Running a business can be gratifying but also extremely stressful at the same time. Your phone buzzes with endless calls, texts and emails no matter where you are or what time of the day it is. It’s impossible to focus on one thing because you’re too busy being distracted by everything.
Sometimes we may start our business with the idea of ‘choosing your own hours’ but what that quickly turns into, is working 24/7 instead. Know the feeling? I sure do!
The stress that comes with managing a successful business can be intimidating, and what you don’t want is it to send you over the edge. So, just how do successful businesspeople stay sane while they thrive at work and at home?
Well, because this is a topic that’s so close to my heart, I want to give you some easy-peasy tips that have helped me, and hopefully you’ll find them useful too.
1. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.
Are you so focused on work that sometimes the blinders go on and everything else is ignored? Yep, I’ve been there too!
No matter how busy your schedule is, it’s vital to make time for exercise. Squeezing in an hour of physical exercise daily will help your body pump out more of those feel-good endorphins and keep your mood as high as a kite even when days get a little tough.
A good workout helps you release stress, think without interruptions, and maintain a routine so get up out of your chair, walk around a few times throughout your day and you’ll thank me later!
One of my favourite ways of getting exercise in, even on the days when I don’t have the mental energy, is through something like yoga. Not only is it physical, but it provides that mindfulness to focus more clearly on your day ahead.
2. Have a life outside the office
If you don’t occupy your time off with hobbies or activities, it’s just too easy to fall into the trap of working on your business constantly! I know you’re passionate about your business, but a quick check of the emails on a day off can easily result in a full day of work, am I right?
Yes, there will always be ‘one more’ email to send or one more task to do, but it’s really important to be able to spend time on activities you love, whether it be reading, painting, cooking, gardening or even just being with friends.
If you struggle with self-discipline in this area, which I very much do, then set a time that you HAVE to stop working or block out your calendar for time with your friends and family so that you treat it with the same mental importance as a business meeting.
3. Unplug for the day
So many of us are guilty of battling the never-ending attack of emails, texts and calls from co-workers and clients which end up taking a considerable amount of time.
And even though you might feel pressured to stay connected around the clock, it’s important to close your laptop and put aside your phone at a reasonable hour every day. You can even practice this in the office as well so you can power through some work without distractions.
Something I’ve done to not only allow myself to be distraction free during the day but to also get through the evening without the reminder of work, is turn my phone into a ‘dumb phone’ which means I have no email, no notifications for social media and no notifications for text messages. This means the time I choose to be outside of work I can truly spend outside of it. And it means if I’m working deeply on something important, I’m not getting notifications every time an email comes in. If it’s important, I always let people know to call me directly.
This does take time and a whole lot of discipline, believe me, but the difference it’ll make will have you grateful for trying!
4. Take some time off
What’s the most fundamental factor needed to run your own business? Enthusiasm.
Nobody wants to do business with unenthusiastic people, especially your co-workers and clients. I get it. Looking at your schedule, it might feel like there’s not enough hours in the day, but it’s really important to take some time off, otherwise you’ll be saying goodbye to all your energy and enthusiasm. And you know what that means. Your business will suffer.
Don’t let yourself reach the verge of a complete burnout.
Every few months I take at least 3 or 4 days off to completely reset. Not only does this help with my energy for when I get back, but the amazing ideas that my brain comes up with while it’s not thinking about anything pressing means I come back with goals and missions for the business that help drive it forward.
5. Make optimism your best friend
You’re always going to be thrown curve balls, it’s a given for anybody no matter the field, career, or job.
BUT…
Despite your current situation, remain optimistic and practice the mindset of abundancy where you know that everything will be okay in the end.
Negative thoughts can make your business vulnerable the second you start having them. I’m a firm believer that focusing your mind on the possibilities before you help manifests them into reality, because intention is everything! Plus, your sanity will thank you later.
What’s your advice?
Remaining happy, healthy, and motivated while running a successful small business isn’t the easiest of tasks, but by following my tips above, I hope it will help improve your mental and physical health throughout it all.
But the key to work-life balance is different for everyone, and the secret is knowing what works best for you.
At Studio Sondar, we love hearing different perspectives and learning new things, and so if you’ve got any advice or tips and tricks you’d like to share, we’d love to hear them.
