The world is in a time of ‘extreme stress’ due to the pandemic and uncertainties for many businesses and freelancers.
Being a self-employed freelancer or business owner is no easy feat, any businessperson aiming high is going to be stressed at times, especially when making decisions in uncertain times.
Fortunately, there are ways to reduce stress (hurray)
Here are 6 highly effective ways to keep your stress under control, no matter what is happening in your work and personal life…
1. Remember What’s Going Right
It’s easy to only focus on the things that are going wrong right now. Zooming in and focusing on the negatives can cause stress.
Improve your stress management by reminding yourself of the things that are going right. List out all your accomplishments and any professional milestones you’ve achieved—don’t neglect even the smallest accomplishments. Put your list somewhere you can easily see it and whenever you feel stressed about all the things that are going wrong, look at your list.
2. Rank Your Tasks
Listing all of your tasks can be not only intimidating but stress-inducing. One of the causes of stress in business is having so many things to work on that none of them get done.
Trying to do a little bit of each task instead of focusing on one at a time means you probably won’t get very far.
You need to prioritise your goals:
 Write down everything that you need to complete.
 Then, rank your tasks from greatest to least.
As you work, focus on the most important tasks. When you finish those, you can move down the list.
Try not to get overwhelmed by the length of your list. Focus on what you need to work on next.
3. Get Active
COVID-19 restrictions have disrupted access to sports and training facilities, making it more difficult to get active. But the fact is that exercising significantly reduces stress.
Exercise can also improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All of these exercise benefits can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your life and workday.
4. Try The 3 Breath Release
Try this simple exercise:
 Take a deep breath.
 Then as you exhale imagine all your problems and stress leaving you.
 Do this just 3 times and I bet your feeling of stress has dissipated significantly.
If you want to go further into breath-work, why not try a yoga or meditation class. There are endless free resources available on YouTube or with different apps.
5. Tidy Your Environment
The majority of working professionals are now working from home. This means that even if you were already working from home that there may be multiple people working in your space now.
This lack of physical distance between work and home (and trying to find space for everyone) can leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed. One of the most effective strategies is to create order in your immediate environment. As you take charge of your surroundings your feelings of control will increase.
6. Invest In Technology
More than 90% of organisations use technology to automate business tasks, and 73% are satisfied with the results.
With automation, each action offers high-quality and reliable results—robots don’t make mistakes. Using the right technology also allows you to complete more assignments using fewer resources, leading to increased savings.
At Kalc we are passionate about technology and can advise you of some great solutions to fit your business needs.
7. Take breaks
This is probably the simplest piece of stress management advice—take a break.
Stepping away from the stressor for even 10 minutes can refresh and calm you. When you take a break, do something that relaxes you. Go for a walk. Grab a coffee. Call a friend. Watch a funny video. Don’t do anything work related.
When you’re ready to get back work, you’ll have a clearer mind.
8. Know when to delegate
You can’t run an entire business by yourself. It’s important to understand your strengths and get help in areas where you might struggle or spend too much of your valuable time when that time is not specifically towards your business goals…
At Kalc we offer a range of accountancy and advisory services that can support your business & free up your valuable time to focus on growing!
Contact us today to learn more.
Phone: 01 8084191
Email: [email protected]