Manage stress as early as possible through these tried and tested steps

Starting a business can be very demanding and overwhelming. The registration process, along with the procurement of all the permits needed for the business to operate can be tedious and in most cases, stressful. You need to exhaust a lot of time and energy to ensure everything is in place.

If you think that starting a business is already stressful, wait until you’re already running it. Thus, it is really important to manage stress as early as possible. The question is, how?
Though there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to stress management, we can find a lot of tips based on other people’s experiences.

5 tips that can help you manage your stress levels:

Learn to delegate.

In most cases, stress is caused by mounting required tasks and their corresponding deadlines. When you feel that your hands are too full and that the number of your to-dos is no longer proportionate with what you can accomplish in a certain period of time, delegate. Find the right people whom you can entrust other tasks to and unload yourself. Just make sure to choose capable and committed individuals whom you can really trust.

Understand what you can and can’t control.

One of the perks of being an entrepreneur is having a flexible work schedule. You should be more in control of your own time when you run your own business rather than when you were still working for another boss. However, this is not always the case. While it may be true that businessmen have more control over their time and business in general, there are other things that they won’t be in control of. The earlier that entrepreneurs acknowledge these, the less likely they will be exposed to unnecessary stress.
When a crises arises, identify which things you can control, and which ones you can’t. Focus on those which you have control over, and from there you can begin to work on your solutions.

Express yourself.

When you are stressed, you need to find someone with whom you can really share your thoughts and feelings without reservation. Having a friend whom you can vent out your woes–no matter how big or small these are–is both a necessity and a blessing. If there is no one you can trust with your problems and complaints, the next best thing you can do is to keep a journal with your thoughts and feelings. Keeping a record of your concerns and how you managed to solve them is a good exercise and will serve as a reference for the future. When you feel nostalgic, you can take a look at that journal a few years from now. You might even have a good chuckle at yourself while reminiscing.

Sweat it out.

Take a break from your daily business-related tasks and do something physical regularly. A good walk or run around your neighborhood block will do the trick. Or if you want a more aggressive workout session, you can hit the gym and pump some iron to help release tension. Joining group exercises is also a good way to de-stress. Yoga is a great example of an effective de-stressor as it benefits both body and mind. It is a well-rounded alternative to other common types of workout because it targets all parts of the body without being too strenuous.

Meditate.

Everyday, try to find a quiet space to just sit, relax, and reconnect with your breath. Learning to incorporate the art of meditation in your daily life can do wonders not only for your mental well-being, but also for your physical health. It can also enrich your relationship with yourself and with others. Most of all, it will improve your Divine relationship.

Studies show that regular practice of meditation can help eliminate the adverse effects of stress to both our mental and physical health. When done with affirmative mantras, meditation can help a person have a more positive disposition in general, resulting to being more productive at work and in life.

Nobody wants to experience stress. However, it is the challenges and difficulties that people encounter day to day–both in business and in our personal life–that make the world a more interesting place to live in. It’s just a matter of how you manage crises and stress. Make use of the tips mentioned above to alleviate stress and turn it into your advantage.