Based on a statistic from the Gallup Wellbeing Index, business owners are 45% more likely to be stressed than 42% of people from different careers. A probable reason for this is the fact that running a business always has uncertainties. You’ll never know if your business survives tomorrow, the next week, month, or years to come.
Solopreneurs also juggle a lot of responsibilities at home and in their careers. Not to mention – money is involved. Since stress is unavoidable, the best way to deal with it is to manage it from the get-go. Here are the best ways on controlling your stress so that you can live a happy and productive life as a solopreneur.
1. Visualize calm
Picture a place where there is serenity. It can be on a beach in the Maldives, under a tree on the hilltop, or in the middle of a forest. Then imagine yourself as if you were there relaxing alone. It takes a lot of mental power to do. But once you master doing it, you can have respite every time you need it.
2. Stand up and get out
When everything seems too much for you at the moment, ditch all the work you have. Get up from your office seat and take a walk outside to destress. It’s also important that you don’t completely neglect your responsibilities as they would only add up to your stress.
3. Keep your caffeine intake moderate
Coffee is good as a stress reliever as long as you don’t overindulge. Drinking too much caffeine will only make you more tense. If you want to re-energize, stretching is the best way to do so. Let caffeine be your morning beverage. Don’t rely on it as your sole source of energy.
4. Listen to music
A track with a relaxing beat is a good audio stimulant to take you away from a world of stress. Bossa Nova instrumentals, Lo-Fi Hip Hop, Jazz Fusion, and Japanese City Pop are a few examples of music genres with calming tones. Avoid listening to upbeat or sad music.
5. Visit a graveyard
As grim as this tip may sound, but visiting a graveyard is a great way to make you contemplate the time you spend while living. Ask yourself, “Should I really waste precious time feeling stressed?” and “Would I want to be worrying about this from my deathbed?”
6. Look at your life as it were a movie (or a sitcom)
Perspective is important in managing stress. Most of the time, we humans have no idea what our minds are doing. That makes us easily engrossed in the feeling of dread. But if you try to look at your life in somebody else’s view, you’ll find that your troubles are trivial and deserve that cliche laugh track.
7. Smile
If you do find it hard to make fun of yourself, you can choose to laugh at other people’s expense. Watching a comedy is the easiest way. Better yet, watch a stand-up. There are a lot of comedians out there you can agree on and laugh with.
You have John Crist for family-friendly comedy, Ricky Gervais for atheist and no-holds-barred jokes, or Trevor Noah if you want to go full-political.
8. Read
There is happiness in gaining knowledge. Remember the last time you learned something new and you just felt good? Revisit that feeling. Read a book about dolphins, the progress of humanity, or a business book from authors like Robert Kiyosaki and Daymond John.
9. Be grateful
Stress sometimes comes from the feeling of emptiness. The thought that everything you have isn’t enough. To overcome this kind of thinking, you need to practice gratitude in every way. It doesn’t matter who or what entity you offer gratitude to. What matters is you feel better after thanking for having everything you have may it be something big or small.
Remember, perspective is crucial when it comes to keeping your stress in check. Minor problems become a source of depression if you tend to think about them as a major disaster. As much as possible, always remain calm and find a way to escape temporarily if things become too much to handle.
Productivity is important for solopreneurs to achieve business success. Discover what it takes to have it by reading these entries!
