By Sofie Thompson
Every April, Stress Awareness Month is recognized worldwide and is an important reminder to take care of your health. Finding healthy and effective ways to cope with stress is critical for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
There are a ton of perks that come with working for yourself, but owning a small business can be incredibly stressful. Whether it’s the administrative tasks or keeping up with compliance, SMB owners are constantly under pressure to keep their staff, clients and families happy. One of the leading causes of stress for SMB owners is the amount of work they tackle daily.
Here are some ways small business owners can maintain productivity during stressful times:
SMB owners are often faced with stress due to the overwhelming amount of things they have to get done. Although it may seem more productive to try and tackle multiple tasks at once, this will lead to unfinished projects, wasted time and even more stress! Feeling like you have been doing so much work but have gotten nothing done is common for business owners, so it is essential to slow down and complete one task at a time.
SMB owners must prioritize their tasks. An excellent way to accomplish this is to make a list of everything to be done and organize the list based on importance, considering deadlines. Try not to focus on anything except the task at hand, especially if you know the length of your list will stress you out.
Being a small business owner isn’t easy; there are many obstacles and challenges before reaching the end goal. When caught in the web of these obstacles, it’s sometimes easier to focus on the bad and lose sight of the good.
So, as a business owner, when aspects of your operation aren’t going as expected, take a minute to think about all the things you have accomplished that are going right! If you only focus on the things going wrong, it will lead to stress and reduce your confidence as a business owner.
Even if you feel like taking a short mental break will throw off your entire schedule, it won’t. Overworking your mind can make you go in circles without actually getting anything done. Taking a break now and then will help your mind calm down and refresh, allowing you to jump back in with a clear mind. Taking a break can even allow you to approach the stressor from a new perspective, reducing stress and frustration. When taking a break, you can:
- Eat a snack
- Get up and stretch
- Walk around
- Play a game on your phone
- Listen to music
- Enjoy aromatherapy (scent can be very relaxing)
Most importantly, don’t let this stress take over your mind and make it impossible to enjoy life outside the office. Taking your stress home with you will only make it harder to be productive. Give your mind a break and try different coping strategies to see what works for you.
Need some help managing marketing to destress a bit? Contact us at tlcmarketingconsultants.com today!