How To Take The Stress Out Of Running A Business

Running a business can be an incredibly stressful venture. In fact, a recent study from the counselling service BACP found that: 

• 63% of business owners admit to deprioritising their mental health in order to focus on their business 
• 68% of business owners feel as though they have nobody to talk to about their problems.
• 1 in 5 business owners feel like giving up running their business every day.

While a lot is riding on the success of your business, nothing should come before your mental health and well-being. As such, it’s crucial that you find ways to lower your stress as a business owner. After all, this means that you’re then able to maintain the drive and focus needed to stay ahead of the curve and scale your business. 

With that in mind, here are some useful strategies that you can utilise to take the stress out of running a business. 

Stop overworking yourself. According to a recent study, 30% of business owners work in excess of 50 hours a week. While this may seem commendable, it doesn’t always work wonders for business (or stress levels). After all, when you are consistently putting yourself under this kind of strain, your ability to work efficiently will dwindle. 

Of course, this does not mean that you have to start turning down work, customers or orders. You simply need to accept that you do not have to do everything on your own. For example, you could hire Accountants instead of spending hours pouring over spreadsheets you don’t understand. Not only will this free up time in your schedule to attend to other tasks, but it also means that you can rest easy knowing that your finances are in good hands. 

Find a good work-life balance. Finding the perfect work-life balance is also key to taking the stress out of running a business. After all, while your business should play a key role in your life, it should not be your entire life. As such, you should strive to build the perfect work-life balance by setting a strict working schedule, dedicating time to your hobbies and loves, and finally, getting plenty of sleep.

Find ways to boost your productivity. Finding ways to boost your productivity levels can also help you to reduce your stress. After all, when you are working productively, you’ll feel a lot calmer as deadlines will feel more realistic. There are many different ways in which you can ensure you’re working as productively as possible. For example, you could start by writing a to-do list each day. This will make it easier to manage your time, as you’ll know which tasks can be put on the back burner and which need your immediate attention. By writing them down instead of keeping your to-do list in your head, you’re far less likely to forget to do something important and more likely to hold yourself accountable. You can also work to become more productive by using automation technology, which can streamline processes that would otherwise take up several hours of your time.