Entrepreneur Stress: How It Arises And How To Manage It
The fact that we feel stressed from time to time does not have to mean that there is something wrong with us. Yes, it may be unpleasant, but this is just an adaptation mechanism to an imperfect world; one that has the ability to surprise us with unforeseen events to which we must react quickly.
With stress, something different happens to the entrepreneur. Yes, it is true that the role of the professional who decides to undertake something new throughout his or her working life will have to face challenges, and that many of these will test their ability to not lose their nerve. However, when we talk about entrepreneur stress, we are talking about a problem; a situation in which the person feels too stressed and/or is so for a long time, to the point that his or her physical and mental health are compromised.
It shouldn’t be this way, but in practice, for many people, thinking about work means thinking about stress. When we also focus on the case of entrepreneurs, this profile of a constantly stressed worker becomes even more common.
The truth is that among people who decide to embark on professional adventures without depending on self-employment, problems derived from stress are widespread. Even those lucky ones see their work life as something stable and in the face of which it is easy to maintain a good emotional balance, they know that the situation could change at any moment, so they feel that they cannot allow themselves to relax completely.
This phenomenon has led to people beginning to talk about entrepreneur stress, applying this term to problems due to excess stress associated with the lifestyle of the average entrepreneur, which has some unusual characteristics in other people. That is to say, it is not a diagnostic condition in itself, but rather a set of symptoms and generalized experiences among entrepreneurs who have a complicated relationship with their work. In fact, the concept of entrepreneur stress is better understood if we explore its causes, which constitute the daily life of many professionals.
The causes of entrepreneur stress
There is never just one trigger behind stress problems at work. Now, it is possible to list the main causes of entrepreneur stress that, combined, They tend to cause problems in private and professional life. They are the following:
What to do to manage the entrepreneur’s stress?
No one should resign themselves to suffering this alteration that damages both quality of life and health. Regarding possible solutions for the entrepreneur’s stress, it should be taken into account that the most effective and safest way to address this type of discomfort is to go to a psychologist. But beyond that, the tips you will find below can also help you.
1. Set very clear work schedules
It is important that each work day is very detailed in your schedule, also including rest periods. This way you will have concrete time references about what work to dedicate each day-to-day block to.
2. Prepare your workspace by making it comfortable
It may seem that being comfortable in the workplace is secondary, or even banal. But it is not at all. Spending many hours a week in a place where we do not feel well and it is difficult for us to see our work materials and/or concentrate on what we do is something that will quickly take its toll on us; Not only will our health worsen and we will become more stressed, but we will also perform worse.
Therefore, it is very important that you give great importance to, for example, ensuring that your workplace is well lit, is kept at the correct temperature, the chair and table are comfortable, and you are not exposed to distractions such as constant noise. , etc.
3. Sleep well
Not getting enough sleep is one of the factors that most facilitate the appearance of stress problems. Therefore, make sure you don’t stay working late and make your sleep schedule consistent and allow you to sleep for about 8 hours straight.
4. Introduce short breaks into your work days
If you notice that you stay working for more than an hour at a time and your profession does not require it, you are doing it wrong. It is important that you have a break to rest more or less every 45 minutes.
In this short break, which can last between 5 and 15 minutes, you should leave the place you have been occupying to stretch your legs and focus your gaze on objects other than the one you have been concentrating on. If you’ve been looking at a screen, it may also be good to keep your eyes closed for a minute.
Thanks to these little tricks, you will help prevent your back from straining, your eyes from getting tired, and the stress associated with a headache from appearing.
5. Do not underestimate family conciliation and vacations
It is very important that also as an entrepreneur you can enjoy a vacation. It is not just a matter of feeling good, but also of taking care of your health.
In the same way, you should not nip your family and friendship relationships in the bud for the simple fact of investing all your efforts at work, because This way of seeing professional life makes people feel trapped in a dead end and they are even more afraid of “failing” in their business initiatives.
6. Learn to mentally disconnect
If you spend all day thinking about work, it is normal for you to suffer from entrepreneur stress. Unfortunately, this is very common in this professional profile, since in it work and private life tend to overlap and get confused.
To counteract this tendency, it is recommended that you practice relaxation techniques such as controlled breathing or Jaboson progressive muscle relaxation, as well as regular physical exercise. These activities will make you focus on the here and now and leave behind intrusive thoughts about the past and hypothetical future scenarios.
Do you want to have psychological assistance for entrepreneurs?
If, as an entrepreneur, you are interested in having the support of a psychologist to help you face the challenges of your lifestyle and your professional projects, contact me.
My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I specialize in cognitive-behavioral intervention; I offer in-person and online sessions by video call.
