Some stress is inevitable when you’re running a business. But, letting it go unchecked can have serious consequences for you and your company. Below, we’ll cover a few reasons why it’s essential to destress, then explore some proven business owner stress relief tactics to help you feel better and boost business growth.
The Importance of Stress Management for Business Owners
How our bodies respond to stress serves an important function—it helps us understand when things aren’t right and nudges us to make changes that will keep us safe. However, these systems weren’t created with long commutes, finances, and other demands of modern life in mind. The buildup of responsibilities and the “always on” culture we live in results in chronic stress for many, especially business owners who must not only lead their companies but often do so alone. Let’s take a quick look at why managing this stress is so important.
Stress Affects Your Decision-Making
We’re constantly deciding whether to try something different or keep doing what we’re doing. These are referred to as explore/ exploit problems. Do we explore something new that we don’t have much information on, or do we exploit what we know and stay the course?
Stress, whether acute or chronic, impacts how we make these decisions, according to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience. We tend to stick with what we’re doing, even if we’re only achieving lackluster results that way. Some scientists believe this is a form of self-preservation; we’re more likely to survive an encounter we’ve experienced before.
Because successful businesses are constantly pivoting and exploring new methods, this reduced tendency to examine the unknown caused by stress can have profound implications.
Stress Impacts Your Health and Productivity
A few years back, researchers turned heads when they revealed that exposure to stressful events can make people more susceptible to illness. While the mechanisms are not fully understood, stress weakens the immune system and increases inflammation. Plus, it impacts sleep and can lead to habits such as drinking and smoking that can hamper the immune response. Because of this, even short-term stressors can affect your health.
However, chronic stress can have even greater consequences due to overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones. For instance, the risk for everything from heart disease to digestive problems and memory impairment increases for those with chronic stress, per the American Psychological Association (APA).
Your Team Feels Stressed When You Are
As the leader, your emotional state sets the tone for your entire organization. If you’re constantly stressed, it can trickle down to your team. Research shows this may lead to decreased morale, poor communication, increased conflict and tension, a lack of creativity, and reduced wellbeing, Impact reports.
Your Business Needs a Visionary, Not a Firefighter
When you’re stressed, you’re stuck putting out fires instead of focusing on growth. Long-term strategies, networking opportunities, and creative problem-solving take a backseat to daily emergencies. A calm, well-rested mind is essential for thinking beyond immediate challenges.
5 Tried and True Ways to Destress
The case for stress reduction techniques and mental health for entrepreneurs is clear. If you want your business to perform well, you must be at your best. Let’s take a look at how to make that happen.
1. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment without judgment. You can do it at any time, just by focusing on whatever you’re doing, be it catching up on emails, attending a meeting, or even eating lunch.
Meditation, however, requires that you stop what you’re doing for a few minutes. Busy business owners tend to have more trouble with this because their minds wander to what they must do next rather than calming. It’s important to note that this is an acceptable and normal response to meditation for some people. However, if you’re trying to shut off your thoughts for a few minutes, try focusing on your breathing, repeating a mantra, or using guided meditation.
Research shows these relaxation methods can help quiet the emotional noise in your brain, reduce stress hormones, and boost emotional resilience. They can also be great for managing work-related stress—just find ways to work them into the natural rhythm of your day.
For example, set aside five minutes near the start of your day or after lunch for a quick meditation exercise or just take a few minutes to breathe before making a major decision or responding to a stressful email.
2. Regular Physical Exercise
Exercise lowers cortisol and causes your body to release endorphins or feel-good hormones. It also increases blood flow to the brain, which can improve cognitive function and help people sleep better at night.
If you like the gym, block out time on your schedule for it. If not, consider participating in another activity, like dancing or pickleball. If your schedule doesn’t have room for these things, or you struggle to meet goals when you set them, work it in just like medication and mindfulness throughout your day. For instance, you might spend ten minutes of your lunch break walking or try using a stand-up desk instead. You can also use little hacks throughout the day to increase your movement, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away from the doors. Every little bit helps.
3. Time Management and Delegation
You can always earn more money, but you’ll never get more hours in a day. Poor time management leads to working long hours, skipping personal priorities, and ultimately increasing stress. Delegation is a major component of effective time management, as it allows you to focus on high-value activities without burning out. Use the tips below to improve in these areas.
Prioritize Your Tasks
Consider using an Eisenhower Matrix to visualize where to apply your efforts. In one quadrant, list tasks that are urgent and important. Next, list tasks that are important but not urgent. Then, list tasks that are urgent but not important. In the final quadrant, list tasks that are not urgent or important. These can typically be delegated, giving you more room to focus on tasks that align with your long-term goals rather than just putting out fires.
Time Block Your Calendar
Dedicate blocks of time to specific tasks or meetings and stick to them. Reserve an hour of focus time each day for deep work and ensure you’re not interrupted during this time.
Limit Decision Fatigue
We’re only capable of making so many decisions in a single day. Save yours for things that matter most. For instance, you can decide how to handle lunch beforehand or create routines that take the guesswork out of which task you’ll tackle next. It may also be helpful to batch similar tasks, such as responding to emails or reviewing reports, instead of switching between tasks all day.
Learn to Say No
Not every opportunity or meeting is worth your time. Politely decline or delegate commitments that don’t align with your priorities.
4. Prioritize Work-Life Balance
It can be challenging to create work-life balance for entrepreneurs. After all, there’s no other authority greater than you in your business. Regardless of what someone needs or what needs to be done, you’re likely going to be the most knowledgeable and invested person that can help. Of course, if you’re always in go mode, stress skyrockets, and burnout may occur. Plus, everyone has personal matters to tend to. Leaving things undone can boost stress, too.
At the same time, having a fulfilling life outside of work, including supportive relationships, reduces stress levels. It’s essential to structure your time in a way that creates work-life balance. Let’s take a look at some quick tricks to make that happen.
Define Your Work Hours
Decide when you’ll start and stop work each day and communicate these hours to your team.
Create “No Work” Zones
Reserve time for activities like family dinners, exercise, or hobbies without interruptions.
Turn Off Notifications
Silence notifications when the workday ends to avoid being on call 24/7.
Delegate Routine Tasks
Pass on work that does not require your unique skills.
Automate
Platforms like Zapier, Wrike, or HubSpot can streamline repetitive tasks and save hours of your time.
Block Out “Me Time” on Your Calendar
Treat your personal activities like essential meetings that cannot be canceled or delayed.
5. Seek Support from Peer Groups and Mentors
Relationships with peers and mentors are vital. They can become a safe place to vent or springboard ideas, provide new approaches, and help you maintain focus.
For in-person events, try connecting with your local chamber of commerce or industry-specific associations. You can also find many opportunities online, through Facebook, LinkedIn, or platforms like Meetup.com.
Include Factoring in Your Stress-Relief Strategy
Waiting on slow-paying clients can create unnecessary stress, especially when payroll hits, or a growth opportunity that requires a capital investment emerges. Invoice factoring addresses this by providing you with instant payment on your unpaid B2B invoices. Plus, we take care of collecting the balances on those invoices for you, allowing you to focus your energy on high-value tasks that propel your business forward. To explore how factoring fits into your goals, request a complimentary rate quote.
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