Stress Management for Business Owners: Keeping Your Cool When No One Else (Even the World) Is…

Many business owners report that they only thought they knew what stress was before they started their own company.

 

When you launch your business, you now only have your personal stress to manage, you have the additional pressure that comes with ensuring the day-to-day viability and growth of your new enterprise. You might also even be responsible for the success —and livelihood — of others.

 

Stress management for business owners can sometimes seem like a fantasy or pipe dream. From worrying about a lack of sales to keeping up with sales; to fretting about too much debt or too high of taxes; or staying awake at night worrying about non-performing employees vs. how to reward and keep superstars; sometimes it seems like the stress of owning and running a business will never end.

 

But there is hope.

 

Stress management for business owners can be learned.

 

Here are 3 simple steps to help business owners manage stress and make headway toward achieving the success you desire and deserve: 

 

1. Embrace all successes—even small ones. 

 

When stress has you in its grasp, it can be hard to see beyond it. However, one way, is calling to mind the things that are working and producing good results. You might even try making a list of the items in your business that you do feel are “successful.” Often, in doing this, you will find your mood lift a bit immediately, giving you more energy and a clearer head to see your problems and stressors in a clearer perspective.

 

2. Get your tasks and duties in order. 

 

Sometimes, when it seems there is so… much to be done, it can be hard to do anything. This is when it’s advisable to just get something done.

 

To get to that point, however, you need to prioritize the things you have to deal with, so you know what is most important to the big picture. Then, you focus on that first. When you finish that, you move to the next item. Basically, this is the business equivalent of putting one foot in front of the other so that you can take the steps you need to take to get to the finish line.

 

3. Don’t forget to make time for downtime. 

 

You aren’t ever going to get rid of stress if you don’t make yourself separate from it now and then. Often, the temptation for business owners who are dealing with the stressors of running a business, is just to push through and keep going. However, that might sometimes be the worst thing you can do.

 

We’ve talked before about decision fatigue.  This is literally when the brain gets so fatigued from making decisions that the quality of “downstream decisions” start to suffer. Meaning, you get so burnt out that you begin to sacrifice quality for quantity.

 

As such, you might only NOT do yourself and your business any good, you might make mistakes or bad decisions that can really hurt your business now AND in the long run. Thus, it’s vital to take a break now and again to recharge and refuel so you can come back and attack your stressors with a fresh heart and mind.

 

While the above steps won’t guarantee you’ll never be a stressed business owner again, they can help you to manage the stress of owning and operating your business when it inevitably comes. Of course, they also help you to relax and approach your stressors from a more proactive place that should help you to develop and engage your own “stress-busting strategies” as well.