MindTalks #3

Written By Sara Simeone

Is Stress Sabotaging Your Success?

Psychological wellbeing is the biggest influencer of productivity, and high stress levels are closely linked to reduced motivation and job satisfaction.

There’s no such thing as a stress-free life. Humans are hardwired for stress, and small doses can even boost our cognitive skills1 and job performance. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get bogged down in work related stress, especially for busy entrepreneurs with a lot on their plates.

Cortisol - a key stress hormone - has a profound effect on brain function,2 memory, processing speed, and mental health. As a result, chronic stress often manifests as loss of motivation, commitment, and confidence. Even if you keep plugging away, stress can make you indecisive and unfocussed. 

It’s no wonder that 1 in 3 people3 report that stress has a major impact on their productivity.

We can’t eradicate work stress, but we can manage its impact on our lives. Taking steps to build resilience against stress can make it easier to cope, and improve your overall job satisfaction, productivity, and mental health.


How Can Entrepreneurs Manage Stress?

There’s no silver bullet for stress, and successful stress management often involves several small, simple life changes. Finding what works best for you may take some trial-and-error, but the results can make a major difference to how well you navigate challenges in both your professional and personal life.

The first step to managing stress at work is identifying your key problem areas.Some common stressors among entrepreneurs include:

  • Overwork and Overwhelm

Perhaps the most common cause of stress among entrepreneurs is overwork. A heavy workload comes with the territory of running a company, but biting off more than you can chew often ends in burnout. Be honest with yourself about what you can handle - running yourself into the ground will only pile on the stress and, ultimately, destroy your productivity.

  • Overlooking Achievements

The to-do list of a busy professional can be never-ending, so it’s no surprise that many people train their focus on the next task. However, this can stop you from appreciating what you’ve achieved so far and overwhelm you with thoughts of all that’s left to accomplish. Even when you’re climbing a mountain, it’s important to take breaks and enjoy the view.

  • Unrealistic Expectations

Ambition is key for success, but relentless self-criticism is not. Many entrepreneurs over-analyze their work, but even the best of us make mistakes. Be kind to yourself and learn from your mistakes, but remember that imperfections only make you human.

  • Losing Life Outside of Work

Finding that work-life balance is difficult for everyone but, when you have the weight of a company on your shoulders, it can seem impossible. Unfortunately, poor work-life balance is a leading cause of stress.4 It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you can mitigate stress by clearing more items from your to-do list, but this eats up time you could be spending on healthier habits (like socialising, exercising, eating well, and relaxing). 


Forming Habits to Combat Stress

A holistic approach to stress management means making small improvements to different aspects of your life. Even people who love what they do need to make time for their health, social life, and rest if they want to go the distance at work.

Making Time to Socialise

When work is all-consuming, it can be easy to let your social life slide. However, social isolation is a major contributor to stress, anxiety, and depression.

Maintaining a positive social circle can enhance your resilience to stress,5 improve self-esteem, and help protect both your mental and physical health. Finding time in your schedule for friends, family, and events for like-minded people can go a long way toward relieving stress and boosting your overall mental well being.


Practising Mindfulness

Work commitments can occupy a lot of your headspace and, when you’re balancing a heavy workload, make it hard to focus on the task at hand. If your mind is always wandering to the next job, deadline, or meeting, it may be impossible to give your full attention to anything. Mindfulness techniques6 are a set of skills that can help you remain calm in the face of stress and improve your work performance.


Looking After Your Health

Mental and physical health are closely intertwined, and how you treat your body has a big impact on how well your mind functions. Some lifestyle factors that can contribute to stress and a loss of productivity include:

  • Irregular sleep

  • Lack of physical activity

  • Poor diet

Identifying areas for improvement is a key step toward improving your physical and mental health, but don’t try to overhaul your habits overnight. Small adjustments - or, micro habits - are easier to maintain than dramatic changes and have a cumulative effect on your wellbeing. 

Overcoming stress is hard but, for many business leaders, it’s a key factor in their success. Effective stress management often involves many small lifestyle changes that, together, build your resilience to stress and make it easier to cope. 

To learn more about building new habits to improve productivity and prevent burnout, check out the Mind to Mood Summit - an exclusive event for entrepreneurs and business leaders. Hear from leaders across a variety of professional fields to benefit from their insights into stress management and professional growth, and connect with like-minded people in a relaxed and welcoming environment.





Sara Simeone
Next

MindTalks #2