Starting a business comes with a whole lot of stress and responsibility. Sometimes you may feel like you have no one else to lean on to improve your stress levels. Working towards real solutions for your stressors is important. If you are stressed about finances, you could look into getting a startup business loan from a lender like Seek Capital. If you are stressed about a particular client, reach out to your contact to see if there’s anything you can do to go the extra mile for them. While working towards solutions is indeed important, it is also really necessary to take a break if you need to in order to ensure that you are at your best mentally and emotionally. There are many different ways to take care of yourself, just find something that works for you and check out of the office and do it! You will come back improved, refreshed, and ready to tackle your problems!
Find Your Happy Place
Everyone has their own happy place! For some it’s the beach, others the woods or the park…wherever it is, you need to find it and go there when you need some time away. Make sure that it is accessible enough for you to be able to go when you really need to without much planning involved. Take a few minutes to just relax and enjoy your environment and think peaceful thoughts. Also do yourself a favor and turn your phone off! You need to truly disconnect, even if it’s only for a few minutes, in order to truly feel better. I promise that after ten minutes of sitting in your happy place with no distractions, you will leave feeling a lot better.
Exercise
Exercise is also a good way to get out and deal with your stress and emotions that may be running high from your business. Similar to finding a happy place, try to find a form of exercise that you truly enjoy. Whether it’s running, Zumba, yoga, or kickboxing – find something that works for you and allows you to release your stress into your physical activity. There are bonus points awarded if this exercise is in a group setting involving other people. Interacting with people and releasing endorphins through exercise will have you feeling better in no time and be ready to get back to work!
Meditate
Meditation is a proven way to deal with stress, negative thoughts, and emotions in a positive way. You don’t have to spend hours meditating – even if you only do it for ten minutes, you will no doubt see an improvement in your mindset. There are many different ways to go about meditation, but meditation apps on your phone have made it really easy to do a guided meditation anywhere, anytime! Meditation will teach you how to better control your thoughts and mindset and think more positively without getting caught up in the stresses of your life. It also helps reduce any anxiety that you may be having.
Make a List
One of the best ways to deal with your thoughts and emotions is to write things down. Depending on the situation, you might want to make a list of different things that you are thankful for if you are feeling really down. You can also make a list of five good things that happened during your day. If you want to be productive, you can write down a to-do list – there’s no better feeling than crossing off items on your to-do list. If you are over-stressed and are questioning why you are even doing this, try writing down the goals and motivations that you have for starting your own business. Writing things down and being able to visualize them is very therapeutic and can help you make actual progress both mentally and in actuality!
Laugh!
When dealing with the ups and downs of running a startup, laughter is definitely the best medicine! Find things that make you laugh and then do them, no matter how silly it may seem. It may be looking up America’s Funniest Home Videos on YouTube or watching a comedy sketch on Netflix. Everyone has different senses of humor, so you need to find what works for you and laugh it up! Another thing that is important is being able to laugh at yourself. It can be hard sometimes when it seems like everything is on the line in your startup business, but there are times when you really just need to laugh at yourself and move on. If you can’t laugh at yourself immediately after a situation – don’t worry, this is okay! Give yourself some time to get over it and change your mindset into a more positive one in order to positively deal with it.
Engage with Family and Friends
Your friends and family will be your best support system during difficult times when running your business. Although it may seem easier to check out and disengage when you are having a particularly hard time, those are the times that you need to get up and reach out to those who love and care about you. There’s no doubt that talking to them about how you are feeling will make you feel so much better. Receiving love and encouragement is invaluable when dealing with the startup business blues. Your new business has also presented you with the opportunity to make friends with others who have been in a similar position as you. Building these connections and relationships can be a great source of support and encouragement since they have likely been through the same things that you are going through! Being able to lean on family and friends – old and new – can give you a nice break and build your confidence back up if you’re feeling low.