Stress is an accepted part of our busy lives. According to recent studies, stress in the work place costs US businesses more than 300 billion dollars each year. More than 40% of employees describe their careers as extremely stressful, and over 25% of workers feel that stress in the work place is their primary cause of tension.
Stress should be understood to be a normal occurrence. It most often arises when we have an unusually large number of responsibilities or a situation is perceived to be threatening. Stress in one setting can affect stress levels in the other, which means stress at work can affect your life at home. According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, some warning signs of job stress include:
Headache
Sleep disturbances
Difficulty concentrating
Short temper
Upset stomach
Job dissatisfaction
Low morale
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is important to deal with them right away because stress build up can have the fatal consequences of heart attack or stroke.
Stress and Home Businesses
Home businesses can cause high stress levels when a healthy balance between personal and professional life is not maintained. The line between the two becomes blurred when your business office is your home and the demands of each part of your life begin to require greater amounts of your time, especially in the case of stay-at-home parents with small children. This juggling act can cause a difficulty, even failure, in either or both. In order to alleviate stress, home business owners need to prioritize and set a schedule for the division of time for each set of responsibilities.
A stress management program can help deal with stress in a home based business. The main aim of stress management is to help balance the various aspects of your life so that you have enough time for work, family and leisure. People who effectively manage stress consider life a challenge and feel they have more control over their lives. The best way to reduce stress is to identify the aspects of your life that are causing the stress. While some stress is unavoidable, others can disappear if you make simple lifestyle adjustments. Some common causes of stress in a home business include:
Failure to balance work and family, neglecting one in favor of the other
Having unrealistic expectations about business success
Having cynical or negative attitudes
Too much pressure from the business
Stress Management in a Home Business
Leading a more balanced life can help most people can learn to avoid stress. Stress management helps people deal with stress and gives them a better insight into themselves. The following stress management strategies can help you live a more stress-free life while operating a home business:
Delegate or share responsibilities with a family members
Avoid difficult colleagues or family members
Learn to be assertive
Get regular exercise
Do not using alcohol or drugs to cope with family or business issues
Eat a healthy, balanced diet
Try to find humor in stressful situations
Organize your time
Share your thoughts, hopes and fears with friends or family
Learn to Manage Time
A great way to deal with stress in a home business is to reorganize your schedule to lead a more balanced life. Some time management strategies for decreasing stress include:
Making a well prioritized "to-do" list
Learning to say 'no' to both work and family
Delegating less important tasks to others
Trying less to control every situation
Taking frequent breaks for rest and relaxation
Have a Support Group
Develop a network of friends and family members whom you can turn to when stress overwhelms you. It is necessary to build a support system to help reduce stress when you work at home. Discussing your thoughts and feelings with your partner, children, relatives, family and friends, you will be able to better handle stress.
Develop coping skills
Stress has a lot to do with attitude as well. Stress often arises from the need to control everything. Admitting your inability to control every situation will help you realize that you can handle almost anything. Stress management requires changing the way you think. Some important attitude adjustments include:
Be realistic. Do not expect too much of yourself or others.
Try to be assertive, rather than passive or aggressive.
Be flexible
Think positive
Strive to keep solid the boundaries between your work and personal life.
Organize and Simplify your Life
The best way to beat stress is to get organized by prioritizing. Simplifying your life will help you feel less overwhelmed and stressed out.
Plan your day and prioritize
Work through tasks individually
Organize your workspace
Nurture Yourself
It is important to nurture yourself by taking care of your body, mind and spirit. Some stress management tips include:
Practice relaxation techniques
Get plenty of sleep
Eat nutritious meals
Exercise, it relieves tension
Avoid caffeine and other stimulants
Reduce your alcohol, tobacco or drug intake
Get a massage
Spend plenty of time with your kids
Take a Break
Remember to slow down. A home business is tough to run, so it is important that you take enough breaks during the day and spend time with your family or even by yourself.
Read a magazine, play with your pet or read a book to a child
Set aside personal time to go for a walk or just listen to your favorite music
Soak in a hot bath
Pray, meditate or try Yoga or Tai Chi to relax
Keeping a journal, and write your feelings down. Bottling your emotions can do more harm than good
