Stress and anxiety can strike anyone at any time and may or may not have a definitive reason. However, for small business owners, the likelihood increases somewhat. 3 in 5 small business owners have admitted to experiencing anxiety, while 35% of those surveyed admitted to feelings of depression.
It goes without saying that those living with and working with high-stress levels don’t perform at their best. While some stress levels can be good for boosting productivity, high and ongoing levels can be detrimental to physical and mental health.
These tips can help you reduce stress in your life by bringing some calm to an otherwise hectic mind.
Find A Support System
You need to have a good support system you can rely on when things get tough and you need to help with anything. It can be family, friends, peers, or mentors who understand what you’re going through. Whether you need practical help or advice or just a shoulder to offload onto, you need a good support system to help through when times get tough.
Share your cares and worries, and allow them to give feedback, share their thoughts, and give you different views and perspectives that might be of value to you.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of fully concentrating on the task at hand. It doesn’t matter what it is you need to clear your mind of, the act of focusing on what you are doing at the exact moment, be it eating, watching a TV show, listening to a podcast, or anything else. Studies have shown that mindfulness effectively reduces stress and anxiety by allowing you to clear your mind and focus on one thing at a time without intrusive thoughts, thus giving you the mental clarity you need to help you focus and get things done.
Take Time Out
It doesn’t matter how or where you find the time; it’s just that you do. It might be that you need to take a few 10 minutes of bread throughout the day to sleep, turn the phone off, and simply do nothing but lie back and close your eyes. Or you might feel that setting boundaries such as no work post 6 pm at night or between 10 pm and 8 am works better for you.
Whatever you can do, schedule downtime to help you rest and relax. The more you keep going, the greater the risk of burnout and the more intense your stressors will seem. A good idea is to find some essential oils or homeopathic remedies that can help you relax, such as Magnesium, lavender, valerian root, pure and potent Phenibut HCL, or ashwagandha, which are known to have relaxing properties, which can help you to unwind during your downtime.
Sleep
If doctors would prescribe a good night’s sleep, chances are most of them would. Sleep can be one of the most restorative activities you can do, and while stress and anxiety can impact your ability to sleep, the catch is it can also improve it. The better quality sleep you get, the fresher you will feel and ready to tackle your problems head-on. So try to work out a good sleeping schedule for you, be it going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each day, removing electronics from the bedroom, or using sleep aids that can help you fall into a deeper night’s sleep easier.
