If you want to succeed, be prepared to be stressed out at times. It’s par for the course when you care about your job and want to do well at work. Luckily, there are a number of ways that even the busiest entrepreneurs and business owners have found to limit stress.
Write down everything that’s going well
When things are going poorly or you’re stressed because there’s so much work on your plate, it’s easy to forget about everything that’s going well. If you’re feeling like you can’t do anything right and your business is failing, take ten minutes to write down everything you can think of that’s going well.
Think about the huge strides you’ve made over the past few years as well as all the little wins you’ve have today. Maybe you have a quality customer service team or you’ve improved sales this quarter. This will help put things in perspective and give you a brighter outlook, at least for the day.
Straighten up your workspace
Clutter can have a big affect on your stress level. Even if there’s a lot more that’s contributing to your stress than just a messy desk or office, cleaning it up and clearing away distractions will help you focus. It’s also a sort of meditative practice – try doing some deep breathing as you clean up. You don’t have to dedicate a ton of time to clearing your office. Even ten or fifteen minutes can result in a big, helpful change.
Reprioritize your tasks
Some days simply don’t have enough hours in them to accomplish everything you need to do. If this is the case, your first step is to accept that you’re not going to get everything done. Then, reprioritize your tasks. Write down the tasks that must get done today, then follow them up with the tasks you’d like to do if you have time. When it comes to your must-dos, rank them according to time – are there specific deadlines you have to meet for some of them? Get those done first.
Ask for help
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when you really need it. If there’s something your assistant or employee can handle for you, see if they can free up time in their day to tackle it. This is also a good opportunity to figure out what you can be outsourcing on a regular basis. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs know which tasks they can give away, which gives them more time to focus on the most important aspects of their job.
Clear Your Thoughts
Can’t seem to get started on anything? Are your thoughts flitting around in your head without anything to actually focus on? Clear your mind. Sit down with a piece of paper, set the timer for five or ten minutes, and write down every single thing that you think about. This will clear your mind of clutter and maybe even clue you in to something you should be focusing on.
One Last Thought
No matter what’s happening at work, and how it’s currently affecting your life (or how your personal life is affecting your work), it is possible to reduce your stress now and ward it off in the future.
