With many significant holidays happening, entrepreneurs may find themselves stressing out. With the rush of preparing for the end of the year, having substantial holiday sales, and managing the to-dos of the holiday season, the end of the 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 work on to grow and improve your business. You wear many hats and often take care of your business’s sales, marketing, accounting, and other duties.
For many businesses, the holidays bring more customers in the door, and sales are at their highest levels for the year. It would be best if you were on top of your game to make the most of the opportunities. 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 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 you allow yourself to take time off 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 you work during a holiday week so 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~
Holding in all of your stress can affect your mind, body, and soul. Permit yourself 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 to help keep your business running smoothly during the holidays is very important. The plans could include the time when you are closed, special sales for VIP customers, or even team celebration time.
During the holidays, usually, my team and I shut down our offices. We alert our customers to inform them when we will open and close. This plan gives me and my team time off and 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 the fear that things are not going to work out. If you believe something will work out, you’ll be much 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 have made you who you are and bring you to this place. Eliminate the bad, live in the good, and don’t allow being overwhelmed to rob you of the happiness that you could be living in. Take a moment for yourself to rejuvenate and choose to think about 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 need eliminating some things to maintain others. 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 how life is going. Sometimes what you need 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 is all about self-care by taking “me time.”
