Practical solutions in managing stress in your small business

Posted 9 Feb '23

Does stress impact your small business?

Small business life can be known to be quite stressful. From the hectic rush to deliver products and services to clients, keep up with compliance requirements and constantly think of ways to improve & grow, it seems as though the “to-do” list is endless!

Often we can write it off as just a “stressful time of the year,” however, it’s essential to routinely stop and check in on your mental health during this time. When work or business becomes overbearing, burnout commonly sets in. Consequently, that stress can seep into our lives outside of work and significantly impact our relationships with family and friends.

The times of allowing the weight of our business, career or jobs negatively impact our lives are in the past! Luckily, we are living in a time when mental health and management of this has never been more important, so it is important to take meaningful steps toward counteracting that stress through self-care.

Top Ways You Can Destress

With small business generally comes long hours, short deadlines, dynamic problems to solve, and clients or employees that are often demanding.

Our professional association, CPA Australia, provides us with resources suggested for Accountants to help manage mental health pressures and we thought they were so good and relevant to small business that we wanted to share!  Continue reading below to find some top tips to help managing stress within the workplace.

• Set Routines: Ensure your day is as predictable as possible by having a clear routine and organised systems in place.
• Communicate Clearly & Often: Coordinate with your employees, coworkers, and clients as much as possible to ensure everyone’s expectations are reasonable.
• Prioritise Effectively: While it may be difficult, it is important for your stress levels to prioritise difficult or urgent tasks. It’s easy to shy away from the more pressing tasks, but procrastination will only lead to more stress down the line.
• Avoid People Pleasing: We all want to produce great results and help others when it is needed. However, there is such a thing as being too helpful and over delivering. That is, be mindful of overworking yourself by over servicing.
• Take Breaks: Make time in your day to step away from your desk to eat lunch, catch up with coworkers, and take a walk in the fresh air. This time away will keep you rejuvenated and help you reset for the rest of the day!
• Prioritise Your Health: Outside of work, schedule a time to get in some daily exercise (even if it is a long walk) and ensure you are selecting foods that nourish your body.

You’ve Got This!

If you feel as though this article resonates with you but you are unsure where to start to make proactive changes to your business to help de-stress, then reach out to your Advisor today. This conversation might be the starting point to make the changes you need to take care of your most important asset (that’s you!).