Stress, the state of mental or emotional strain or suspense will affect all business owners at some point. I have been in business for 6 years and trust me, I have had my fair share of stressful situations. I understand it can be tough because many times friends and family don’t understand the pressure placed on a new or existing business owner.
The ability to adapt to situations has a major impact on how your body reacts to stress. Stress can be good or bad and one must learn to manage it when striving to achieve goals. I believe a small degree of pressure can aid in a person’s performance. I have found that many people who do not experience any pressure they also do not have the drive to succeed. However; Once that level is increased excessively it then will become more difficult to make important decisions and to carry out day to day tasks to reach that goal. I have been over-stressed numerous times and when I look back it has hindered my concentration, performance, and even my ability to think things through at a normal level.
Help overcome stressful situations
I wanted to write this article as a fellow business owner and fellow “StressMan” to give you encouragement to hang in there. When you are trying to achieve your goals its not always easy. In many stressful situations I have had it has always worked out in the end. Try to keep a level head and do things that make you happy. For me it’s tough because I really love what I do. Working the 16 hour day can be stressful but you must rise above it and look at the “big picture”. I’m sure you remember this movie and this is a great tool for me when I’m stressed.
“Harness in the good energy, block out the bad” / Harness Energy – Block Bad
Time for stress relief
When thinking about things that cause you stress you should ask yourself a few questions such as: Where does your stress come from and Are you stressed because of poor time management?
If your job is your primary source of stress which sometimes for me it can be, try other things that make you laugh or take you out of your after work routine. Try to find something that reduces the amount of time spent in “harmful stress” activities.
Some stress relief techniques may be:
Exercising, Weight lifting, Sports, Enjoying the outdoors, Reading a book, Watching a movie… You get the idea.
For me, many of my hobbies are a major stress relief. One in particular would be playing Ice hockey. Every week it’s all about how much ice time I can get. Now that I think about it I am slightly stressed because a place I enjoy may not be here in a few months. I appears I may have much more time to blog.
In conclusion, I recommend that you take the time to unwind, and really try to find a good balance between business and pleasure. It’s a task that we can all improve on and is placed on ones plate every day. Feel free to leave your comments as I’m really interested in hearing your thoughts on this one!
