Being a business owner is undeniably stressful. No matter what industry you’re in, how many employees you have to share the load, or the time of year, there are a lot of different pressures that can quickly mount up when it comes to owning a business. This can quickly lead to feeling overwhelmed. This can have an impact on your professional and personal life, so it makes sense to try and avoid feeling overwhelmed as much as possible. However, this is easier said than done! There always seems to be something to do and plenty of stress to deal with. But, making some surprisingly small changes can actually go a long way to help these feelings of overwhelm. In this blog, we’ll be discussing nine straightforward things to do to stop feeling overwhelmed as a business owner, to help people like you make these changes that can definitely help when times are challenging.
Remain calm as much as possible
Of course, this point may seem easier said than done, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed! But, staying calm is the first step to making sure that you stay level headed, and can deal with your stress head-on. Simply taking a deep breath can help to regulate your stress responses, helping to clear your mind. After all, if your mind isn’t clear, you’re far more likely to rush into things and make poorer decisions than you would do if you were feeling more relaxed. When things start getting on top of you and you’re losing sight of what’s important, just take a few minutes out to try and relax as much as you can. Your future self is sure to thank you for it, and it’s certainly one of the most straightforward things to do to stop feeling overwhelmed as a business owner.
Single-tasking can be your best friend
As a business owner, you will probably be more than used to the concept of multi-tasking. Trying to get multiple things done at once comes with the territory of owning your own business. It is undoubtedly a good skill to have. But have you thought about the benefits that single-tasking can bring, especially in situations when you’re feeling snowed under? Often, this familiar feeling of overload creeps in when you’ve got too many things to do and you don’t know where to start, so you end up picking up bits and pieces without properly finishing a task. If this sounds like you, simply focusing on one task at a time, and properly completing it before moving on to the next one, can actually help you to be more productive and clear your to-do list more efficiently, therefore helping your feelings of overwhelm in the long run!
Start with the small tasks
Do you look at your to-do list as a never-ending mountain to climb? Do the tasks keep on piling up, so you feel like you’re never truly finished with anything? This is another common problem that business owners have that can definitely lead to feeling swamped. Sometimes, starting with the smaller tasks that are quick and simple to complete is one of the most straightforward things to do to stop feeling overwhelmed as a business owner. Doing these tasks first means that you get to tick multiple things off your list quickly, giving you the burst of motivation that you need to complete the bigger tasks.
However, some people find that this actually doesn’t help them, and leaving the bigger tasks until last feels daunting! If this is the case for you, then simply switch it around. Get those bigger tasks out of the way first, then move on to the smaller things that you can tick off quickly towards the end of the day. It’s all about finding a balance and what works well for you. There’s no right or wrong way to do it!
A problem shared is a problem halved
This is a cliche old saying, but when it comes to feeling overwhelmed, it really does ring true. Simply sharing your problems and feelings can instantly make you feel better, as silly as it sounds. But, sharing your problems doesn’t mean that you have to pour your heart out to a family member, friend, or colleague. Instead, try writing down everything that you have to do that is causing you to feel this way. Getting it all out on paper is quite therapeutic, and it can also help you to plan the way forward by having everything written down in one place. This is a simple but effective exercise that can help you to clear your mind and come up with a plan to reduce your workload.
What are your most important goals?
Sometimes, when you’re feeling really overwhelmed, it’s vital to take a step back and try to look at everything objectively. Think back to why you started your business. What really drives you? What is your aim with putting this business out into the world? Sometimes, we need to be reminded of what our most important goals are. How does what you’re currently doing align with these goals? You may find that, actually, you’re feeling overloaded because you’re lost or out of your depth. In these situations, take a closer look at your priorities, Can you rearrange your workload in order to prioritise your most important goals. Is there anything that you can drop that simply isn’t that important? Managing your workload like this is a good way to ensure that your business remains true to your vision, and you’re not taking on unnecessary work that can lead to feelings of overwhelm.
One of the most straightforward things to do to stop feeling overwhelmed as a business owners is learning to say no
As a business owner, it can definitely be hard to learn how to say no. Often, business owners feel as though they must take on as much as possible in order to grow their businesses, gain new customers, not let anybody down, and so on. In fact, the list of reasons to say yes to everything can seem almost endless! However, if you want to stop feeling overwhelmed as a business owner, it’s vital that you learn how to say no. This links in to assessing what your most important goals are. If you’re feeling snowed under, saying no to anything that doesn’t align with these can be very freeing, and also help you to feel less stressed in the long run. It can take time and practice to learn how to say no to the things that aren’t truly important to you, but it really can revolutionise your workload and mindset.
Delegation is key
If you’re trying to say no to the things that aren’t important to you, but you’re still feeling overwhelmed, it might be time to look at how you are delegating tasks. After all, your team is there to support you and your work. Is there anything that you can delegate to someone else in order to ease your workload? It’s also important to look at how your team is currently working. Do the right people have the right tasks to carry them out to the best of their ability? Sometimes, delegating tasks and reassigning them to different people can help you to feel less swamped, and actually get your jobs done more efficiently!
Limit distractions- including those related to work!
Modern life is definitely full of distractions. Most of these inevitably come from our mobile phones. If you’re feeling overloaded, think about how easily you are distracted by notifications that want to take your attention away from the task at hand. It probably happens more than you might think! So, it’s vital to limit distractions as much as you can. This includes work-related distractions, too. If you often find that you’re waylaid by answering emails when you’re trying to get on with other tasks, set aside dedicated times of the day to answer emails and messages instead. This is one of the straightforward things to do to stop feeling overwhelmed as a business owner that can actually make a big difference to the way you work and how productive you are.
Get someone to hold you accountable
When you’re feeling overloaded, it’s easy to go into panic mode. You panic about everything that’s on your plate, and as a result, struggle to actually get any of it done. Does this sound familiar to you? It’s a very common trap that many business owners fall into. This is where having someone available to hold you accountable and help steer you in the right direction can help. Hiring the services of an experienced business coach, for example, can help you see things from a different perspective. A business coach can help you make the most of your current business set up, or drive growth. Whatever you’re after, a coach’s job is to help you get it done and minimise feelings of stress along the way.
Straightforward things to do to stop feeling overwhelmed as a business owner: conclusion
As you can see, there are quite a few simple things that any business owner can do to help prevent them from becoming too overburdened. Feeling stressed and having many things to do at once does come with the territory of being a business owner, but it doesn’t have to come to the point of feeling completely snowed under. Just a few small changes can make a big difference, and help your business to run more smoothly as a result!
Here at Chrysalis Partners South, we are dedicated business coaches who are committed to helping businesses in any sector thrive with our 50 plus proven methods. Contact me today at graham@grahamgarman.com or complete the contact form here and I’ll get back to your shortly to discuss your individual requirements.
