With many major holidays happening, entrepreneurs may find themselves stressing out. With the rush of preparing for the end of the year, having major holiday sales, and managing the to-dos of the holiday season, the end of year can be a very stressful time for entrepreneurs—especially those who are stretched to capacity running a successful business and are now trying to squeeze the additional activities of the holiday season.
As an entrepreneur, there is always something you can be working on to grow and improve your businesses. You wear many hats and often take care of the sales, marketing, accounting, and other duties for your business.
For many businesses, the holidays bring more customers in the door, and sales are at their highest levels for the year. This means you have to be on top of your game to make the most of the opportunities. In order to manage your work life with your family life, we need to keep a few items in check.
To help entrepreneurs destress, the tips included in this blog post are simple and easy to do.
1. They slow down.
“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”
~Lily Tomlin~
During the holidays, it’s very easy to let things speed past you and get out of control. Sometimes it might just take you stepping back and allowing things to slow down. What does this look like? Good question:
- Make sure to that you allow yourself to take off time from working your business on the holidays.
- If you have a team, give them time off during the holidays too.
- Look at cutting back the hours that you work during a holiday week so that you can slow down.
- Spend time with family and friends so that you can remember the importance of the holidays.
2. They let it go.
“Give your stress wings and let it fly away.”
~Terri Guillemets~
When you hold in all of your stress, in can affect your mind, body, and soul. Give yourself permission to let go of the stress. As you do this, you can open yourself to healing.
One of the ways you can let it go is by taking a break. According to “The Importance of Breaks At Work”:
“Break laws aren’t just there to make employers take it easy on their workers, they are there for the good of employees. Did you know even a 30 second microbreak can increase your productivity up to 13%? Or that a 15 second break from staring at your computer screen every ten minutes can reduce your fatigue 50%?”
3. They plan smart.
“God didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?”
~Author Unknown~
Putting plans in place that can help you keep your business running smoothly during the holidays is very important. The plans could include time when you are closed, or special sales for VIP customers, or even team celebration time.
During the holidays, normally my team and I shut down our offices. We alert our customers to let them know when we will be open and closed. Having this plan in place, gives me and my team time off and it allows my customers to prepare accordingly.
4. They think things through.
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
~William James~
Stress comes from fear that things are not going to work out. If you choose to believe things will work out, you’ll be a lot more comfortable in your decisions. You’ll be able to stay in the moment, and focus on what’s right ahead of you. Stress is a choice, one we don’t have to choose.
You have everything you need—all the joy and sadness you have experienced has made you who you are and brought you right to this place. Eliminate the bad, live in the good and don’t allow being overwhelmed to rob you of your happiness that you could be living in. Take a moment for yourself to rejuvenate and choose to think on health, well-being and prosperity.
5. They take “me time.”
“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.”
~Ovid~
When you take “me time,” it helps you incorporate free time into your schedule where you spend time taking care of yourself. How well are you doing at taking rest when it is required? Sometimes it boils down to making choices that require eliminating some things to maintain other things. Prioritizing can be a lifesaving practice when done regularly and mindfully.
Breaks are necessary for you to regain perspective, be more creative and ultimately feel good about yourself and the way life is going. Sometimes what you need is to do is rest. I use Pomodoro to manage my time so that I have a 25 minute timer that buzzes me to take a break. Then I can use it to time my breaks. It all about self-care by taking “me time.”
Featured photo credit: 52.HolidayWindows.Georgetown.WDC.19December2013 by Elvert Barnes via Flickr via flickr.com
