Stress Management – 5 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress

Stress is a natural biological response that can never be totally avoided. It is also important to understand what is stress for one person may not be for another!!! What is stress for one person might be an exciting activity for another!!!! Hence, although we feel stress is because of outside factors, it is always inside! The good news is if it’s inside it can be managed, changed and then transformed!

For entrepreneurs running their own businesses, stress management is an essential concern that should not be taken for granted. Some stress comes our way, and some other we intentionally take upon ourselves. E.g. as an entrepreneur we invest and take a good amount of risk which itself can be stressful, but when this stress is a choice we have made, in anticipation of success, then the stress need not be damaging. The ability to manage stress will allow you to think objectively and respond accordingly to the circumstances you are faced with. In emergency situations, for instance, the physiological action of the stress hormone cortisol kicks up adrenalin for extra energy boost and fast brain activity during times of emergency.

Stress becomes undesirable when a person is defeated by its signs and symptoms, be it physical, emotional, behavioral, or mental. Avoiding stress is impossible if you are in the cutthroat business arena, but easing its negative effects on your business and your life is absolutely possible. You just need to have patience and dedication in embracing these five simple ways to relieve stress as we all know that during challenging times one has to be more balanced to handle stress:

1. Avoid, adapt, and accept stressors as they are.

These are some of the strategies that an entrepreneur and professionals can adopt to handle stress. Since it is situational and relative, one has to make a choice!
You cannot avoid stress, but you can avoid many of the things that cause it. For instance, if the morning traffic stresses you out so much, why not avoid the rush hour by going to the office an hour earlier? You can also try other routes to avoid the major thoroughfares where vehicles commonly bottleneck.

Many successful entrepreneurs actually encourage the practice of waking up earlier and getting a good headstart. This practice allows them to get into a stress-free morning routine to prepare for the day. Even if a person reaches early, it can be used as an investment to plan, learn, read a book that can help accelerate the business etc

If avoiding and adapting seem impossible, all you have to do is accept your situation, look for a positive side, and move on. You cannot change every stressor you encounter, but you can change your mindset by staying positive. E.g. traffic cannot be avoided then the emotions during traffic can be managed! Like one can listen to something positive, a mind programming audio, audios that can build the right mindset for the entire day. SO, even of the traffic is for an hour or an hour and a half it can be then looked as an investment rather than a waste of time.

2. Eat stress-fighting foods.

We are also, what we eat as those energies become a part of us!

What else is easier than eating food that makes you happy and relaxed? Some food types have natural properties that can counter the effects of the stress hormone cortisol. At the same time, they can elicit positive emotions by stimulating the production of feel-good hormones, such as oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphin.

For snacks, dark chocolate, oatmeal, walnut, orange, and berries should be on top of your list. Dark chocolate, in particular, is touted to be one of the most powerful natural anti-depressants because of phenylethylamine, a chemical compound that can elicit the feeling of being in love. Researchers from the University of California at San Diego found that dark chocolate also lowers blood pressure, the most common physical symptom of stress.

Proper meals can be healthy but still light, a heavy meal on the stomach produces lethargy and can affect the energy leaves of an individual. Food can either be a medicine, a tonic, a good source of energy and a destroyer!!! Hence it is important to take care of the diet as we are also what we eat!

3. Relax your mind and body.

When your mind and body are too strained and distracted by all the problems you have to face in your business every day, all you need to do is clear out your mind, rest your body, breathe deeply, and focus on positive thoughts that make you happy and relaxed. This is a meditation that you can combine with a breathing exercise. Other breathing exercises require you to maintain a yoga position that can improve blood circulation and the transportation of oxygen to your brain.

You can also try the hot and cold therapy, which is effective for people who are already experiencing the physical symptoms of stress. These symptoms include joint pain, muscle pain, and muscle spasm. Take a shower under warm water for five minutes. Just feel the water kiss your skin and let it open your pores to release the toxins in your body. The warmth will also release tightened muscles, especially on your back, neck, and shoulders.

After bathing under warm water, shift to cold water immediately to relax your muscles and tighten up your pores. The coldness will help normalize blood circulation since the warm water pulled the pressure from your lower body up to your head.

4. Actively find happiness, inspiration, and motivation in life.

Stress clouds judgment exaggerates problems and catastrophizes every situation. It is hard to focus on the good things around you when you are surrounded by so much negativism.
What you need to do is look for things that make you happy. Take a break and walk your dog at the park if that used to make you feel relaxed. Watch funny videos on YouTube and discover entertaining TV series and movies.

If you feel like you are already losing motivation to keep persevering in life, realign your goals and priorities to discover reasons to live happily. Maybe your business is already taking too much of your time, making you forget that you are working hard for your family in the first place.

You can also read inspiring books and learn about successful entrepreneurs’ lives. There are so many lessons to learn from other people’s successes and failures.

5. Manage time wisely.

More than 80% of employees say that they encounter stress at work, the American Institute of Stress says. This is mainly due to improper time management. This is experienced by business owners and entrepreneurs too.

This is a big challenge for entrepreneurs who are too hands-on or who like to micromanage. You cannot possibly do everything by yourself. Cramming your days to the brim with tasks will not automatically translate to productivity. At some point, you will have to delegate in order to manage your time wisely. Do not spread yourself too thin.

Use an organizer and daily planner for your tasks. Planning ahead of busy days is also important to avoid missing important details and unnecessary stress.

Different people deal with different kinds of stressors and handle stress differently. There is no problem with that. What is important is that you manage your stress in a way that will make you more effective and productive as an entrepreneur.

In short as an entrepreneur you need to be successful and well balanced. A great balance at the level of body, mind and emotions are required which is definitely possible. The article is just a beginning and we can always connect for more information and bring this thought into reality and reap the benefit of a powerful stress-free successful life.