How difficult can it be to manage a small business? For many who haven’t experienced it yet, building a business from the ground up offers challenges that are very daunting, like knowing how to get funded and hiring people with the right skills.
Regardless of the size of your business, these challenges can catch you off guard and cause stress levels to rise. And with stress comes indecision and a tendency to make critical errors that could prevent the business from realizing its goals.
So, how can startup owners keep a level head? Let’s take a look at a few stress-busting tips for the modern entrepreneur.
1. Delegate and offload
As a startup owner, expect to carry the whole weight of the enterprise until things settle into a rhythm. However, there will be times when micromanaging every aspect of the business is impractical. If anything, you expose your business to more risk if you divide your time between one area and another. This will lead to errors and quality issues that will come around to bite you. If you feel overwhelmed, let someone else handle the minor tasks so you can focus on more serious needs.
2. Pause and breathe
Taking deep breaths is a natural way to get relief from stress. This is because the process itself increases the intake of oxygen to the body, thereby creating a state of calm. If you’re feeling the onset of stress, take some time away from your desk and breathe fresh air. Close your eyes and calm your muscles as you spend at least 20 minutes doing deep breathing exercises. Take this moment to meditate so you will feel energized the moment you come back to work.
3. Organize your agenda
Often, stress occurs when you simply have too much on your plate. From processing legal forms to procuring the needed office equipment for your startup, your calendar is filled with tasks and appointments that will keep you frazzled. The best thing you can do is to organize your daily schedule based on your priorities. You can use time management apps such as Google Calendar or Timepage to plot out your week with urgent tasks and tasks you can defer. By keeping your calendar in order, you can avoid wasting time and energy on things that will only add to your stress.
4. Pamper yourself
Being a startup owner means putting in extra hours to structure your business properly. You will be sacrificing personal time to meet with investors or attend appointments with potential business partners. It can get hectic, but you will need some time to de-stress. Over the weekends, you can go jogging at a nearby park. After that, you can pamper yourself by doing what you love or getting a relaxing massage at a local clinic or spa. If you’re in Ontario, for example, you can check out a Burlington foot clinic that provides a range of stress-relieving services. Make sure the place is accredited so you’ll know you’re in good hands.
Steer clear of stress and guide your business toward its goals. Take these tips into account and maintain your productivity in the face of the challenges your startup will inevitably go through.
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