Terri Ramsey Beavers Photo: Elisa Ventur / Unsplash
Stress naturally occurs in the body when something is challenging, exciting, or even fun. Stress can make you work harder, which is good, but when stress becomes chronic, it can harm your overall physical and mental wellbeing.
As a business owner, you face stressful situations every day in the workplace. How you handle these situations and deal with stress can leave a powerful impression on your staff and encourage a positive mindset for good mental health. With so much on the line, it’s crucial to learn and practice techniques for effectively managing stress in the workplace. You have to be there every day, so you might as well make it a positive place for you and your team.
- Consider a Managed Office Space
Traditional office space is usually leased, managed, and maintained by the business owner. This means added responsibility and stress to keep the business up and running efficiently. If you lease a managed office space, however, you get the benefit of a dedicated office, complete with all the furnishings and equipment you need to run your business. All that’s left out is the hassle and stress of maintaining the space. All you need to do is pay your monthly lease and a third party takes care of everything else, including maintenance and upkeep.
- Figure Out What Stresses You Most
When you know what stresses you most, you can take steps to reduce its impact on your health. Work, in general, is stressful – even when you enjoy what you do – but pinpointing specific stressors can help you avoid the negative impact they have on your health.
Keep a journal for a week or two, jotting down what happens throughout the day, how it makes you feel, and how you handled it. It shouldn’t take long for you to identify things that cause you the most stress at work. The next step is to find ways to mitigate the effect these things have on you.
- Reduce Stress Outside of Work
Make it a point to reduce stress as much as you can outside of work. Start the day on a calm note by giving yourself plenty of time to get ready for work and make the commute. Do your best to avoid stressful situations and people in the AM as these encounters can heighten your response to stressful situations throughout the rest of the day.
- Set Boundaries
Technology is great, but it has a way of keeping us connected all the time, which can negatively impact a healthy work-life balance. Commit to not looking at work emails outside of work hours, and turn your cellphone off during supper to keep work from interfering in your personal life. It’s okay to limit work to work hours – it will still be there tomorrow.
- Relax Intentionally
Relaxation is a great way to battle stress. You can practice intentional relaxation in the office using mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and guided imagery to lower your stress levels anytime. Regardless of the method you choose to help lower stress, be sure to practice it often. The better you are at focusing on your chosen relaxation method, the better it will work to lower stress when you need it.
Stress is a common occurrence in the workplace. Even if you enjoy what you do, frustrating events can and do pop up, causing your stress levels to rise. Stress isn’t necessarily “bad,” but chronic stress isn’t great, so use the methods above to keep it in check.