… focus on these three things instead.
Stress and burnout are on the rise and are starting to significantly affect what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.
At different times you’re stretched in different ways, trying to find the balance between the demands on your people, the equipment you need to be able to provide your product or service efficiently and the dollars you need to bring in the door to make it all work.
Ultimately, as the business owner, the buck stops with you … so the temptation is always to stay longer, work harder and push through until the tide changes. Giving in to this usually ends with decreased quality of sleep, your health in decline and an exhaustion that sits just under the surface.
And your staff aren’t far behind you – some of them might even be worse off.
It’s time to make things simpler.
Reducing the amount of stress that you experience doesn’t have to be hard, complicated or expensive. Here are three things you can do to ‘dial down’ the stress meter:
- Take a nature pill.
Research shows that spending as little as 20 minutes outside can significantly lower your stress hormones.
Leave your phone inside and take yourself outside at least once a day. It can help you to reduce the stress that is being held within your body.
Taking a ‘nature pill’ can also help to recharge your batteries, clear your mind and give you an energy boost to help you through the next part of your day.
- Breathe deeply.
There is only one scientifically proven way to move your body out of a stressed state and into a relaxed state quickly – and that is through changing the depth of each breath you take.
Almost 80% of individuals breath shallowly for at least 70% of each day. This significantly affects their capacity to think clearly as well as their ability to get restful and high quality sleep.
While you’re outside, add a few really deep breaths that take the air all the way down into your abdomen, and then release the breath slowly. By the time you’ve taken 5 or 6 breaths like this, you’ll have moved your body into a more relaxed state.
- Take regular breaks.
Keeping the oxygen flowing through your body is really important for maintaining concentration levels, creativity flow and general health.
Getting up from your desk and moving around every hour or so is an easy way to make this happen.
Grab a glass of water, a cup of tea or take a bathroom break as often as you can – this will keep the blood moving through your system.
Your oxygen levels will also get a boost from your being outside and changing the depth of your breathing, so finding time during the day where you can combine all three activities can create a significant reduction in your stress levels.
All of these things cost nothing and support your health. By allocating a small amount of time they can easily be included each day. Best of all, if you set the example, your staff will likely follow your lead – so you’ll positively impact their health and wellbing as well.
Bronwen Sciortino, International Author & Simplicity Expert, sheIQ Life
This article was first published on Inside Small Business on the 9th July 2019. You can read the article by clicking here.
