Tips for Managing Stress While Building a Business
Ever feel like your head’s spinning from all the things you need to get done? Your morning coffee is a necessity more than enjoyable. Your to do list only seems to grow each time you check off a task. You can’t seem to turn off your brain at night to get enough sleep.
As a business owner, it’s easy to get bogged down by all the aspects that come together to make a successful, growing business. From ensuring you offer the best product or service you can, making time for outreach and marketing, and creating customer connection, it’s easy to feel like every day is stressful.
Let’s face it — you didn’t start a business to be stressed every day. You started a business so you could create the work-life balance you didn’t find at a corporate job, all while finding success with a rewarding career. How can you get back into the flow of running and growing your business so that you can enjoy the process again?
There are a few key habits and mindset shifts that can make a surprisingly big difference in your day-to-day life.
Break Down Your To Do List
A to do list is one of the best ways to keep track of what tasks need to be done. You may be inclined to make your list as short as possible — that way it looks like you have less to do, right? While that may be true, it also means you may look at your list at the end of each day and think, “I feel like I was busy all day, but somehow I only got one thing done.” That can make you feel like you need to do more and more each day just to check things off your list, leading to more and more overwhelm.
Instead, get detailed with your to do list. Break down bigger projects into smaller tasks that help you make progress — and allow you to see that progress as you go. It may feel counterintuitive, but this method allows you to give yourself a pat on the back for all the work you do each day.
So, you want to launch a new campaign that targets a new audience? Start with research — make your first task to learn more about your new target audience so you have a starting point for building the campaign. Then outline different aspects of your campaign — such as landing pages, social media posts, ad campaigns, and product pages — and list each of those tasks individually. Finally, make launching that campaign its own task. You can even break things down further if it feels right to you.
This way, you get to check things off your list consistently and can easily look back and see the progress you’re making toward completing the larger project — including that satisfying final checkmark when you launch.
Revamp Your Morning Routine
Ever heard the saying, ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’? That goes for your morning routine, too. The way you start your day sets you up for success — or creates a busy brain that’s hard to keep focused.
If you’re in the habit of picking up your phone to check emails, scroll through social media, and reply to texts as soon as your alarm goes off, you’re not alone. But there’s a better way to start your day.
Instead, be intentional about your morning routine. What habits help you feel happier, more mentally clear and focused, or get you motivated? This looks different for everyone, but figuring out what will start your day in a mindful way will make a huge difference for your stress levels and productivity.
This could look like waking up without an alarm clock, taking thirty minutes to meditate, journaling, enjoying coffee on the patio, taking a walk with your dog, or allowing yourself to read for a half hour before diving into work. Choose activities that leave you feeling calm, focused, and centered and that feeling will carry into your work day.
Don’t let your hustle-brain tell you that you don’t have an hour to focus on yourself in the morning and ease into your day.
Consciously Slow Down
Like I said, don’t let the hustler in your head tell you that you have to be “busy” 100% of the time. In fact, the more you can make time to sit back, relax, and decompress at regular intervals throughout the day, the more you may find yourself getting done.
Though it feels counterintuitive to many people, you’re likely to benefit from taking breaks throughout the day. If you catch yourself struggling to focus on what’s in front of you, take a few minutes to step away from the computer, maybe get up and walk around or step outside. You can even take intentional breaks each hour to do a small task around home, check in with a pet or loved one, or decompress with a fresh cup of tea or coffee.
Creating space in your lifestyle allows you to take note of where your intuition is directing you, whether it’s a better angle for a project you’re working on or a fresh way to reach new clients. Once you get in the habit of slowing down and creating space, you may find you’re just as productive — or more so — than when you were constantly pushing yourself to stay busy and get more done each day.
Having that detailed to do list can show you just how much you’re still accomplishing — without the stress and overwhelm.
Focus on What You’ve Achieved
Do you find yourself focusing more on the things left unchecked on your to do list than the tasks you’ve completed? Again, you’re not alone. It’s easy to focus more on what’s still left to do than to see all that you’ve already accomplished.
Instead, take a step back and look at where you were yesterday, a week ago, a month ago, etc — and how much progress you’ve made since then. Most likely, you’ll see a lot of positive change has taken place and you’ve actually achieved much more than you realized.
Again, a detailed to do list can make it easier to see this on a daily basis, but you may still find yourself feeling like you aren’t making enough progress long-term. Pay attention to when you shift to that type of thinking and consciously widen your perspective.
You can also make this part of your morning routine to help start each day with a positive mindset about where you stand, what you’re doing, and what you’ve already achieved along the way. Give yourself some much-deserved credit!
You can’t avoid hustling when growing a business — but you can do it in a mindful way that still leaves space for you to unwind and recenter. Find the right balance between working hard and creating space. You might be surprised how much happier and more productive you are on a daily basis — and others may start to notice it, too.
Growing a business doesn’t have to be a one-person show, either. When you notice opportunities for growth that are falling by the wayside, reach out for help. Sometimes bringing in an expert for an area you’re less skilled, knowledgeable, or just plain uninspired by can push your business to new heights.
