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Stress-busting tactics for busy entrepreneurs

Whether you’re building a new business or managing a growing one, It can be seriously challenging to learn how to manage stress. People tend to think of fast cars, luxury holidays, and designer goods when they hear the word “entrepreneur”, but for many, this is far from reality. The life of many entrepreneurs is filled with hard work, long hours, and stress. This is why so many new entrepreneurs burn themselves out in the first three years of business because they can no longer cope with the strain. Stress management is an essential skill for entrepreneurs. Why? While stress can affect anyone, it can be much easier for a paid employee working a stressful job to switch off when they leave the office. This isn’t always possible for an entrepreneur, especially when they have the success of the business weighing heavy on their shoulders 24/7.  

What is Stress?

Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Stress is that frustration that you feel after a hard day at work. It’s the anxiety that you feel if you’re worried about your job security. It’s that sinking feeling that you get if you’ve taken too much work on. We want you to succeed as an entrepreneur so if you feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends, take a look our top tips for managing stress.  

Get enough sleep

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health and quality of life. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.  

Meditate

Meditation isn’t for everyone, and many people frown on the practice asking how can it help. Research suggests that meditation helps to lower your stress levels, helps to aid anxiety and depression, and decreases your blood pressure. Meditation is a great stress management technique that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. Perhaps you could meditate in the morning before you tackle your daily tasks, or in the evening after a hard day’s work. You don’t need to go to a class, you can meditate from the comfort of your own home. Try using Headspace; there are plenty of guided sessions on the app that’ll help you to test out this stress management technique.  

Eat Well

When you’re looking for stress management tips, your diet is always a good starting point. Why? Your diet is crucial for your overall health, but it’s one of the things that the majority of us let slip when we’re under stress. A lot of us turn to comfort food or fast food for ease instead of a healthy, balanced diet. Research shows that these foods, in particular, are suitable for stress reliving: Green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, blueberries, pistachios, cashews, dark chocolate (yum!) avocado and seeds (flax, pumpkin & sunflower are all great)  

Exercise regularly

I know it’s another task you need to fit into your day, but it really is worth it. Exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your step! Exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits; It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins.  

Make time for you

This is super important and its something a lot of business owners forget to do. No matter what, your health and happiness trump all! Make sure you take some time out now and then to socialise. Something as little as meeting a friend for lunch between work hours or grabbing a coffee after work can help you switch off and not feel isolated, and, it won’t take up much of your time!  

Lastly, Get Help

As a business owner, its only natural to want to make as much money as you can. This often means we burn ourselves out by taking on too much. Why not try out-sourcing some of your tasks? At W1 Virtual Office, we don’t just offer virtual office solutions; we also have virtual receptionists who can take care of all our financial and administrative tasks at a smaller cost than you might think! Contact us for a free quote!