5 tips for managing stress as a business owner.

October 7, 2021    4 min read

Just as darkness is the absence of light, stress is the absence of happiness. Today, stress is one of the biggest challenges people deal with.

Running a business does not make most people rich, but it makes a lot of people happy. A rush kicks in because you are passionate and are trying to make it on your own. You are in control of your destiny.

On the flip side, when you run your own business, you are responsible for a whole spectrum of things, keeping your clients happy, managing your staff, revenue and overheads, decision making, and the list goes on.

As the business owner, the buck indeed stops with you. But did you know that an analysis showed that approximately 5 million deaths worldwide are due to stress, mood, and anxiety disorders each year? This means that too much stress can likely wipe you out of the picture.

So, the only thing you should be stressing about is Stress! How do you beat it?

Here are a few tips to lead a happier life:

1. Indulge in self-love & care

You create your life with your thoughts and feelings. Everything in life is based on how you feel. You make decisions on how you feel. All good feelings come from love.

So, before you begin with anything else you must learn to love yourself. Love yourself enough to take time for yourself – do things outside of work that make you happy, eat well, get good sleep, exercise regularly, and build better relationships,

Your mind is a magnificent and powerful tool, but you must be in total control of it, be mindful of what you tell yourself.

Don’t indulge in negative self-talk; for example, suppose you see your idea fail in a certain way, rather than dwelling on a thought like “there is no way this will work, I’ve seen it in the past”; tell yourself, “I can make it work”.

Look at how far you have come, from where you started. Don’t look for external validation instead be your cheerleader.

2. Ask for help when needed and delegate some of your workload

David Allen says, “you can do anything but not everything”.

When you run a business, you must put on multiple hats and manage a lot of things, however that does not mean that you must do all of it alone.

For example, you might be a marketeer whose greatest satisfaction comes from helping others achieve their marketing goals but struggles with building websites. You could use a web agency or hire a development team who will manage it and free yourself up to do what you love.

It can be difficult to give up control and accept your inadequacies, but this is just the foundation of being successful. Outsourcing or delegating time-consuming tasks hanging over you, can relieve so much stress.

Look to build a support system. You don’t always have to do it yourself.

3. Practice gratitude

Gratitude is the best attitude. Be grateful for the things and people that help you keep going. When things fail, be grateful for the lessons you learned and move on to the next thing.

Appreciate the good things that happen and don’t take them for granted. Appreciate the people who work for you and the all the things they do. This motivates them to perform better, increasing their overall productivity.

Albert Einstein said, “A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.”

Gratitude only begins with two words “Thank you”.

It is the one thing that costs you nothing, but, will help you reflect on the positive things in your life.

4. Focus on what’s going right!

Celebrate your success, however small it might be.

If you are making things happen then you will experience up and downs. The key is to enjoy the process and achievements and not fixate on the failures.

“Failure is proof that you tried, so try again!”

It is natural to get disheartened at seeing something fail, that you’ve put your heart and soul into, and it may have other implications as well. Fight the urge of feeling negative about a failure, look at it from a positive perspective.

While being self-critical is important, it is equally important to cut yourself some slack occasionally. The key is acceptance. Be it failure or success, it is yours. Accept it and move on to the next thing.

5. Set daily goals.

Desmond Tutu once wisely said that “there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.”

When you want to accomplish something major, you must do so by doing smaller tasks at a time. Else, it will seem daunting and unachievable. Break down the larger goal into manageable, smaller goals.

It helps achieve a greater deal when you are micro ambitious. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Having a plan instils you with confidence and helps you battle stress. Plan each day by setting day-to-day goals and celebrating the near wins.

You are meant to have everything you love and desire. Your life can be as amazing as you want it to be.

The key to having a happier life is to follow your passion. Believe in yourself and do what you love, everything else will follow!