There are a lot of “tools” you need to survive as an entrepreneur: social media skills, the ability to close a sale, etc., but few people know how to effectively deal with stress. When you do not have stress management skills, it can take over your life, affect your health and eventually derail your career. Doing any kind of business is stressful from time-to-time, but you do not have to let these stresses take over your life. Even the most high-strung of us can learn how to confront stress and channel it productively, and if you can learn this skill, you may even be able to avoid a few ulcers and gray hairs.
When you start to feel a bit out of control, there are a few simple things you can do to avoid letting stress have a detrimental impact on multiple areas of your life, such as:
- Manage. There nothing like a mile-long to-do list to send you straight into panic mode. One of the best ways to make this less intimidating is to take larger tasks and break them down into smaller items. It’s kind of a mind trick, but it’s remarkable how multiple easier tasks are less intimidating than a few huge tasks.
- Prioritize. Hectic schedules are incredibly stressful. If you have too much to do, then stop trying to do all of it. It is quite possible that you have “non-priority” tasks on your list. Reevaluate your list, determine what is truly necessary at the time and do those things first.
- Move. Exercise is a productive way to deal with stress because it actually helps to improve brain chemistry. Something as simple as going for a walk, a hike or a short run can do wonders for improving your state of mind and getting you to a mental state that is better for dealing with stress.
These are certainly not the only ways that a person can effectively deal with stress. What works for you regarding stress management may not work for the next person, but you have to find out how you can positively, effectively walk through high-pressure times when you have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Stress is inevitable, but you don’t have to be a victim of it.
By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC