call a "stress pet". Someone, who stresses a lot. If not daily, bi-daily. I find things to stress about that sometimes deserve my attention, and then others that certainly don't.
Managing stress has always been an issue and I have over time tried everything. But just like any diet, or new health regime, you need to keep with it long after the actual decision to do it in the first place and constantly remind yourself that it is something that requires ongoing work, not just a quick fix.
It's how you deal with it that counts.
Which has me thinking. I am what I affectionately call a "stress pet". Someone, who stresses a lot. If not daily, bi-daily. I find things to stress about that sometimes deserve my attention, and then others that certainly don't.
Managing stress has always been an issue and I have over time tried everything. But just like any diet, or new health regime, you need to keep with it long after the actual decision to do it in the first place and constantly remind yourself that it is something that requires ongoing work, not just a quick fix.
Firstly, I am no expert. I am in fact the person who you DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE.
I stress out, my hair falls out and my back aches. I know what to do when that happens, but it's more important to put mechanisms in place so that this happens less and less.
What can you and I do to manage our stress levels as small business owners?
Identify what leads to stress
- By knowing what triggers stress in you, you are able to quickly take action and minimise it occuring.
Minimise getting stressed
- Resist trying to be perfect and expecting everyone else around you to be the same
- Be positive and see the positive in every situation even when sometimes you have to dig really deep to work out what it is
- Clean up your work environment, your home and anything else that surrounds you. Clutter has a way of weighing us down
- Eat well; if you are anything like me, when I eat 'bad food' it changes my mood, motivation and ability to have energy. I am also allergic to a number of foods, and when I have some of the minor allergy foods that are on my "NOT TO EAT" list, I instantly feel sick and it affects my whole state of being.
- Drink loads of water and cleanse your body
- Get a facial and/or massage regularly
- Meditate and do yoga
- Breathe and take time out every day to take 20 deep breaths.
- Laugh until you cry and hang out with people who bring out the best in you
- Take vitamins
- Exercise to take your mind of things. It really is amazing how good exercise is for you.
When it's too late, and you have already crossed the STRESS line, here are some things that may help:
- Breathe and keep breathing - deep, long breaths.
- Visualise calm
- Use a Rescue Remedy spray or similar. One spray under your tongue does wonders.
- Re-organise yourself.
- Stop over commiting and ring up people that you have committed to that are not mission critical and postpone.
- Remind yourself that you have choices; You can say 'yes' and you can say 'no'.
- Light a candle and play soothing music
- Create a balanced schedule
- Take time out; a holiday, a walk in the park or to the beach - it will do wonders
- Wait to communicate back with people: Someone said to me today that a way to stop stressing is to "wag your tail more, and stop barking" - too true!
- Be thankful for the things you have. Write them down and visualise how lucky you are.
- React slower and with more thought
- Work from home, instead of going into the office
- Talk to someone - a shrink is aways a good idea. 1 hour of downloading your problems without someone putting your down, throwing stones or giving their uneducated opinion.
- Get a good nights sleep.
I hope this is helpful to some of you. I know I am ticking off the list, as I type!
Leave a comment
Make sure you enter all the required information, indicated by an asterisk (*). HTML code is not allowed.
comments ( 10 )
Green Coffee Health
22 Aug 2013I've been surfing on-line greater than 3 hours today, but I never found any fascinating article like yours. It's beautiful
Replyvalue sufficient for me. In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content material as you did,
the internet will be much more useful than ever before.
isochronic tones
07 Jun 2012we've a relaxation cd which enables me get deep, really heavy into hypnotic trance. if i go directly into trance as well as keep informing my subconscious the messages related to good communication and cultural skills, would our social and also communication skills really improve dramatically?
ReplyDavid
18 May 2012Stress will always be a part of life and some people deal with it well. Your tips are amazing and I will use them to manage my stress and stay focussed.
Replykirsty
11 Apr 2012I am very similar, I allow myself to get stressed over the littlest things and end up imagining things to be more daunting then they actually are. To a degree, stress is necessary to motivate and give us the 'get up and go', although creating a proactive approach to stress management, when their is an uneven balance, would be a useful tool. It is also interesting that people will take out their stress in different forms to which they where initially created. It is always a good idea to address the core stressors rather than letting it spill over into other areas of one's life.
ReplyRen
04 Apr 2012To stress, or not to stress, that is the question?
ReplyWhilst it is easy to list how to deal with stress, sometimes putting it into practise can be a daily challenge. We all have stress, but how do we cope with it.
Basically, here I will summarise what you have posted. It's all about time management, not overcommitting, giving your self some down time and acceptance.
Acceptance is huge. When you can't accept things, we can't deal with them. Knowing that you are running late and accepting that you will be late is the key. Rather than fretting over the fact that if you rush you MAY not be late, or rather than fretting that you are late, oh no what do I do? There are too many scenarios to worry about. The key is not to worry so much. Because worrying doesn't change anything. In fact worrying probably makes the situation quite bad. You end up treating yourself and others differently, words come out of our mouth all wrong, you end up sweating and end up embarrassing yourself. It can drive you over the edge and make you go just that little bit bonkers.
Accept, worry not and things will pan out.
If all else fails, give yourself the attention you deserve, a break, and go do something your great at! This will give you a chance to return to your actual form. Nothing works better than doing what you do best and being yourself. Work on building yourself back. If you love writing go write. If you love playing sport, go play, if you love decorating, go decorate. It will make you feel better about yourself, because you are giving yourself a sense of achievement, rather than sitting there like a stunned mullet wondering about the world.
That's my 2 cents. =)
Sandra
03 Apr 2012Stress is apart of life and it does help if you know what it leads to and how to manage it.
ReplyThe eat well tip definitely relates to me, after I eat fast food it affects my mood, motivation and energy.
Great tips!
Ellah
02 Apr 2012These are a great set of tips to try and live by. Short and achievable! It's all in the mind I say!
ReplyHappiness is a choice and these tips certainly help guide one to leading a stress-free life.
Cedric
30 Mar 2012What a good list of advices and I can point out some of them I am already using some times.
ReplyI'm a relatively stressed person and I have to refer to some of these advices to calm down and stay with my two feet on the ground.
Therefore, I deeply think that it's always easier to say it than to do it...
But now it's weekend so, no stress and see you on Monday!
Sophie
30 Mar 2012Your tips are very interesting ! Thanks, Even if I am not stressed in general, stress can occur in every situations and it is good to know how manage it.
ReplyRaihan
30 Mar 2012As someone who stresses easily as well, I felt relieved reading this post as sometimes we don't realise the things that we should be grateful for. I feel that as we grow older, there's so much more responsibilities to take and we sometimes overburden ourselves and the stress kicks in.
ReplyListing out those items to do when under pressure is a good way for me and other people to meditate ourselves especially visualising and keeping positive!