How To Reduce Your Stress Levels As A Business Owner

A recent study found that “57% of small business owners are somewhat or extremely stressed.” 

There are a few reasons why this may be the case. For example, worries could stem from concerns relating to their company’s finances, customer retention rates, or the work being carried out by their competitors. In addition to this, business owners are notorious for having a poor work-life balance, which leads to elevated levels of stress and anxiety.

However, dealing with this kind of stress is not sustainable. Sooner or later, it will catch up to you, and it oculd have a devastating effect, not only on your business, but on your health and well-being, too.

With that in mind, here are some effective ways in which you can reduce your stress as a business owner! 

Identify the key source of your stress. As mentioned above, there are many reasons why you may be feeling stressed as a business owner. However, identifying the specific trigger is key to being able to do something about it. For example, if you’re worried about money, you can start budgeting or looking into ways in which you can save money when running your business. You’ll find that your mental health improves the moment you start doing this.

Take some of the pressure off your shoulders. The more pressure you put on your shoulders, the more your stress levels will rise. As such, finding ways to reduce your workload (without sacrificing customer satisfaction or productivity rates) is key. 

One way in which you can achieve this goal is through outsourcing. For example, instead of attempting to man your phone lines yourself, you could hand these duties over to companies such as Answer4u. This way, customer calls never go unanswered, but you don’t have to spend hours on the phone, either.

Set strict boundaries. With many entrepreneurs admitting to working in excess of 50 hours per week, setting strict boundaries with yourself is key to protecting your sanity. After all, it will be impossible to keep your stress levels in check if you are spending all of your time in a stressful environment. You can protect your best interests moving forward by setting stricter boundaries. For example, you should make sure that you’re not answering the phone late into the night or checking work emails during your time off. While it may seem tempting to do so, especially if it will allow you to get ahead on your work for the following day, your free time should be spent doing things you enjoy. 

Experiment with different kinds of stress relief. Finding effective ways to relieve stress when you’re feeling overwhelmed will make your day-to-day life as a business owner much easier. This is because you’ll have the necessary tools and strategies at hand to cope with whatever is thrown your way.

While it may take a little while to find a stress relief strategy that works for you, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are plenty to choose from. For example, embarking upon a fitness journey can be a great starting point, as this can reduce your body’s production of stress-related hormones, such as cortisol. Alternatively, you may find simply talking openly and honestly about how you are feeling provides you with a sense of relief. 

Remember why you started. When we’re under a great deal of stress, looking at the bigger picture can be difficult. This means that our motivation and enthusiasm for the work we’re carrying out drops, too. However, as this opens the door to issues at work, it is important that you’re able to remember why you started out down this road in the first place. In doing so, you’ll find that you have a renewed enthusiasm for your work and your business, which will make it easier to rise above any of the challenges that you are facing. You’ll get similar results by making sure that you focus on your successes, as opposed to lingering on your failures.

Final thoughts. Many business owners assume that stress is part of the deal when you decide to explore entrepreneurship. However, while you should not expect every day to be a breeze, this is simply not the case. After all, there are plenty of ways in which you can keep your stress at a manageable level while still pursuing a career you love. 

This includes reducing your workload, establishing clearer boundaries with your customers and clients, and being able to see the bigger picture at all times.