Q: Like many directors I am constantly stressed. My desire to make our business succeed often finds me taking work home. Is this normal, or can you suggest ways to better manage my stress levels?
A: Stress is a part of life. Everybody, in one way or another, encounters stress on a day-to-day basis, and in small doses it can be used as a powerful motivator. As a director or company owner you will feel more pressure than most, due to the all-encompassing role you have within your business. However, just because stress is part of your job, it does not have to be a part of you.
Just as you may manage a team or your business, you need to actively and effectively manage yourself. You may have already had the worrying, blood pressure-raising talk with your GP about the risks of too much stress, so I will not repeat what you already know, other than to say that stress does affect you physically, mentally and socially, so it is something to address.
It is worth considering some fairly simple and obvious stress-relieving techniques.
Unload some of your burdens to colleagues and staff who are capable of handling the workload. You may feel that you are responsible for taking on a barrage of work, or that ‘if you want a job done well, do it yourself. This need not be the case. If you feel that you are carrying too much, share the load.
Take your lunch break seriously. Close your laptop, turn off your phone (or at least put it on silent) and take an hour to yourself to chill out. Walk somewhere, eat something and speak to somebody you know – or even somebody you do not know. Mix it up.
Breathe and drink water. Admittedly this sounds a simplistic solution, but if you think about how much caffeine you ingest in your coffee and tea throughout the day, it is no wonder you may be feeling anxious and on edge. You will probably be surprised at how much better you feel after a cup of water and some deep breaths.
Most importantly, limit the amount of work you take home with you. It’s understandable if you have work you have to catch up on in the evening, but limit yourself. Decide on a time where you can just switch off and relax. Turn off your work phone and resist the urge to read through your emails late into the evening, but instead spend some quality time winding down with your family.
Time management skills and a little delegation can really help. Yes, a little stress can be used positively, to make us work a bit harder, help us achieve our goals and of course keep life interesting – but managing it is the key.
David Price is managing director of Health Assured
