How to avoid stress when running a small business
Running a small business can be tough, especially when doing so becomes a ‘way of life’ rather than a job. The pressures can be numerous – financial, time, legislation, staying on top of your competition – to name but a few. The outcome of this can be stress, leading to the inability to meet commitments and run your business effectively, along with risks to health such as headaches and more seriously heart attack.
So what is it that creates that risk of stress for small business owners? - Click to Tweet
Being out of control
Whilst running your own business may feel like you are in the driving seat, the most significant cause of stress is actually feeling out of control. In a small business there can be many factors such as decisions made by clients, bad weather stopping deliveries, prices charged by suppliers and employee attitude, that cause frustration and concern. To help with this, first of all recognise that one thing you do have some control over is how you react to these frustrations, and try to manage that. Secondly, identify those factors that can get in the way and plan strategies to put in place when they happen. That way you feel much more in control and ready to face what comes your way.
Recognising stress
Feeling out of control might be one of the main causes of stress, but not checking in with yourself about how you feel and recognising your own behaviours can cause the situation to spiral to burnout. Sometimes we might tell ourselves we are in control, but not recognise our own body’s reactions to what is going on around us. Look out for those warning signs like being unable to sleep, losing your appetite or having achy shoulders or back. Once you recognise it, take a step back and look at how you are working, what is going on around you and how you feel about this.
Your reaction to stress
We each deal with and respond to stress in different ways, but one reaction might be to allow ourselves to become irritable or even manic in our behaviour and activity levels. Reacting in this way is never going to help and will only make things worse.
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What can help?
A much healthier approach is to try and take a more positive outlook about your business, accept any shortcomings in yourself or your employees and appreciate things that go well, accept that not all decisions made by others will go in your favour and try to be more realistic in your expectations. It can also help to network with others who may be experiencing the same challenges as you, or seek out talking therapy with a counsellor to help you put things into perspective.
Learning not to feel you always have to react to a situation quickly is also helpful. Often we react emotionally in making decisions in our business, but then don’t take action to support that decision: in your small business, your actions impact on business results and performance. Instead of rushing into a decision about something, listen to and analyse the situation, think of alternative responses you could take and then breathe. Take a step back and evaluate the situation. You will not only make better decisions but also reduce your stress levels.
Letting go of unrealistic expectations can drastically lower your stress levels. We cannot guarantee the outcomes we want to see happen. For example, you cannot control the weather, so there is no point in stressing out when it interferes with your business plans.
Finally, accept that there really isn’t enough time to do everything. You don’t need to work 70 hours plus each week to be successful. Acknowledge the fact that there are only so many hours in a day and you need to sleep in order to be at your best and make those considered decisions. Budget your time as you do your finances; allocate time to spend with family and friends, time to check emails etc. but accept that there are going to be interruptions and opportunities that detour you from your planned schedule.
Julie Gordon is the Managing Director of cHRysos HR Solutions, a Doncaster based HR training and consultancy company providing CIPD and CMI accredited qualifications, as well as HR Consultancy to SMEs. Contact Julie on info@chrysos.org.uk or call +44 (0)1302 802128.
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cHRysos HR Solutions are a UK wide HR training and consultancy company offering CIPD accredited qualifications, Apprenticeships, Training and HR Services to SMEs. For more information about how cHRysos HR can help you or your teams successfully achieve further qualifications, contact us on info@chrysos.org.uk or call 03300 562443.