By Lucy Reed

Photo courtesy of Pexels

If you’re a small business owner or busy professional, it’s all too easy to let work consume your life. When life starts to get overwhelming, remember to breathe and hit pause back to look at the bigger picture. Letting yourself relax and creating steps to secure your long-term goals can help relieve work-related stress.

Stay Organized

It’s all too easy to let the tasks pile on. However, if you are not taking the steps to keep organized, things are bound to slip through the cracks. Be sure to keep track of all your projects, tasks, and deadlines. To do this, at the beginning of each day it is a good idea to write a to-do list of what you would like to accomplish. Try and rank your tasks in order of importance to help you focus and be more productive.

Where you can, create simple systems and processes to help speed along redundant tasks. This is especially true of recurring jobs such as payroll, expense reports, or client follow-up. If possible, invest in an automated program to help get things done and keep everything organized.

Get Your Finances in Order

A recent study by CNN found that 90 percent of adults stress out the most about money. If you are responsible for your business's financial affairs, you are probably all too familiar with this fact. This is why it is so important to get your finances in order.

Budgeting is a great way to make sure you are not overspending. Look at past spending habits to help estimate your monthly or yearly costs. Prioritize your expenses on a range of how necessary they are, so when money is tight you already know where you can cut back. Do not forget to allocate money to repairing your credit and paying off debt, if necessary. This way in the future, if you need additional capital you have a credit score worthy of good loans.

Stay Healthy

When work is coming at you fast, it can be tempting to let your health slip by. Maybe you’re skipping meals, eating at your desk, sacrificing sleep, and exercise in the name of getting things done -- but doing so is actually a disservice. Poor health leads to poor productivity, according to Workforce.

Eating a balanced diet will not only keep you healthy but also decreases the risk of depression and anxiety. It is also important to exercise regularly. On top of keeping you in shape, exercise is known to produce dopamine, which can relieve stress. Don’t forget about sleep either, the average adult should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

Remember to Relax

Life is not just about work. When you leave for the day, leave work at the door. Unless you are up against a tight deadline, it can wait. Your body and mind need time to relax or else you will burn out. Letting yourself unwind will help you become more productive during the day.

Find a hobby that you enjoy doing and when possible, give your eyes a break from staring at a screen all day to avoid more blue light. Spending time with family and friends is a great way to unwind and being social can be a great way to vent about your day to let off steam. Or if you prefer the quiet to relax, try reading, coloring, cooking, or jogging. Hobbies can be a great outlet for reducing stress.

Work Smart, Not Hard

No one is going to deny that work, is well, work. But you do not need to wear yourself out. With the right planning and right balance, you can be more productive during the day with fewer hours. Remember to put yourself first and step away from the desk every now and then. It’s good for you.

SignalHarmony™ assists Small Business Owners with Business Consulting, Start-ups, Website Development, and Internet Marketing Services. www.signalharmony.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucy Reed is a contributing writer to SignalHarmony and has been starting businesses since she was a kid, from the lemonade stand she opened in her parent’s driveway at age 10 to the dog walking business she started while in college. She created GigMine because she was inspired by the growth of the sharing economy and wanted to make it easier for entrepreneurial individuals like herself to find the gig opportunities in their areas.

www.gigmine.co