Managing a business exposes entrepreneurs to various types of stressors relating to finances, market risks, competition, and more. According to research by Gallup, since the start of the pandemic, entrepreneurs have become more stressed than ever before, with 20% of male small business owners and 31% of female small business owners reporting worsening mental health. While SBOs need to give their all to make their company a success, it should not come at the cost of their sanity. In this article, we’ll explore a few useful strategies entrepreneurs can practice to keep stress in check while running a successful business.
Enjoy Your Free Time
Whether it be an hour or two in the morning or evening, dedicate time towards activities beyond work. This can include practicing a hobby such as drawing, reading, journaling, dancing, etc. Similarly, you can partake in leisure activities such as binging your favorite shows or going out to meet friends.
Spending time on activities beyond work will be a boon for your mental health, as it will help to disassociate your mind from work-related stressors.
Learn to Take Vacations
As a rule of thumb, entrepreneurs should take four weeks of vacation a year. While at first thought, you may feel that it is impossible, four weeks is a realistic number providing you some much-needed break from the hustle you put in day in, day out. Here are a few ways you can plan your vacations with minimum impact on the business:
- Take leaves at times during the year when business is slow.
- Place trust in your team to handle things well when you’re away. This will boil down to hiring the right employees and building a good workplace culture.
- Inform your team and clients regarding the days when you’ll be away from the office and provide contact information of who they can reach out to in times of need.
- Do not plan any new product launches or major business projects around the time of your vacation.
Create a Healthy Work Environment
As reported by the Clean Method, a cluttered work environment can reduce productivity and increase stress levels. Additionally, given the fact that you spend most of your time daily in the office, the workspace must help you perform to the best of your abilities. Here are a few ways you can create a healthy work environment:
- Rid your space of clutter which can include piles of paper stacked in a corner, unnecessary items placed on your desk, etc. Buy storage cabinets to store important paperwork away from sight and use digital tools to transition toward a paperless workplace.
- Add a few house plants such as peace lily, snake plant, bonsais, and more to your office space. These plants are known to promote positive moods and help individuals keep stress in check.
- Invest in good office furniture such as an ergonomic desk and chair. These will provide you with the necessary lumber support needed to work long hours and avoid experiencing back and neck pain.
Start a Fitness Routine
For entrepreneurs feeling overburdened by the stress of running a business, exercising is the perfect solution to regain clarity of thought and feel yourself again. According to the CDC, adults should exercise at least 150 minutes a week, which comes down to around 20 minutes a day. Even with a hectic schedule, dedicating 20 minutes daily to exercise is a realistic goal for entrepreneurs to follow.
Your exercise regime can include a combination of aerobic and weight-based exercises such as jogging, cycling, bodyweight exercises, etc. Depending on your schedule, plan your workout before or after work. Additionally, following a fitness routine will help you sleep and eat better as well, resulting in a better quality of life which will translate into greater productivity and better performance at work.
Pursuing hobbies, committing to a fitness regime, and taking time off are as important as chasing business goals. Not only will these activities help you perform better at work, but also avoid burnout and maintain good mental health.
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