5 Effective Ways for Entrepreneurs to De-Stress

Let's be honest.

Being an entrepreneur is stressful. Yes, I know I sound like Captain Obvious, but it's true.

Every day, you work to earn more customers, keep your current customers happy, all while managing the other aspects of your business. It's not easy, is it?

But everyone deals with stress, right?

However, it's fair to say that the life of an entrepreneur can be somewhat more stressful than that of most. This is especially true if you're flying solo. It's because you're wearing so many different hats. You're performing so many functions.

Growing a business is hard. Everyone knows this.

Because of this, it's extremely important that you learn how to deal with your stress. If you don't, you might find that the stress will start to affect you physically and emotionally over time.

Don't Try to Tough it Out

It might be tempting to think that you can just suck it up and keep going. After all, stress is normal, right? But this type of thinking can be dangerous.

Just like drunk drivers don't always know how inebriated they are when they sit behind the wheel, you may not realize how the cortisol and adrenaline that courses through your body could be affecting your judgment. Sounds pretty dramatic, right?

Maybe so, but this doesn't just affect your business, it affects your health. Stress has been shown to produce physical illnesses and it can also send you into a panic mode where you might make poor short-term decisions.

In order to reduce the stress in your life so that you can tackle your problems from a more intelligent perspective, let's take a look at some tips for mentally and physically relaxing yourself even during the most demanding times.

How to Release Stress

Get Your Zen On

This tip is #1 for a reason. If you do nothing else, then give meditation a try. Many have experienced the benefits of meditation, but its greater benefit is its ability to affect your thinking patterns long-term.

This can help you view your life in a more organized and objective way. It becomes easier to focus on one thing at a time and improves mental clarity. However, like exercise, it is something that you have to do consistently.

When you learn how to use meditation for stress, it will help you maintain the right mental state regardless of your challenges. You will be far more effective when you're in the right head space.

Use The Magic Word

What if there was just one word that could instantly start decreasing your stress when you start using it? That'd be pretty awesome, right? Well here's some good news: there IS such a word, and since I'm such a nice guy, I'm going to tell you what it is for free!

You ready?

NO.

That's it. That's the magic word. Once you learn how to say “no” more often, you will see your stress melt away.

Sometimes the best way to de-stress is to avoid it in the first place by not filling your plate up with too much to do. When you become overwhelmed, your stress levels soar.

Nick Chachula, founder of iCustom Label has some great advice:

“Entrepreneurs tend to think that they have to be superhuman sometimes. It's just not true. Entrepreneurs, just like everyone else, have strengths and weaknesses. You will be happiest when you're focusing on the areas where you're strong, not where you're weak.”

He's absolutely right. Focusing on your strengths doesn't just make you more effective, it also puts you in a better mental state.

If possible, stick to the things you're good at. Try to focus on the tasks that you enjoy. Outsource the rest. Learn to say no to the things that stress you the most, especially if they are not critical to your business.

Of course, this won't be possible all of the time. However, the issue isn't being able to do this perfectly. The issue is doing this as best you can. The more you can delegate the tasks that are the hardest for you, the better your stress levels will be.

Feel the Burn

You've probably heard this a million times, but it's true. Exercise is a wonderful way to reduce stress. Not only that, it makes you more physically healthy also.

Meditation will exercise your mind, but you should also be engaging in regular exercise as well. Just staying active will increase pleasure hormones in your body and reduce feelings of stress, so keep a regular exercise regimen. Walking or jogging can be an excellent way to blow off steam.

Get Out!

Just the very thought of it can be painful. I totally understand. Telling an entrepreneur to take a break from work is like telling Donald Trump to keep using a teleprompter.

But it has to be done. If you're dealing with a lot of stress, chances are, you need to get out more. Take some time for yourself. Have a night on the town!

Sometimes even just taking your work to a different place can help ease stress. Remember, you're a human, not a machine. Treat yourself to something fun. The work will be there when you get back.

Add Some Ambience

Is your office drab and artificial? Do you feel the weight of a thousand stones on your shoulders the moment you walk through the door? Just as you might go out into nature to de-stress, why not bring some nature into your office?

The key is to turn your office into a place where you want to be. Give it some decor. Of course, it's not just about the aesthetics. Sure, you want your office to look good, but you also want it to smell good too. The more comfortable you make your office, the more you will lower your stress levels.

Conclusion

You want to be successful at growing your business, right? Of course you do. Being a successful entrepreneur means taking care of your mental and physical health.

If you're not careful, stress can literally destroy your efforts at business. It's not enough to just take care of your business. You also need to take care of yourself too. Follow the tips in this article and you will keep yourself in a mental state that will enable you to succeed.

Smartphone Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "5 Effective Ways for Entrepreneurs to De-Stress" was first published on Small Business Trends