Looking for tips to avoid stress when running your own business?
Many people set up their own businesses specifically to create a better work-life balance and to get away from the stress of working for someone else. But running a business is hard and before long you can end up working all hours and doing everything – in short, you now work for a lunatic!
You need to be Director, Sales and Marketing Team, Tea Boy, Bookkeeper, Office Manager and still get the work done on time. Plus you need to worry about overheads and cash flow. Not to mention changes in tax regimes and government dictates for business.
How to reduce stress
The first step is to identify the things that make you stressed. Setting up a business is a huge learning curve; you quickly find out what works for the business and also what works for you. You can make some tasks less stressful by taking the time to improve your skills or delegate that task to an employee or a freelancer.
When you start up, you often say yes to anything and everything to get your business off the ground. Over time, you will have to get used to setting boundaries and saying no.
- Set achievable goals and realistic deadlines;
- Create a routine that helps you to feel in control;
- Prioritise key tasks and schedule regular breaks;
- Use apps and other tools to help you manage your workload;
- Delegate tasks to employees, outsource or use freelancers;
- Ask for help from friends and family or find a mentor.
Learn to switch off
Thinking about work all the time goes with the territory when you run your own business. One way to stop constantly thinking about work is to make a schedule for the next day so that you can relax at home knowing a plan is in place.
Make sure you schedule times when you will put your phone and laptop away and find specific activities that help you to switch off. Sport, exercise, cooking a meal, spending time with your kids, watching a movie. Look after you – prioritise getting enough sleep, eating regularly, taking exercise and having time away from the business.
If you’d like to talk about how we could help reduce your stress please get in touch.
