Managing any business will inevitably lead to stress, no matter how much you get used to it. The problem is that stress doesn’t simply go away. It can escalate and start causing problems in other aspects of your life, not just your work.
Prolonged periods of stress can cause physical pain and lead to depressive episodes, which often require medical attention to get better.
There’s no “one-key-fits-all” solution for dealing with stress because everyone handles it differently. However, there are a few things you can do to at least take the first steps and care for yourself before it gets worse.
Identify your main source of stress
When you’re already stressed out, every little thing will get on your nerves. This makes it difficult to identify what’s the real cause, so take a step back and think about it.
Is it the amount of work? Is it lack of clients or poor sales? Is it dealing with finances?
Everyone has a weak point. Be honest with yourself and identify what is causing the most amount of stress first. Once you do, then you can start thinking about possible solutions.
For example:
Too much work? Consider hiring help. If you can’t pay a full-time employee, try starting with a freelancer.
Poor sales? There are many ways to boost your marketing without spending money, especially online. You may also consider a lead generation service.
Don’t like dealing with finances? Hiring a finance pro is always better, but you can also use apps and sheets to streamline this process as much as possible, making it easier on yourself.
Cherish every victory
Many entrepreneurs, especially young ones, often don’t see the value in small victories. Striving to achieve your long-term goals is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean you should slave to victory.
It’s easy to think that your business will only be successful when you have a certain number of clients or a certain income, or when it’s running smoothly. But that’s far from the truth.
Turns out, it almost never runs smoothly. And it almost always takes a long time for a business to really boom, so don’t let that discourage you.
For every client you meet and every sale you make, consider that a win. You’re one step further than you’ve been before!
Keep your feet in the present
When managing a business, you have to think about the future a lot.
Potential investments, hires, projections, marketing campaigns, etc. And that’s pretty much required to succeed, but you can go too far.
If you only look at the future, you will forget about the present – and that sounds like self-help gibberish, I know, but it’s true. If all you do is think and plan for the future, you’re never enjoying what you have in the present.
You may project your sales for the next three months, and forget that you surpassed your expectations this last month. You may become upset from the pressure of goals you’ve set in the future, and forget to enjoy your accomplishments right now.
Don’t wear all the hats
When you’re starting, it’s inevitable to wear many hats. Throughout the day you’re a secretary, a salesperson, a financial pro, your entire marketing team, and, as always, a contractor.
One of your main goals early on should be to hire help as soon as possible. You might think that you’d save more money by just working alone, but you’re sacrificing so much of your time that it’s not worth it. You will never be achieving your full potential if you wear all the hats all the time because, well, you won’t have time and you can’t be an expert on everything.
Take care of yourself
Always remember to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. No one is made of steel and we all need a break. It’s easy to assume things are hard because they’re just meant to be, but a lot of the time, people put that load on themselves.
Drink water, eat well, take breaks, even meditate if you like it. If you feel like a psychologist would help, don’t hesitate to give it a try – they may direct you to a psychiatrist if necessary, especially if you’re not handling stress very well. But do take care of yourself – no amount of money or success is worth wrecking your mind and body.
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