Managing your own business is a study in anxiety. So many things could go wrong, and it sometimes feels like a new problem pops up every single day. From looking for ways to stay afloat to planning ways to grow and expand your business, you have more than enough stress to keep you up at night.
Unfortunately, chronic stress can be very dangerous to one’s health. Once called the “silent killer,” long-term stress can affect your cardiac health and your mental health, as well. This is why it is very important to learn to manage your stress before it can cause any significant damage to your health.
5 ways to cope with stress and anxiety
Know the signs of stress
Though these signs could vary from person to person, there are shared symptoms that could serve as warning signs. Look out for things like excessive sweating, nausea, chest tightening or pain, digestive system changes like diarrhea or constipation, getting sick more often, insomnia, and reduced interest in sex.
Get enough sleep
Your body and your mind need to recharge. That is what sleep is for. It gets rid of the yuck and repairs the damage brought by your day. Sleep is a way for your body to recover and ready itself for a new day. However, stress and anxiety can affect sleep. So if you find yourself unable to sleep, you can take a sleep aid. CBD is known to help people achieve sleep quicker and stay asleep longer, giving your body and mind ample time to recover.
Take breaks
Much like sleep, taking breaks throughout your day will help keep your mind clear. It might seem counterintuitive at first, though. You have plenty to do and taking breaks will give you less time to do it. However, if you do not give your brain time to reset and recover, the speed and quality of your work will suffer. Walking away from your desk for five minutes when you find yourself unable to think clearly will do wonders for you.
Prioritize
There will always be more than enough tasks in a day. Learn to rank your tasks according to urgency and importance. You can’t do everything at once. That will only cause mistakes and give you even more things to do. Complete your tasks one at a time according to urgency and importance. This will allow your brain to focus on one thing only without taxing it so much and causing you stress.
Acknowledge small victories
It is always easier to see what is going wrong. There are enough problems to go around especially in business. So when things are at its darkest, learn to see what is going right. Make a list of things that went or are going right, small victories in your quest to build and maintain your business. Making this list will help you develop positivity. And it will also make you realize that despite whatever is going wrong today, you have the capacity to make the right decisions as proven by your list. Put your list somewhere you can easily see it to remind yourself of all your victories, big or small, whenever you need a boost.
Remember that your business thrives when you do. Give yourself enough credit, enough rest, and enough time to reconnect with what is important to you.
Heather Smith is the Communications Manager at Sunday Scaries. She’s a composed copywriter and content strategist. She’s also a CBD advocate, promoting a healthy lifestyle free of stress and scaries.
