Being in business for yourself, by yourself is super-rewarding, however, it can be rather stressful. Sometimes the load just seems too heavy… What do you do when your clients are unhappy, or pull out of deals? You stress of course! Well, that’s one option, at least for a very short while. But then it’s time to count to 10, slowly, and then face some facts:

1. Stress makes you fat.
2. Stress hampers your ability to think straight.
3. Stress has never helped anyone.

Easy for me to say? Yes, indeed. In all my years in business I’ve had my fair share of business stress and I have to admit, initially, I used to stress a lot too, whether I had something to stress about or not. Sometimes I stressed about legitimate crises, but most of the time I just stressed about whether I was doing the right thing or the wrong thing. I was stressing about stress.

Stop Stressing!

Stress can be good for you, if it inspires you to reach new levels and makes you step out of your comfort zone. Business Week published a great article featuring Bruce McEwen, a neuroscientist at Rockefeller University in New York, who spoke about how entrepreneurs sometimes thrive on business stress. Read the article to learn about the F-state and the C-state. The key is to find productive methods of handling business stress, because that will improve the performance in your company for you and your employees, as well as for the bank manager.

Business Stress Management Starts With YOU!

These simple tools are bound to help you get through the day less stressed, more energised and with increased focus and determination. As Michael Jackson said, you should start with the man in the mirror. Sometimes it requires that you deal with you first, removing the spiritual blockages that keep you from thinking clearly, before you can deal with the actual task at hand.

There have been so many times when I faced a business challenge that left me stressed out, unable to move, unable to see a solution. Those are the times when I simply step away from my computer, and do something else for a while, whether it’s doing yoga, cleaning the office, or talking to a friend. By the time I get to back to work, my mind is clear of business stress and I am able to focus – better yet, I have several creative ideas on how to not only deal with the issue, but avoid it in future.

Here are some of my tips for dealing with business stress:

1. Eat Healthy

I can hear you say “What does food have to do with business stress?”  Well, everything. Your diet is the basis of your body and mind. Stress starts in your brain, which is fed by the nutrients you consume. There’s an old saying ‘you are what you eat’ – if you eat junk food, you will be stressed, tired and lack imagination. Eat plenty lean protein and fresh produce and drinks plenty water. You’ll see the difference!

2. Sleep

A 10-minute power nap has often seen me through the day. When you sleep, your mind downloads issues that are bothering you and when you nap, the neurons are reset. So when you wake up, you will be better able to make well though-through decisions and it will help you deal with issues appropriately. Do what you can to sleep well at night too. Stress keeps many people awake every night, but

3. Daydream

Positive thinking and daydreaming go hand in hand. Sometimes our interpretation of an event or situation is more stressful than the actual event. I have found that looking as each situation as a stepping stone toward something new and exciting, or at least better, is effective in eradicating stress.

If you have a certain idea about your business, and where you see it heading in the future (whatever your idea of your ultimate success is), and you’re currently struggling to find clients, remember: In order for your business to achieve that goal, it will have to get clients. So instead of worrying about where you will find clients (or stressing because they are not coming fast enough) – rather see that deluge of clients as the next logical step towards your success. Keep doing what works, and the clients will come.

Reducing Stress In Your Business

Now that you’ve sorted out your own mindset, there are only 3 more things to do:

1. Say NO to taking on a heavier workload, people taking advantage of your time and resources, and to commitments.
2. Delegate. Ask someone else to do things that take up too much of your time. Give employees more responsibility.
3. Manage your time better. Get rid of time-wasting activities, such as non-business related social media.

I hope that these tips will help you reduce business stress. How do you usually handle stress – please share your tips with us.