But then, so is life and so are most jobs. Stress is inevitable, and indeed some level of stress is beneficial in the sense that it can energise us and lead to improved performance. But the question is how well do we cope with excessive levels of stress that can prove harmful.
Whether we are facing stress caused by staff problems in the business, or demanding customers, or cash flow pressures, or the uncertainty of workplace change - we all have to learn positive ways of dealing with stress.
If we don't develop some good stress management strategies than we can risk:
- impaired judgement and decision making
- strained relationships.as a consequence of our increased irritability and intolerance
- physical symptoms such as headaches, high blood pressure, muscle tension and indigestion
One final point. Never lose sight of the reason you went into small business. If you're not gaining the satisfaction and rewards that you had hoped for, then you either need to change what you are actually doing in your business, or change your approach and expectations associated with the business, or maybe think about walking away from it.
Few things are more important in life than your health and peace of mind. Any business (like any relationship) has a mix of good and bad days, but if the good days aren't numbering more than the bad days, then something has to change substantially and not just cosmetically.
If you're after some more ideas on coping with stress, have a look at Stress Management Tips and also there's some great advice on how to change bad habits at Personal Change
