How To Manage the Stress of Running a “Real World” Business

It’s not easy running any business. But it does seem to be slightly more difficult when you’re operating in the “real world” (as opposed to online).

This is because there are more overheads to think about, you need to manage people on a daily basis, there’s a commute to think about, and so on.

If this stress is left to grow unchecked, then you could find that things quickly begin to feel like they’re too much. To deliver your best work for your business, you need to be in control.

Below, we take a look at a few ways you keep those stress levels at an acceptable limit.

Hire Help

Why would you take on all the responsibilities of a business, when you don’t need to?

For starters, part of what makes taking care of the tasks stressful is because they’re not necessarily in your areas of expertise. When you’re not sure if what you’re doing is right, then, of course, you’re going to feel under pressure! So bring other people on board, and give them the work.

If you have the budget, then hire a full-time employee; it’s more enjoyable, too, to know that there’s someone next to you.

If you don’t have the budget, then outsource your work to a third-party company. They’ll take care of your tasks to a high standard, leaving you to work on the tasks that will push your business forward.

Get Finances Under Control

Ah, money. It’s most likely the most stress-inducing aspect of your business. Of course, running a business is costly, but it’s possible that it doesn’t have to be quite as costly as you currently believe.

There are a million and one ways to cut expenses in business. While they might all seem to only be saving you a small amount, those savings quickly add up once you group them all together.

It’s worthwhile going through all of your costs and seeing where you can make some cuts. You’ll definitely find some places to slash funding, and in the process, you’ll begin to feel more in control.

Don’t Take on Too Much

Coming up with ideas is not the difficult part of running a business. That’s the easy part! The difficult aspect is putting them into action.

Entrepreneurs can often underestimate how much work each of their ideas is going to take. If you’re trying to juggle three different projects, then, of course, you’re going to feel stressed.

Instead, keep things simple. Avoid taking on too much work.

If you’re going to work on a project, make sure there’s enough time in the daily schedule to work on it without putting yourself under pressure. It’s much better to do one thing very well than try to do five things and end up with subpar outputs.

Focus on What’s Working

The pressure that you feel is real, but not all of it. Some of it is in your head and is based on how you’re looking at the situation. If you’re like every other person who hasn’t taken the time to change the way they look at things, then you’re probably focusing on what’s wrong with your business, and all of the things that you don’t have.

If things really are going wrong, then there’s some use to thinking this way. But the chances are that most things are fine; it’s just that you’re longing for a level of growth that you don’t have.

Focus on what’s working – it’ll be the pick you up you need when things get tough.

Take Care of the Staples

You can try and keep your business and personal life separate, but they’ll also overlap. If you’re not living well in your personal life, then your business side will suffer, too. It’s amazing what living well can do for us!

Make sure you’re getting a full night’s sleep, eating well, and getting enough exercise.

If you do those three things, you’ll be in a pretty strong position to deliver your best work and manage the setbacks much better. How to be at our best isn’t a complete mystery. It just means taking care of the essentials in life.

Cut Off Points

Finally, remember that the more you work, the less productive you’re going to be. Make sure you have a cut-off point, a time of the day when you leave work behind and focus on yourself, your friends, your family. It’ll provide you with an escape from the cooker pressure that is the act of running a business!