Because all business owners will experience stress through a combination of things that happen at home and at work, coping with stress is a skill that must be developed. It is important to remember that there is good stress, which is positive, and negative stress, which usually comes from reaction to stress rather than the stress itself. Good positive stress can enhance performance. This article will help business owners deal with bad or negative stress.
We all know worry doesn’t help anything, but it is a normal reaction. We worry about things that may not happen and things we cannot change. Sometimes business owners think they must have the image of knowing everything and being able to do everything perfectly. Pressures come from inside and outside the organization. Inside pressures come mostly from dealing with employees and daily issues within the business, while external pressures include competitors, economic cycles, the marketplace, as well as family and personal problems. If you have a good, workable business plan, you can avoid much of this stress. Having written goals and expectations eliminates that worry about what you should be doing. You then only have the stress of meeting the goals according to your plan. That is huge and very important for your business.
Business owners often feel stress, Type A personalities more than Type B. Type A personalities are competitive, overachievers. They lack patience, are nervous and obsessed with goals. Type B people tend to be more passive and show more sensitivity to the feelings of others. They are calm, patient, and tend to enjoy life. One personality is not better for a business owner than the other. Not all employees work better for one personality over the other. It depends on the personalities of the employees. Type A personalities business owners are most likely workaholics and may prefer employees who are also workaholics. Workaholism may be considered a virtue, because workaholics can seem industrious.
Before you can act effectively at home or on the job, you must be able to control stress. Use the following stress busters whenever you feel your stress level rising.
• Be present. You can only live in the moment. Worrying about the past or future is not productive. When you concentrate on the present, you don’t allow time for stress.
• Grow, or let go. When you are criticized, don’t take it personally. Analyze it. Does the criticism repeat criticism you have heard previously? If so, perhaps it is valid and points out an area that needs work. If not, and if you believe the criticism is unjust, let it go. You can’t change some people’s minds if they choose to be unfair.
• Do your personal best and trust yourself and your abilities. Take short breaks and encourage positive feedback.
• Don’t let tensions build up inside until you feel like bursting. Get another person’s opinion to help you put the situation in perspective.
• Your life isn’t your business. At least it shouldn’t be. As a business owner, you are a risk taker and probably somewhat of a workaholic. You like the feeling of being in control and will do everything possible to be successful. Sometimes, however, things will go wrong. When they do, rely on your home life and personal relationships to bolster you. Be sure to leave your wok at the office. That seems a given, but it is easy to continue to keep the brain on the business you own and never turn it off.
• Expand your world and develop leisure interests. Exercise and keep physically fit, take up a hobby, go to a movie, and plan regular evenings out with a friend of loved one.
• Visit your doctor for annual physical checkups. The human body tends to internalize stress, and signs of stress may not be readily apparent. Some physical symptoms of stress include back pain, headaches, insomnia, muscle spasms, fatique, and shortness of breath.
• Keep a good sense of humor and a positive attitude!
