Being an entrepreneur can and should be a highly rewarding experience, and it’s not only about the money. What really makes this job so great is the freedom of being your own boss and the power of building your future. However, these benefits come with a hefty price, which is responsibility and its constant partner stress.
Thousands of entrepreneurs burn out before they can achieve their goals. Disillusioned and dispirited they give up and the business fails without strong leadership. To prevent this, you must do two things:
- Get anHere are some ideas you can try:
#1. Get an adrenalin rush
Extreme sports are perfect for ‘high-speed stress relief.’ Practicing them gets you completely focused, and the rush of adrenalin, as well as the relaxation that comes after it, can completely flush and reboot your system.
Just remember that every person has their limits. Parachute jumping might not be your thing, so try scuba diving or even a thrill ride at the nearby theme park. Find an activity you are personally comfortable with and let your body’s chemicals do their job.
#2. Go to a concert
Just visit a ticket agency right away and get yourself a ticket to the nearest venue. If you have some specific musical preferences, find a band you like. However, any quality show will do as it can effectively take your mind off the business.
Expanding your horizons is always a good thing, and new experiences introduce strong emotions, so you should listen to different music styles. A concert is also a great place for a date, so you can use this opportunity to spur on your personal life as well.
#3. Laugh
Laughter is therapeutic, hundreds of renowned psychiatrists agree on this. Getting a good laugh can help you release the tension of a stress-filled day and look at the world with a more positive attitude.
Humor can help you find a creative solution to the issue, and it’s a great tension-breaker for difficult meetings. What you need is to watch a comedy after a difficult day or read a humorous story. Going to the nearby club that has regular comedy shows will be a good idea.
#4. Redefine your circle of control and develop a reasonable schedule
Entrepreneurs are under so much stress because they are responsible for many tasks. However, you must understand that you cannot control everything around you, and trying to do this weakens you both physically and emotionally.
When you start feeling that things get too much, take a break and analyze the situation. Write down the things that you can control (your circle of control) and focus your efforts on them.
While you are at it, you also need to create a personal schedule that WILL have time for rest planned into every day. Entrepreneurs, especially beginners, are prone to working on little sleep and nothing else. However, it’s imperative to dedicate a part of each day to relaxing and communicating with your friends and family. It will not only keep you healthy and sane but also boost your overall productivity.
#5. Do something repetitive
Activities that require regular repetition can help you achieve a Zen-like sate very fast. It can become a great relaxation technique for those who struggle mastering meditation. This kind of activities allow you to focus on a single task, and eventually, your body starts moving on auto-pilot, which gives your mind an opportunity to relax.
They require enough concentration so that your brain doesn’t wander back to work-related problems. Of course, your thoughts will stray at first, so you should get them back onto the task consciously. With practice, the activity itself will become your ‘mind switch’.
#6. Inflate a few balloons
This technique will help when you need to relax RIGHT NOW. First of all, it forces you to breathe deeply and evenly, which is the most important thing for regaining your calm. Second, balloons are fun, so you will smile when inflating one. It will help get your mind off the problem at hand.
Lastly, if your stress level is still high, you can pop your newly inflated balloon to relieve some of it. Repeat the action as many times as necessary.
#7. Fill your office with various ‘intelligent relaxation aids’
Solving quizzes and puzzles as well as playing with some cool interactive toys helps ‘switch’ your brain to a new wave, which brings you instant stress relief. These simple tools won’t make up for a quiet weekend, but they can assist to get your mind off a specific matter so that you can get back on it later when you are feeling refreshed.
Put things like this all over your office so that they help not only yourself but your team as well. Most importantly, use not only practical items, like brain-stimulating puzzles. A few cuddly plushies and beautiful pictures can be more useful in some situations, so put them in as well. Don’t forget to keep the picture of your family on your table so that you can always see why you are working so hard and why you have to relax so that you go back home healthy and strong.
#8. Talk to a therapist
Being an entrepreneur is all about independence and being your boss, which is good but gets lonely very fast. When you are busy all the time, you will distance yourself from friends and loved ones, and there might come a time when you have no one to talk to about your problems.
A therapist is the best solution as this professional will not only listen but also help you find the best way out of this situation. Simply opening up will relieve a lot of the stress, and talking the issue through might even help you find an alternative route to solving it.
Relax and Enjoy Being an Entrepreneur and the Best Boss
Running your own business is hard work, but as long as you take regular breaks and relax properly, you’ll be able to handle it. Try various stress-relief practices to see which offer the best results.
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