Foolproof Ways to Reduce Stress When Running a Business

Small business owners in every industry often report high levels of stress caused by their demanding jobs.

While some stress is likely in any career, there are ways to reduce anxiety so you can get back to work.

Here are some foolproof ways to reduce stress when running a business.

Develop Your Organizational Skills

You might mistakenly believe that you don’t have enough time to finish a project, but you’re probably not using the time you have wisely.

In your digital or printed planner, add a sticky note to your to-do list with the top three tasks you must complete today. After you finish those tasks, repeat with a new sticky note as many times as you can during your work day.

A long to-do list (also known as a master to-do list or brain dump) looks impressive, but it’s overwhelming to see all the tasks together.

The Pomodoro technique is another way to stay focused. Set a timer for 20 minutes and work consistently on your top three; no scrolling through social media, checking your inbox, or taking calls. 

At the end of the 20 minutes, take a five-minute break and stretch. Then set your timer for another 20 minutes and get back to work. Repeat this process as many times as needed to clear your to-do list. 

Learn to Delegate

Delegating can be difficult for some leaders, particularly those who struggle with control issues or perfectionism. But by keeping all the work for yourself, essential items will slip through the cracks and remain unfinished or be late. 

Look at your daily responsibilities and determine which ones could be done by someone else on your team. The first few times you delegate the work, let your team member know you’ll be checking in with them to monitor their progress. 

Eventually, you’ll check in fewer times and be able to hand off the task altogether. Consider outsourcing some work if your team is already stretched too thin or not equipped to handle more sensitive functions like human resources. 

Outsourcing your human resources functions can save time and prevent stress that comes with payroll, managing employee benefits, and mitigating risks. Firms like https://syndeohro.com/human-resources/ help you determine what level of services are best suited to meet your needs. 

Experiment With Time Blocking and Batching

Time blocking involves arranging your daily schedule into blocks of time to maximize efficiency. You group similar tasks/projects together and do them during a “block” of time, usually 1- to 3-hour chunks.

So you might have a time block from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm for marketing and another block from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm for content creation. You only work on that one type of task during its assigned block.

Another way to group your projects is through “theme days” or a batched schedule. You might assign all of Monday for meetings, all of Tuesday for social media, all of Wednesday for scheduling posts to your business blog, etc.

Time blocking schedules and batched schedules maximize your efforts to one type of task, minimize distractions, and reduce frustrations so you can make better use of your time. 

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