Five Ways to Reduce Stress in Business

Now that I've been in business for myself for the better part of three years, I often get asked what is the most helpful piece of advice I can give?   While there are thousands of books that can teach you marketing, day to day business operations, sales, dealing with clients, etc. - the most important thing I have discovered is thinking positive. 

Many of you will say, ‘that’s obvious, Mikon.’  And that may be true.  But implementing a positive mindset can be a tough challenge.  

I originally wrote the below steps with entrepreneurs in mind, but I believe anyone in a stressful situation can benefit.

First let’s acknowledge the importance of a positive attitude.  For me, it keeps me grounded and focused on what I need to accomplish.  If I begin to stress my entire system begins to fail - mentally and physically.   We all know stress can be unhealthy, but it also is detrimental to your work.  You may begin making rash decisions, not think clearly, and project that stress to new or existing clients, co-workers, and your family.

So how do I keep myself from stressing?

 1.) Focus on the cause.   
     The first thing I need to figure out (usually not that hard) is what is causing my stress and isolate it.    

2.) Take a step back.  
      I’m not talking about a mental step back.  You should remove yourself from your environment and step away - outside, down the hall, anywhere.  For me, a good walk is a perfect way to step back.  This is a great way to clear your head and begin working on the last three steps.

3.) Assess the stress. 
     Now that you’ve had a moment to step away, begin thinking about how you can deal with the stress.  Tough day with co-workers?  How can you change the mood?  Money is going to be tight this month?  What avenues can I pursue to alleviate that?  Assessing the stress can compartmentalize it for you mentally and help you figure out how to solve the problem.

4.) Reflect on yourself. 
     One major factor we often forget to acknowledge when we are stressed is a personal sense of failure at some level.  If your boss is causing you stress by correcting something you’ve done, part of you feels like you weren’t a success.  If a series of potential clients rejects your sales pitch, you take it personally.  So reflect on your self and what you have been successful with in the past.  Did you start your own business?  That is quite an achievement.  Did you recently make your daughter’s day by attending her recital?  Any personal or business success should be applauded.  We have difficulty sometimes acknowledging our own successes, but it is healthy to reflect on them - especially when the current situation seems unpleasant.

5.) Act. 
     Nothing will change without action.  Have you figured out a possible solution to relieve the stress?  It may just be a small step like asking a co-worker for help, or readjusting your circumstance.  Slow and steady wins the race, and a small step towards change is always better than not doing anything about it.  Often, the things that are stressful to us turn out to be less of a problem than we imagined.  I recently read a wonderful quote by Vinny Genovesi which sums it up nicely:

“On particularly rough days when I'm sure I can't possibly endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100% and that's pretty good. “

-Mikon Haaksman

Mikon Haaksman is a video producer based in Dallas, Texas.