6 Ways to reduce & manage stress as a small business owner

Too much stress is debilitating and can cause you extra worry and anxiety. It’s essential that you not only learn to manage it, but also reduce it if you’re a small business owner.

You want to ensure you’re at your best each day and aren’t letting stress take over and get you down. You’ll perform better at work and be able to better serve your clients when you’re in a good place mentally and physically. The following tips will help you reduce and manage your stress as a small business owner so you can focus on doing your job and finding more success.

1. Enlist Help

One way to reduce and manage stress as a small business owner is to ask for and enlist help from others. It may be that you hire a staff of employees to assist you in reaching your goals, or outsource answering the phones to a company such as Ivy. Avoid trying to accomplish all the work yourself, and reach out and get help so you can focus on running your business and completing other initiatives. Learn to delegate and trust that others can complete certain tasks and projects for you with your guidance and support.

2. Focus on the Positives

Sometimes all it takes to reduce stress is to refocus your mind and remove any negativity from your daily thought process. Keep your stress under control as a small business owner by focusing on the positives and what’s going well. Maybe it’s that you have high client satisfaction scores or that you were able to increase your sales last month. Concentrate on what’s going well to maintain a positive mindset and make a plan for improving in areas where you’re falling short. People in the office will feed off of your energy and positivity, and you’ll all likely reach your goals faster and get more done.

3. Learn to Say No

You can’t expect to do it all and run a small business. You may have to give some activities or to-dos up to focus on being a business owner and to increase efficiency. Therefore, get in the habit of and learn to say no to others. Consider how much time and energy you have to give and where you want to give it to before you fill up your calendar. Keep track of what you commit to throughout the week, and start turning some events or requests down if you’re feeling overwhelmed and busy enough. Not only learn to say no to others but do so without any guilt, knowing that you’re doing what’s best for you.

4. Work with A Mentor

Running a company is a lot of work and a hard job. You may be feeling stressed out because you’re worried about making the right decisions or are unsure of where your company is heading. Reduce and manage some of your stress by working with a business mentor. Find someone who you trust to open up to and know has your best interest in mind. Ask the right questions and listen attentively, so you can avoid making the same mistakes they did. A mentor can be a good sounding board when you’re feeling confused or stressed out and can help guide you in making better management decisions.

5.    Exercise & Eat Well

Take good care of yourself if you want to reduce and manage your stress better as a small business owner. Focus on getting more exercise and physical activity and use it as a way to release any built up tension or negative emotions you’re experiencing. You’ll not only be getting into better shape, but it’s a way to nurture and boost your mental health too. In addition to working out regularly, you should also commit to eating well. Eat foods that are healthy for you and provide you with a lot of natural energy and help reduce your anxiety. Try to limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol as well if you want to feel well and in control.

6.    Take Breaks & Practice Work-Life Balance

All you may need to reduce some of your workplace stress is a break away from your daily to-do list and responsibilities. Practice work-life balance by finding hobbies to do in your free time and leaving the office at a decent hour each night. Take breaks not only throughout the day to stay productive and get more done, but also vacations so that you can truly disconnect and unplug. It’s all about putting your health and wellness first and creating more balance and peace in your life so you’re not spreading yourself too thin.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio