It’s no secret that running a small business, while incredibly rewarding, can also be extremely stressful. There are days when that to-do list never seems to go down, and sleepless nights become commonplace. The challenges a small business owner faces can become a rollercoaster. Obstacles, pressure, wondering when you’ll be able to take your next holiday, mentally, can all add up.
With mental health a current hot topic, there has never been a better time to stop and think about implementing a few simple routines into your working and personal lifestyle to help alleviate some of the stress and leave you feeling a little lighter!
How do we know? Because we’ve been there, several times over! Which is why we thought we’d share our most insightful tips for a more stress-free lifestyle below:
1 – Exercise your worries away
Exercise is not only great from a fitness point of view, but it’s also proven to improve your mental well-being. If you’re pushed for time, even getting a 10-20 minute walk on your lunch break will leave you feeling more refreshed, a few lung fulls of fresh air and a change of scenery, even if it’s for a short time, can help you feel more relaxed and in control of your day.
2 – Outsource work where you can
It’s all very well trying to be a one-person business machine, but undoubtedly there are times when any business owner can do with an extra pair of hands. Freelancers can be a great pool of resource when you’re at capacity. Search on LinkedIn or head to a local networking group and start to tap into a network that you feel you can trust and fall back on when you need to. All without the cost of a full-time employee, and the tax and national insurance inhibitions this brings!
3 – Plan your day
A to-do list may sound like an obvious thing, but getting all of the tasks that you need to complete written down in front of you will allow you to prioritise the most important items and put aside others for another day. The feeling of crossing completed tasks out can’t be beaten too! And you’ll feel as though you’re accomplishing much more when you can see your list going down.
4 – Break large tasks into manageable chunks
Have you ever had a task or project so big that you just sit there wondering how the hell you’re going to tackle it end up not doing nothing at all? Yeah, that. Again, make a list of the items that make up your big task, and plough through them one by one.
5 – Don’t forget to have fun
All work and no play is no fun for anyone. It’s absolutely vital that you pay attention to your own needs as well as that of your business, mainly to stay sane! Put down your tools by a certain time of an evening, and plan time together with friends and family. Enjoying yourself is the ultimate stress buster, and taking some time out will pay dividends to your mental well-being.
We hope that helps!
If you’re looking for a dedicated, experienced team to take some of the stress of looking after your marketing strategy or project away, then look no further, talk to us today about how we’ve helped other businesses and how we can assist you too.