Running a company can seem like a stressful endeavor, especially when times are trying.
For many business owners, finding ways to alleviate the stress can seem like a job in and of itself.
With that in mind, what are some of the ways business owners can deflect some of the daily stress that comes with overseeing a business?
Don’t Try to Be a Hero
In order for your business to be successful, you need to distribute the workload equally among your employees. If you run a small business on your own, this is typically not an option (unless you have family or friends helping you out), but there are still ways to avoid burnout.
Let’s start with those business owners who have employees under their wings.
Among the ways to take some stress off of your daily life:
- Role distributions – Make sure everyone at your company (from management on down to the secretary or administrative assistant/s, knows their roles and takes their responsibilities seriously. Oftentimes, some in the company will fall short of meeting their required tasks, thereby leaving them for others to fulfill. In many cases, it is the owner who ends up bearing the burden of pressure. Your management team can bear the brunt of that burden by handling all of their responsibilities and picking up the leftovers that are not being met. The business owner typically should not have to worry about anything other than making the final decisions on company acquisitions, sales, marketing and advertising initiatives, and anything to do with budgets;
- Don’t be married to the office – Sure, you want to be in the office as much as possible to make sure things are running smoothly, but don’t let the office become your new home. Too many business owners find themselves at the office doing incredibly long hours and always having to make decisions. A fair amount of this work can be done from home at times, so don’t think you need to be the hall monitor at the office eight or more hours a day. If you find yourself spending incredibly long hours in your office, one of two things (or both are happening). First, you have a team under you that isn’t always capable of handling the daily tasks at hand. Secondly, you are a little too obsessed with work and need to take a step back on occasion to recharge your batteries. Either way, find the right balance so you don’t end up with burnout. As businessman John Lemp notes, simple breathing techniques in and out of the office can make a major difference in your stress level and overall well-being. When your business world seems to be closing in on you, takes a few deep breaths and reprogram yourself to face the world
For those business owners who are a one-person team, the threat of stress and burnout are oftentimes even greater.
For starters, you don’t have the support system (employees, tier of management etc.) to help you with the daily needs of running the business.
Secondly, you’re responsible for so many tasks that it can seem overwhelming at times, possibly even costing you a good night’s sleep more times than you care to think about.
Among the ways to take some stress off of your daily life:
- Turn to family and friends – Your family and friends can prove to be great support systems when you manage your own business. Turn to them not only for support, but also the occasional advice on how things are going with the company. In some cases, you might even get them to volunteer some of their time to help you with the daily tasks needed to keep the business running smoothly;
- Get away from time to time – While your business is everything to you, you can’t let it overtake your life. Take time to get away from the daily stress that comes with running your own company. Even simple things such as a long walk to break up the workday or going to the gym should ultimately help. When it comes time to take a real vacation, let clients know that you are up to speed on their needs and will return to work very soon. Lastly, never feel bad about taking some downtime to recharge your batteries. In the long run, it makes for a better you and a better business owner.