Whether you’re an entrepreneur or not, undoubtedly, stress can cause physical changes in the body. It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to be sitting at their desks with their heads in their hands, thinking about everything but nothing at the same time. You can’t even pull yourself away from your desk because you’ve got so much to be getting on with. NHS outlines more telltale signs that you are suffering from stress.
These feelings of being overwhelmed can be daily, even hourly but don’t worry; you’re not alone. Today, we’ll explore a couple of ways you can get over these feelings, allowing you to carry on being your productive, happy self.
Take one step at a time
No matter what task you’re approaching, whether you’re tidying your house, cleaning your car or managing your business, or coming up with new business model take things one step at a time. Break down your day into easily manageable blocks instead of trying to take on everything at once.
Delegate effectively
As an entrepreneur, it’s important that you manage your time well. You can’t get caught up doing menial tasks that could be completed by someone else, allowing you to concentrate on what’s more important. This is especially important if you’re working with a team. However, what if you’re not working with a team and it’s just you? Fortunately, there is still a multitude of options open to you. If you’re looking to improve your writing skills, you can do so using online resources. When it comes to things like content writing, you can easily outsource your tasks to third-party services, who can complete it on your behalf. Whatever service you’re in need of, don’t get stressed out, simply search online.
Prioritise your tasks
Hand in hand with the point above, when setting your tasks, make sure you spend time seeing what tasks are more important. If you’ve got two tasks: one due today and the other tomorrow, make sure you plan which one you’re going to complete first. This can all be done at the beginning of your day and will massively help to reduce the stress of pending deadlines.
Get organised
If you’re simply waking up in the morning, getting in front of your computer and tapping away without a plan, it’s easy for other things to creep in and overtake your mind. Instead, as the first thing you do in the mornings before you start work, sit down and organise a plan for you to work to. This means you can be sure that you’re delegating enough time to each task and you’ll know that you’ll get everything done.
Practise writing
Writing is widely acknowledged for its therapeutic properties, and it’s one of the best ways to reduce your stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. Leigha Banks, a psychology writer, explains: ‘It doesn’t matter what form you write in. You could start a blog, keep a diary or even just write down notes; any form of writing is good. You don’t even have to write down anything in particular.’
Know when to switch off
Whether you’ve got a tonne of work to complete, or you’re simply determined to get ahead, it’s easy to get carried away. It has been reported that over 44% of people suffer from long-term stress. Don’t let yourself get to this point by managing your time properly. If you’ve been working for a couple of hours, remember when to switch off and have a break. Get outside, get some fresh air, socialise, and read a book, do whatever you feel comfortable doing, but you just need to make sure that you’re not working all the time, constantly.
Takeaway
A number of entrepreneurs think of success happens when someone wants to invest with them. However, being able to optimise your own mental health is our best asset. Also, remember as an entrepreneur you may have to see a few counsellors or psychologists to find one that actually understands the ins and outs of running a business.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the founder of Psychreg. He writes for the American Psychological Association and has a weekly column for Free Malaysia Today.
