Running any business is going to produce a lot of stress at times; for the most part, it can be stress that you can deal with for the short term. However, if things start to become too much, then this stress can start to affect your health. To try and prevent that from happening, you need to develop coping strategies that you can use to relieve some of that stress.
Think About What’s Going Well
When stress starts to take over, it can lead you to think that things are all going wrong. It can lead you to focus on just one or two events that aren’t working and make it hard to break free from them. It is important to think about the bigger picture and see how well things are going apart from those one or two issues. To make it easier, write down all the problems that are not going so well in one column and the things that are going well in the other. You will then be able to see the issues in a little more perspective and start to think positively about your situation.
Sort Out Your To-Do List
If your stress is coming from the amount of work you have to do, then try to clear some of the less urgent things off your list. Think about other people at your office or in your business that might be able to do some of those tasks for you. Even if it’s just a few things, it can take the pressure off you.
Are You Organized?
Sometimes, it can be other things that cause your stress rather than the tasks themselves. For example, if you are not organized with your tasks and to-do lists, then this in itself can cause more stress than the tasks. Try to use a personal organizer either a paper version or one on your phone to keep track of all your tasks and help you stay organized.
Give Yourself Time for Your Hobbies
Although your business is important, you still need time to yourself for family and to participate in your hobbies. If you love gardening, then you should spend some time at least a couple of times a week to sit in your garden and plan some new projects. If you need some help thinking of new projects for your garden, then look at sites like my gardening network for some inspiration.
Focus on Others
There have been studies at the University of Pennsylvania that have shown if people with high stress focus on helping others, their stress diminishes. It means that you should try to help others at work or home, and that will help you to concentrate on other things rather than your stress. Although this won’t remove the issues causing you stress, it will give you a break from it for a while so that you can feel calmer.
If you can try some of these tips, you should find that you will be able to deal with your stress more constructively.