Stress is part of everyday life as a professional. When you're an entrepreneur, that stress seems to intensify, sometimes debilitating you from running a successful business. That stress is not going away anytime soon, but you can certainly learn a few tactics for managing the stress so that it no longer gets in the way of the rest of your life.
Alan Hall, a contributor for Forbes, says he has been in the business world for 40 years and has felt all the downsides of living a stressful life — lack of sleep, shoulder pain and high blood pressure. He has outlined a few ways to help decrease your work stress and alleviate some of the tension in your life.
First, you need to identify just how stressful your job is. Do you leave work overly tired? Are you always worrying? Have you stopped sleeping? If you are answering "yes" to these questions, it could be because your job is causing much more stress in your life than it should be. That, however, doesn't mean the situation doesn't have a solution.
Start off by paying more attention to your overall health. Are you exercising regularly? Start taking walks during lunch (and make sure you actually give yourself an hour for lunch). Start going to the gym before or after work and give your body an internal clock by going to sleep at the same time every day. Engaging in a hobby like reading or taking a cooking class is another good place to start.
Next, start figuring out what your priorities are. If you are organized and know exactly what needs to be done and when, you'll be able to ease some of the stress in your life. Make lists, marking tasks by urgency and priority, and create step-by-step plans for larger projects. Just keep in mind that things can change, so remember to stay flexible with your schedule and be prepared to draft a new to-do list at any time.
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