???”We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
– Anais Nin
Ask your doctor. Stress will not only kill you, it will make your life a nightmare along the way.
As a small business owner you are going to encounter stress. Your desk is going to be the meeting place for clients who are late paying their bills and vendors who want to be paid at once. You are going to be the victim of far too many late nights and you will have to suffer through so much bad coffee your stomach will turn. There will be deadlines, delays and frustrations.
You have to find ways to reduce your stress to remain productive. Not only will it help you to be more effective and efficient as a business person, but your family will thank you for it to.
The best way to get rid of stress is to identify its source and get rid of it. Regrettably, that isn’t always possible.
Minimize Your Stress Levels
There are a lot of things you can do to bring down the overall levels of stress in your life. The following list is just a sampling.
Stop trying to be perfect. It is not possible.- Stop trying to do everything. Choose the battles that will give you the best return. Fight those.
- Get lots of exercise. It really, really helps.
- Clutter will weigh you down. Clean up your office. Your home too.
- Have a positive outlook. Stay as upbeat as possible. Optimism will trump stress regularly.
- Drink plenty of water. It will cleanse your body and make you feel better. Avoid drinks with sugar.
- Get a massage on a regular basis. Try a facial too.
- Eat well. Avoid food with sugars. Eating well is going to make you feel better. You will feel stress less when you are feeling well.
- Meditate and/or do yoga. They both work wonders for dealing with your stress levels.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Rested you area tiger.
- Work from home every now and then. The opportunity to be in your sweats and to kiss your spouse are truly therapeutic.
- Laugh until you cry.
- Hang out with people who are positive and who make you feel go. Avoid negative people at all costs.
- Take real Breaks – without cellular disturbances
Want more ideas?
Here’s 400 Stress-Free Strategies for a Stress Free Life, just pick one or two and it will change your life.
When You Have Too Much Stress
Sometime the stress builds up too much. Your head is about to explode. You want to scream. Here are techniques for when your pot has boiled and the stress express train has left the station.
- Breathe deeply. Inhale in through the nose and out through the mouth. Go slowly. Keep doing this until you are no longer boiling.
- Stop over-committing. Get on the phone and start delaying all those non-mission critical promises.
- Take a holiday. Close your eyes for five minutes and go someplace in your head. Better still, get up and go for a walk. Twenty minutes would be great if you can afford the time.
- If you have the time, and are able, a power nap will work wonders for brining everything back under control.
- Count your blessings. Write them down on a piece of paper. There are a lot more of them than you think there are.
- Visualize calm. Really. Put your favorite calm place in your mind, then put yourself into it. It really works if you let it.
Reducing your stress is critical. Not just for your health. Having less stress is going to make you a more effective and efficient business person. Less stress means a better you.
