We all feel ‘stressed’ at one time or another in our lives, but how can we tackle this to ensure that our work and our personal lives don’t suffer? It’s all very well to say that we should ‘avoid’ stress, but this is easier said than done, especially for business owners, whose source of stress may well be their own business! So assuming that we don’t want to pack it all in and get a less stressful job, what can we do to manage periods of stress?
Take control of the situation
It’s no good just burying your head in the sand and feeling overwhelmed with the mountain of responsibility piling up at your door. That will only lead to more stress in the long run. Instead, try making a to-do list separated into urgent, important, and pending tasks. That way you can break down your workload and concentrate on the things that you really HAVE to do rather than the things that you feel you SHOULD do. This will make your workload feel more manageable, and result in less stress.
Be Active
You might think we haven’t got time to exercise, but this is counterproductive as exercise and the endorphins associated with it can help you to feel more positive and less overwhelmed. Even a short walk can sometimes be enough to clear your head and allow you to return to the office feeling more in control.
Be Social
Often when we’re stressed at work, the first thing to suffer is our social and family life, as we work longer hours to ‘catch up’ and find ourselves irritable and unable to relax at home. Try to make time to socialise and be around people who aren’t involved in your work – you may even find that talking through your work problems with an ‘outsider’ can offer a different perspective which will help you tackle these with more confidence.
Have some ‘me time’
With the longest working hours in Europe, Brits are traditionally very bad at carving out ‘me time!’ Whether you’re into rock climbing, film, or just settling down with a good book, make sure you schedule some time for these activities into your week. This will help you relax and let you tackle work again feeling refreshed and in a calmer frame of mind the next day.
Avoid unhealthy coping strategies
Folks, we hate to break it to you, but necking a bottle of wine is not actually the best way to deal with stress! (Who knew?!). While alcohol, caffeine, sugary foods and nicotine can often provide temporary comfort, in the long run relying on these kind of stimulants will only cause more problems. Imagine coping with your work stress when you’re also worried that your liver might have holes in it!
Finally, it’s important to remember that you can’t always control everything. Some sources of stress just have to be acknowledged and accepted, rather than fighting against them. You can’t control the market, or the economy, and let’s not even mention the ‘B’ word! Instead of worrying about these, concentrate on the things you can control, and leave the rest up to fate.
For more information about stress visit the NHS website.
For information about cloud-based accountancy software that can save you time and reduce your workload, click here.
