3 Ways To Manage & Minimize Stress

STRESS

Looking at the word can make you feel stressed out. What is the definition of stress? According to Merriam-Webster.com, stress has many meanings: 

constraining force or influence: such as

a: a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part

especially: the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch

b: the deformation caused in a body by such a force

c: a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation

d: a state resulting from a stress especially: one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existing equilibrium

Now that we know what it means let’s look at 3 ways to manage & minimize stress.

• Sleep Management - In my post last week I learned that “35.2% get less than 7 hours of sleep per. Night.” according to the Center for Disease Control. Most people lack enough sleep to sustain long-term success in life. A sleep management plan is the best way to ensure you get enough sleep. This could involve having a designated time you go to bed every night. It could also include bedtime rituals like doing yoga, taking a warm bath, and meditation to prepare your body and mind for rest. 

• Time Management -  In the book From 6 to 7 figures by Austin Netzley the founder of 2x he talks about how guarding your time is paramount. This is so true. As an entrepreneur we are very busy and as your business grows more of your time is required. The question to ask yourself when you are doing an activity is if it is necessary for you to do it or can it be delegated. This will help you to stay focused on the things that only require you and your zone of genius. 

• Financial Management - Let’s be frank here. If your finances are out of whack in both areas of your life: business & personal then you are not a happy camper. What is the solution? The solution is to have a plan in place to track and manage both scenarios in your life. A good professional bookkeeper like myself can help you with that. 

Stress is a part of life. There is no way to be alive and not experience it. However, there are many easy and practical ways to manage it so that it doesn’t take a toll on your life. 

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Is Financial Stress Blocking You From Reaching Your Business Goals?

Are you stressed out? If you are you are not alone. According to The American Institute of Stress and The American Psychological Association, "77% of people regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress. Additionally, 76% of people cite money as the cause of their stress".

Stress and Your Business

As an entrepreneur in the health and wellness space, you help others deal with the effects of daily stress in their lives. The problem is that you put your needs on the back burner and this can cause havoc in your business and in your life. It can show up when managing operational tasks such as your finances. For example, if you are stressed out then most likely you won't stay on course with taking care of receipt management for expenses, monthly bookkeeping, budgeting and forecasting and adjusting prices with your clients to ensure you are bringing in enough revenue. When you are not bringing in enough revenue then you might be tempted to work with anyone instead of your ideal clients and that can certainly add to your stress. 

"How you deal with stress determines how well you and your business do".

So what is the solution?

Stress Management Tips

1. Get enough sleep. If you are not well rested there is no way you can do your best work or make good business decisions. Set a specific time to power down each night and stick to it. If you are having challenges powering down check out apps like Sleep Cycle to help you relax.

2. Create a financial emergency cushion for your business and personal life. Dave Ramsey has great tips on how to do this on his site www.daveramsey.com.

3. Create a financial business team. This team which should consist of a CPA, an attorney, a financial planner and, a good bookkeeper. They can assist you with managing your business finances and ease stress related to planning for your financial goals. 

Financial stress is a daily challenge that most entrepreneurs face. It doesn't have to sink your ship. The key to stress management is prevention. If you put a plan in place to mitigate stress it will have no room to slow you down from reaching your business goals. Do you have tips you can share on how to manage financial stress?

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