While the word “risk” usually accompanies entrepreneurship, “stress” is usually nearby on the list of associated words.
For some, the high risk, high pressure environments that entrepreneurship puts you in is what makes it enjoyable. On the other hand, this constant strain can be the reason that goals and milestones aren’t being met in time and effectively enough. After all, to achieve best results you’d ideally want to be functioning at your best.
Be okay with things not always working out perfectly
Whether it’s a business deal falling through or a missed opportunity, it’ll do little good to be stressed out about the outcome. What’s worse is if that outcome influences your future decisions in a negative, impulsive way. Learning how to pick up valuable lessons from failures is key to moving forward and growing. Freelancers, for example, have to grow familiar with the feeling of no control over how steady their income is. Instead of becoming stressed about an unavoidable situation like that in slow seasons, the best thing would be to see it as an opportunity to sure-up the weak spots in their business operations.
Take control where you can
Being okay with things not going perfectly shouldn’t lead you to think that you should adopt an “anything goes” attitude. The things that you can take control of you’d want to ensure that it does get your attention and is executed properly. From the little details to the big picture things, it’s important to have a clear idea of what it is you want and then being able to ensure that you see it through.
Make time for breaks
It’s easy to become consumed in your entrepreneurial endeavours, especially if you’re experiencing success. Taking a break when needed is a great way to keep the ideas fresh, stress levels low and your drive high. Think of how exercising is good for you, but you won’t exercise 24/7… your body needs breaks to be able to make the most of the work you’re putting in. So remember to set aside adequate time for breaks/hobbies. Sometimes taking a break from the usual tasks can help provide clearer solutions when returning to those tasks.
Segment bigger problems
A common contributor to stress at work are the really big tasks with lots of moving parts. The easiest way to manage these tasks, and ultimately your stress levels, is to break them down into smaller, easier to manage assignments. Usually bigger tasks come with a bigger operation, so at some point delegation may be necessary to function at peak performance.
Try taking these pointers into consideration to reduce stress on the job. Also feel free to incorporate your own!
