Mental Yoga: Four Ways to Manage the Stress of Running a Business

Any job can be stressful at times, but owning a small business comes with its own unique challenges. On top of worrying about day-to-day operations, as a small business owner you must also be on constant watch for the survival of your company, especially in today's economy. Add in relationships, childcare or personal fitness to that equation and stress can get overwhelming. But there are many techniques you can use to make stress both manageable and productive.

Take Time Away from the Office

As the owner of a small business, you might work out of your home most of the time. Even if you have a room in your house that you use as your office, if you work from home it can start to feel like you are always "at work," and that you should always be working. Be sure to set parameters around your day that determine when you are at work and when you are at leisure. This will also ensure that you are more productive with your time. If you think of yourself as "on the clock" from 9am-12pm, you will be less likely to spend that extra thirty minutes reading the newspaper before you sit down at your computer.

Delegate and Eliminate Where Possible

Sometimes the sheer number of tasks you have to complete can create stress. Figure out which tasks you can outsource to create more time for what really matters. Spending a lot of time scheduling appointments? Hire a virtual personal assistant to do that for you. Writing a blog because you feel like you have to? There are plenty of ghost-blogging outfits out there that can help you out with that. This will allow you to focus on the kind of work that you truly excel at and that you enjoy doing.

Keep Your Employees Stress-Free

If you have any employees working under you, making sure they manage their stress effectively will help you out in the long run. Businesses lose millions of dollars every year because stressed-out employees call in sick or are not productive. Hold stress management workshops in your office or try team-building activities that will help bring your group together. If your office feels like a safe environment, employees will be more likely to come to you with their problems before they escalate.

Make Your Stress Work for You

Stress can become harmful to your health if you constantly think about it negatively. But if you view your stress in a positive light, it can actually make you more productive. Maybe you have an important new client who is taking up a lot of your time. Instead of griping about how high-maintenance your client is, view this as a learning experience in managing people. Once you decide that a particular kind of stress is worth having in your life, you will begin to see the value of that experience and how it can make you better at what you do. Owning a small business does not need to be stressful all the time, although some days will undoubtedly be busier than others. If you confront stressful situations head-on instead of avoiding them, you can ensure that stress stays manageable all the time.