11 Practical Tips for Managing Stress as a Business Leader

Stress is an inevitable part of life, and you could say that no one understands it quite like business leaders and entrepreneurs do. Constant work pressure and time constraints make stress a daily occurrence for even the most seasoned entrepreneur. Indeed, entrepreneurs often feel as though they have to work 24 hours a day and 365 days a year to keep things moving. To them, stress seems to be part and parcel of running and steering a demanding organisation.

However, in order for business owners and leaders to succeed, they need to be able to recognise and effectively manage their stress. In this article, you will find 11 practical tips for managing stress as a business leader.

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1. Identify Your Stressors

Being in the midst of constant activity and often having little or no respite means that it's extremely easy for stress to sneak in without you being aware. The first step in effectively dealing with stress is to properly understand it and address its root cause.

This means taking the time to actually think about what is causing you to feel stressed.

Is it the workload, the little time for rest, the financial demands, unreliable suppliers or a combination of these?

Before you are able to develop any solutions to alleviate the problem, you must first be able to clearly determine the root cause of the stress.

2. Prioritise a Healthy Lifestyle

The importance of exercise, sleep and proper nutrition cannot be over-emphasised when it comes to regulating stress. The impacts of stress can be detrimental to your health, worsening existing physical and mental illnesses.

Studies indicate that regular exercise, adequate sleep and proper nutrition can help:

• reduce stress
• boost immunity
• improve mood and performance
• increase a person's overall sense of wellbeing

Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs are perfectly content with the number of hours they work, and struggle to understand that, if they are not healthy, they cannot perform at their optimum level.

As a business leader you are responsible for setting the tone and the example for all the other employees. If you are neglecting your health, this will trickle down to the entire team, and the company culture will suffer.

The first step to managing stress is to realise that you need to do some hard work to get back on track with your health and fitness, and to put a healthy diet in place.

It's vital that entrepreneurs prioritise their health and take the time to de-stress and recharge.

As the founder of your own business, you may be overworked and under-rested. Make sure that you eat healthily, get adequate sleep and exercise regularly.

3. Separate Your Work from Your Personal Life

With the pressures of running and leading a business comes demand after demand. While business leaders need to dedicate substantial amounts of time to their business, it's vital for them to also carve out a balance between their work and personal life.

It's so important to set boundaries around your work life and personal life. One of the most effective ways to do so is to separate your work zone from other areas such as sleeping, dining, leisure, entertainment, etc.

4. Batch Your Work

Simply put, task batching involves combining or grouping tasks which are similar and tackling them in scheduled blocks of time before moving on to the next batch. Tasks can be grouped based on type, the time needed for completion, one's energy levels, systems required to process the tasks, etc.

This method is highly effective in allowing business owners and leaders to accomplish important tasks in their day with more productivity and less stress.

5. Delegate Tasks to Reduce Your Workload

Great leaders understand that no one becomes successful on their own. It's crucial that you find a way to work and accomplish your to-do list without becoming a slave to your desk. Empowering yourself with a team that has diverse skills is key to ensuring more gets done in less time.

Not only is delegating important in reducing entrepreneurial stress, but it also affords business owners and leaders the time and ability to focus on high-level tasks that better serve the needs of organisation.

6. Use Systems to Get More Done in Less Time

As any leader knows, time is money. By understanding and embracing productivity systems, entrepreneurs can reach critical mass and scale their businesses. It's all about efficient use of your time.

Some successful entrepreneurs start with short-term action plans that help them get more done in less time, and then link their actions into long-term projects that generate revenue.

For instance, a small business can draw inspiration from a larger company's workflow process, and if it creates a time-saving, streamlined system, they can emulate that.

7. Take Regular Breaks

Working at high speed and constantly in a state of work mode can mean you forget to take regular breaks. Working for hours straight is mentally and physically exhausting. Taking regular breaks can do wonders for your mood, as well as for your productivity. It can help to clear your head and give your body a chance to de-stress and unwind.

Try taking a 10-minute walk in between each hour of work or between your scheduled appointments. Go to the lobby or just outside to take a few minutes to rest and get a few minutes of sunlight. This will help you refocus on work and make sure that you are at your best. You'll probably come back refreshed and inspired to get back to work.

8. Break Down Problems into Smaller More Solvable Ones

When we have numerous problems to deal with, we have to deal with the stress that accompanies these problems. And, the larger the problem, the greater the stress tends to be. An effective way to manage stress, therefore, is to break down the problems you're facing into smaller ones. By doing so, you'll have a much easier time processing all of the day-to-day stress that comes with running a business.

Remember, a complex problem is like a wall. It looks insurmountable but you can break it down into individual bricks. By attacking each brick, one by one, you can eventually take down the whole wall.

9. Focus Your Attention on What Can Actually Be Done in the Present

Entrepreneurs are often called "all or nothing" people. But, dealing with things that can be done right now, rather than what's coming down the pipe or what's on the horizon is the most sensible approach to take.

It's easy to get so wrapped up in the future that you forget what's going on right in front of you. Take the time to focus on what you're doing right now. Take note of what's going well and identify the things that could be handled differently or better. You'll be able to see the positive side of things more quickly, and as a result, you can begin to get ahead of the situation.

10. Know When to Say, ‘No‘ and ‘I’ve Done Enough‘

It is impossible to do everything, no matter how passionate you are about your business. This is something that many people struggle with, but when it comes to stress management, it’s imperative to understand when to say, “no” and “I’ve done enough.”

As part of running a business, you need to accept that although people will approach you to help them with a range of projects, it’s important for you to say “no” when you're not capable of doing so. It's equally important to identify when you've done enough and to step away. Not doing this can lead to unnecessary stress and make it difficult for you to stop working and enjoy life when you need to.

Although business people often feel pressured to go above and beyond, remember that everyone has a limit and that you cannot fulfil your obligations if you burn yourself out. Limit your commitments to what you are capable of, even if it means scaling back on a few activities.

11. Build a Support System

No one succeeds without a team of supportive people who help them to stay calm and keep their cool especially during times of need. Having a group of peers, friends, mentors, advisors and employees who are there to support and guide you as you grow your business is one of the best ways to build long-lasting relationships and achieve success as a business owner.

Having someone to confide in or express your frustration and concerns with is always helpful. Find a confidant or coach you can discuss your challenges with and gain insight from. They will keep you accountable, listen and offer guidance as you work through your challenges.

Having someone to confide in or express your frustration and concerns with is always helpful. Work with a friend or colleague that can provide you with some comfort from time to time. It may be helpful to identify a specific person you feel comfortable with, or even have a formal coach who is there to listen and offer guidance as you work through it.