11 Easy Ways You Can De-Stress Your Life While Starting Your Own Business

Starting a business is incredibly exciting and stressful. You are taking control of your life and taking a big risk.

It is easy to become overwhelmed and feel burnt out before you even really get started. To help you avoid that, here are eleven easy ways you can de-stress your life while starting your own business.

1. Get Inspired

You can lose sight of the big picture when you are busy sorting out all the details. Here are some inspirational suggestions if you find yourself forgetting why you even started this project.

• Think about what made you want to do this.

• Remember what long-term benefits you are working toward.

• Listen to the stories of other people who have done what you are doing and succeeded.

• Imagine how good your situation will be a year from now if you stick with the process.

• Turn to the people and projects that have inspired you through the years. 

Finding inspiration isn’t hard if you just take the time to look.

2. Delegate to de-stress

Starting your own business doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. Lighten the load by:

• Allowing yourself to bring others into the process. 

• Choosing a company that uses storytelling, technology, and strategy to attract candidates that will get the job done.

• Hiring a business manager who can help with the daily responsibilities.

• Picking a marketing director who can get your message to the world.

It is your dream but you can’t achieve it alone.

3. Make A Checklist 

An organization system can decrease your stress by keeping you on task and giving you a record of your accomplishments. Here is how to make the best checklist.

• Determine if any of your items are time-sensitive and put them on top if they are.

• Don’t combine tasks. Keep each item simple and easy to manage.

• Don’t make your list too long, stick to what you can reasonably get through in a set time period.  

• Decide if it’s necessary that you complete each item or if some of them can be passed to someone else. 

Eliminate the stress of remembering what you need to get done by making a list you can easily reference. 

4. Set A Schedule

When you are working for yourself, it is easy to find yourself always working. That may sound productive, but it can have negative effects on you and the work you are doing.

Here is why you must set a schedule.

• Overworked people make more mistakes.

• Working too much leads to higher levels of stress.

• Being stretched too thin can cause you to get dissatisfied with your business. 

• Setting a schedule will allow you to spend more time with your loved ones.

• You’ll be able to rest and recharge so you can come back ready to work.

Your mind, body, and business will thank you for creating a balanced work-life schedule.

5. Identify Your Stressors

What are the areas of the business you feel the most stressed about? If you can’t identify them, you can’t fix them. Ask yourself a few questions while you decide on your final answer.

• What do I find myself worried about the most often?

• Is there a task I can’t stand doing for the business?

• Am I worried about one thing more than the others?

Once you know what your stressors are, you can find ways to get rid of them. For example, if you are worried you are doing something wrong on the financial side, you can bring in an expert to check your numbers. 

6. Take A Break to De-stress

Sometimes the best action you can take to lower your stress is to take a break. 

• Go for a walk.

• Drink a cup of tea or coffee.

• Eat a snack.

• Listen to an audiobook.

• Take a nap.

• Do something fun that you’ve been meaning to do.

• Meditate. 

• Spend some time with friends and family.

• Watch a new show.

• Work on a hobby that relaxes you.

Choose something that has nothing to do with work to de-stress. Let yourself rest and regroup, and then you can try again.

7. Improve Your Efficiency

If you find yourself spending a whole day working on your business but not getting anything done, it is time to improve efficiency.

• Set goals you can meet during the day. If you have a list in front of you, it is easier to keep on task.

• Give yourself a reasonable deadline for completing each task and don’t let yourself go over. 

• If you finish early, take a little break before beginning your next task.

• Make yourself more comfortable. It is hard to stay on task if you are constantly too hot or cold. 

• Don’t check your phone while you work. You’ll intend to answer one text and find yourself scrolling an hour later.

Efficiency is all about holding yourself accountable, especially when you are the boss. No one else can tell you to get back on task, so you have to do it yourself. 

8. Set Boundaries 

Stress can be caused by a failure to communicate proper boundaries. You must be clear with yourself and others about when you are working and what your role is. 

• Have set “office hours” and communicate them to your team.

• Create a communication structure where only one or two people report to you regularly.

• Don’t work outside of your scheduled hours. This can be hard when it is your company because you feel responsible for everything but you need personal time too.

• Make sure there is a clear separation between your work-life and home life.

• Give yourself time to get out of work mode when you are done with work for the day.

• Respect your employee’s personal time boundaries and let them know you expect the same courtesy. 

You need time where you are not in work mode and you’ll never have it if you don’t set boundaries now. 

9. Remove Problems to De-stress

This seems simple but it gets overlooked all the time. Remove your problems. Whether it is big or small, if it can go, get rid of it.

• Let go of the employee who is late every day.

• Throw out the office chair that has that annoying squeak.

• Discard that pen that is starting to dry up.

• Replace that software program that crashes every week.

Problems multiply. Even small problems change the whole course of your day when they occur over and over. If there is a problem you can eliminate, do it.

10. Give Up On Perfect

You’ll never have the perfect business or the perfect product. It doesn’t exist. Instead, try focusing on:

• Setting realistic standards.

• Creating a company culture that encourages improvement.

• Making the best product you can, and being proud of it.

• Remember that every business is different and you don’t have to live up to someone else’s expectations.

• Prioritizing the opinions of the people who buy your products or services. 

• Accepting and acknowledging meaningful feedback with the intention to learn from it.

Instead of chasing perfection, work toward surpassing your own personal best.

11. Ask For Help

If you find yourself struggling professionally to de-stress, ask for help. Your business isn’t human but the person behind it is. If you find yourself in need of guidance, turn to:

• Your family and friends. They know you personally and can help figure out the best solution for you.

• Your professional network of peers and advisors. They know the business and can give you advice based on years of experience. 

• Your team. They work with you every day and are therefore in the best position to offer ideas and advice about what will benefit your company. 

A company isn’t made by just one person. It takes a team of talented and dedicated loved ones, employees, and advisors. 

If you practice these eleven easy ways to de-stress your life, you and your business are sure to prosper.