How to Manage Stress as a Small Business Owner

1. Remember What’s Going Right

As you build up your business, it is extremely easy to only focus on what’s going wrong. You may tend to focus on looking at everything that is behind schedule, underfunded, or need to be fixed.

One of the first ways to improve your stress management is to remember everything that is going right. Remind yourself of all your accomplishments and any small business milestones, that you have achieved. There are probably more positives, than you realise, and don’t neglect even the smallest accomplishments. It may be a great idea to write a list of your achievements and whenever you feel stressed, look at it. It’s important to remember everything that’s gone successfully. 

3. Eliminate Negative Thoughts

As a business owner, it can be difficult to separate work and home and you may end up thinking about your business, whilst you’re supposed to be relaxing. Sometimes, it’s hard to stop worrying about your business and it may even affect your sleep.

If you’re struggling with negative thoughts, then write everything down that you’re trying to process. Write down any problems, possible solutions, and miscellaneous notes. This may take a while, but it is definitely worth it. Hopefully, this will enable you to sleep better, as all your thoughts are in one place.

4. Take Breaks

This is an incredibly simple but effective piece of advice, but taking breaks is vital. If you’re constantly stressing and feel as though you are going around in circles, then taking a break may be necessary. Stepping away from stress for even 10 minutes can be very refreshing and calming. Taking breaks is very important, as it will prevent burnout.

When you take a break, try and do something that relaxes you, like going for a walk, getting a coffee, or calling a friend. Make sure that you don’t do anything business-related. When you return to your work, hopefully, you will have a clearer mind and more energy. Sometimes, stepping away may even help you find new ways to complete tasks.

5. Take Care of Yourself

Remembering your health when you’re an entrepreneur is very important, as running a business can take a lot of energy. Being a small business owner can come with long nights, early mornings, and no weekends. Working nonstop puts strain on your body, with added stress on top of that.

You need to look after yourself, even by remembering to do the simplest things, such as drinking water throughout the day, regularly eating, and getting sleep. It may even be a great idea to reduce your caffeine consumption, although this can be very difficult. It’s vital to be healthy, as you will then be able to handle stress better.

If you can, then it may also be excellent to regularly exercise. Being physically fit is a brilliant method of small business stress management. Through exercise, you can release all your anxieties and frustration, whilst also clearing your mind and relaxing. Just a small amount of exercise can have a positive effect on reducing your stress levels.