Dealing With Work Stress
Stress is a part of modern life, but when you run your own business and have to juggle client sessions with writing training programs, keeping across your paperwork, finances, marketing and social media, it can feel like the pressure is constantly on.
Feeling wired and on edge most of the time isn’t doing your health any favours though.
“The stress response in the human body is really intended for immediate physical danger; it’s not designed for the things we perceive as threats in modern life, such as bills or business worries,” says Dr Jo Mitchell, Clinical Psychologist and Co-Founder of The Mind Room.
“When we inappropriately activate the stress response, it puts a lot of stress onto the body and that wear and tear over time can impact our physical and mental health.”
Think reduced immunity, disrupted sleep and feeling anxious, emotional or irritable, to name a few side-effects. Thankfully, there are ways you can better manage your stress levels, to help you feel more in control and less overwhelmed.
Tweak your thoughts
It’s good to mentally workshop business matters, but if you’re constantly mulling over issues or worrying about work, it may be time to tweak your thought process.
“Your thoughts are a big factor in activating the stress response,” says Mitchell.
“It’s about recognising ‘do I need to be here right now, because being here mentally and going over this is creating physical stress in my body.’”
The next step is learning how to unhook or detach from stress-inducing thoughts.
“One trick is to write your thoughts down, because that logical process can help you get a bit of perspective and see things as they are, as well as unhooking from it,” suggests Mitchell.
Having a mindfulness practice like yoga or meditation can also train your brain in how to ‘unhook’ from unhelpful thoughts, by teaching you how to train your attention.
Prioritise down-time
When you’re trying to grow your business, fun or relaxing pursuits can seem like a waste of precious time. Ironically though, giving yourself downtime is the key to success.
“It’s easy to think that being constantly busy and productive will equate to performance, whereas often it doesn’t, in fact it actually impairs our ability to perform at our best,” says Mitchell.
“If you want to do well in running your business you need to make sure your biggest assets – which are your body and mind – are well looked after.”
Rather than leaving it to chance, schedule in regular rest time, whether it’s a once-a-week tech-free afternoon where you turn your phone on silent, a remedial massage, coffee with a friend, or simply 10 minutes out of every day to practice deep breathing.
Create healthy boundaries
The division between work and the rest of your life can become blurry when you run your own business. As well as having a dedicated area in your home that’s your workspace (rather than working from the sofa, dining table, bedroom etc), creating some transition strategies can help you know when it’s time to switch off.
For instance, it might be that at the end of your working day, you do some yoga or stretching and after that, you’re no longer in work mode. Or you power down and pack away your laptop before dinner, so you’re not tempted to boot up again in the evening.
“It’s about finding those lines in the sand or markers that distinguish your day, so you know when your switch-over time is.”
Get more tips and resources from the Grow Your Fitness Business Toolbox now.
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