We wear many hats as small business owners and we all tend to get a little stressed out now and then. Here are a few things I do to keep my sanity and you should really consider trying them too.
Stay Organized
This one you already know is important, but are you doing it? Like, really doing it? Or, are you flying by the seat of your pants? My own definition of staying organized means planning out my week every Monday morning. This includes appointments, conference calls, tasks, weekly goals, meal planning, errands and anything else important for that week. Notice I said ‘that week.’ You don’t really have time to be worrying about next week just yet, right?
Stay Optimistic
If you let yourself get down and frustrated when things don’t go as planned, remind yourself – ‘You are a small business owner and things never go as planned!’ Don’t worry, you will make that sale, you will get the next client, you will! Just not according to your timeline so keep a positive attitude and focus on other things in the meantime. That dang patience is a virtue, right?
Take Time for You
Even if you’re juggling self-employment, three kids, and other responsibilities you still need to take time out for yourself, each and every day. Trust me, your kids, your significant other, your pet, whomever, they will all thank you. Take time to hit the gym before you go to the office, read the newspaper with your morning coffee, meditate, listen to your favorite music while you do nothing else; it will keep you sane, relieve stress, and give you the energy to tackle the next obstacle that comes your way. Even if all you have time for today, is to step outside for some fresh air for 15 minutes, take it, that email can wait.
Mini Celebrations
Okay, think back to when you first started your business and you were practically begging for customers and questioning your idiotic mind for even thinking about getting into business for yourself. Okay, now think about where you are right now. You’ve come so far! You really have and you should celebrate the small things along your journey. Got a new client? Take yourself out to dinner to celebrate! Did you actually finish your To-Do List? Send yourself home 10 minutes early! Was the shop really chaotic and every employee is stressed out and grumpy? Order pizza and thank everyone for their hard work!
Keep Yourself Accountable
One of the biggest struggles for those of us working from home is a distraction. It’s easy to start doing laundry instead of working on that new project. How about a smoothie for lunch? Wait, I should really look up a new recipe for that! Suddenly two hours have gone by and really you’ve just updated your Facebook status about this delicious new smoothie recipe and read five really awesome articles from Viral Nova while you drank it. Give yourself a set work schedule, complete with breaks, and follow it! Give yourself time to scan through Facebook, browse the internet and do whatever else distracts you, and then get down to it! Yeah, I am still working on this one.
Good luck and thanks for reading! I would love to hear your little tricks for staying sane, so please feel free to share them with me, I might just steal a few!