Effortlessly Reduce Stress in Your Entrepreneurial Life with These 5 Tips

By: Kathleen Ries-Jubenville   |    Read time: 4 minutes

 As an entrepreneur, you will never be able to completely avoid worry, pressure, and weariness. But there are ways to manage and minimize the weight of the responsibilities you carry!

If your business doesn't serve both your clients and your lifestyle, it may not be sustainable.

Remember, the goal is to create a PROFITABLE and ENJOYABLE BUSINESS!

Here are FIVE TIPS to EFFORTLESSLY REDUCE STRESS IN YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL LIFE:

1. Journal

Start your morning by reviewing your schedule. Then write a few sentences about the positive impact you'll have --or your product/services will have -- on the world and the people around you. 

At the end of the day, come back to your journal and write a few sentences of gratitude. This simple shift in your attitude and routine will effectively reduce stress and anxiety while boosting joy and energy!

2. Take breaks

Believe it or not, this is the most difficult thing for me to practice each day. I place a lot of pressure on myself to get as much done in a day as I can, so I tend to sit too long at my computer. As I get more tired, I slouch more and my breath becomes more shallow. I end up with an achy back, tight shoulders, and a headache. At this point, I'm actually reducing my productivity.

A healthier approach is to think of business development as a marathon, not a sprint.

To counter my bad habits, I set a reminder to take a break every hour. I simply stand up, stretch a little, and go get - and slowly drink - a tall glass of water. I have found this to be a simple practice to improve both physical and emotional health while actually increasing productivity!

3. Be strategic

Every quarter, create a Strategic Plan with long-term, annual, and quarterly goals. Review last quarter's Strategic Plan and celebrate your accomplishments! Then, update the plan with your new goals. Your quarterly goals should move you toward achieving your annual goals and your annual goals should align with your long-term goals.

Be specific with your goals. Include a deadline and describe how you will know when you achieved your goal. For example, it is less effective to say, "I will increase sales." It is more effective to say, "I will increase sales 10% to $5,000 per month - which is 10 new customers every month - by the end of August." Then, list the activities you will need to do over the next days and weeks to accomplish these goals. This is a procrastination-buster! When you have a plan and clarity about what to do every day, you feel energized to take action and it is easier to gain momentum towards success!

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4. Focus

One of the biggest challenges for business owners is the abundance of ideas and requests that come our way. It is so difficult to say "no" to good opportunities (and sometimes saying "no" to the bad ones is hard too), but you must do this to protect the time and energy you need for the great goals you identified in your Strategic Plan.

I have discovered it is much easier to say "not right now". When you say this to someone who has asked you for your time and resources, you are telling them you value them, but you are just not available right now. This gives you time to assess the situation and decide if you want to include it in your next quarter goals. The opportunity might not be available later, but you will be amazed how often it is. Or, you may decide it wasn't a good fit for you anyway. I am not suggesting you be indecisive or lead someone on. I am encouraging you to prioritize your goals and dreams. And the best part of saying, "not right now", is you do not overextend and exhaust yourself. If you are saying "not right now" to one of your own ideas, it will still be there for you to pursue later. Focusing on just one or two initiatives at a time will allow you to make progress while taking care of your mental health and physical stamina!

5. Organize

When my office is a mess or my email box is overflowing or my to-do's are swirling in my head, I get overwhelmed and tend to shut down. To prevent this, I develop systems for filing and maintain them daily. Some of my files are paper, but most are stored in the cloud so I can access them anywhere. I move my emails to folders too so my inbox is only for those items waiting for my response. I faithfully use an online calendar, to-do list, and a project management system. Does this take time? Yes. Is it worth it? YES! When I have a meeting coming up, I can prepare quickly because I can easily find the information I need. When I promise someone I will get something done or will follow-up with them, I don't forget it. I am on top of my schedule and my promises - to myself and others. For me, being organized is an extension of integrity, trust, and respect. Getting organized will reduce your levels of stress and make every day easier to manage!

 Implement these 5 tips in your business and discover how they effortlessly reduce the stress in your entrepreneurial life!

If you would like more leadership ideas, please click below to download your FREE copy of my book, "Grow a Pair of Antlers: The Fearless Climb to Lead Your Herd."

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