The Forgotten Secret to Startup Success
It’s 10:00 a.m. in the middle of the work week, and your website just went down, a client wants a document in the next twenty minutes, the shipment you were expecting didn’t arrive, you spilled mustard on your shirt five minutes before your big meeting, an employee is doing all of her holiday shopping during business hours….the list goes on.
And then when you finally finish your work for the day late in the evening, you still need to figure our what you are going to eat for dinner. As an entrepreneur, you deal with many frustrations and stressors all day long.
What are you doing to beat stress?
You may not think about it, but if you don’t pay attention to what your new business is doing to you mentally and physically, you could end up with some major medical issues and be very unhappy:
“Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress — a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.” Web MD, Jerome F. Kiffer, MA, Department of Health Psychology and Applied Psychophysiology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
With this in mind, are you regularly exercising? It may be the secret to your success!
According to the American Heart Association, “it’s been shown that you’ll gain about two hours of life for each hour of regular exercise,” and “when you move, even just for 30 minutes combined each day, you reduce your risk of heart disease.”
Now, I know you are inundated with news about healthy eating, workout routines and healthy lifestyles, and exercise may be the last thing on your mind as you try to keep your business alive and growing today. But if you completely ignore your physical and mental health, it is possible to become ill and lose everything you’ve worked so hard to obtain.
And exercise really isn’t that bad. Find something you like to do (even get a workout buddy to help you stick to a regular schedule). Try it and see how it feels to run outside, whack a punching bag, take deep breaths in a relaxing yoga pose, ride a bike, and much more.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll be thrilled with a slimmer body and faster business growth due to your newfound energy, stamina and brain power!
What are you doing to reduce stress as an entrepreneur? Please share your comments below or send your questions. We’d love to hear from you!
December 11th, 2008 at 10:00 am
[...] The Forgotten Secret to Startup Success [...]
December 11th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Sleeping and reading; non’t being anti-sweat, but like doing the dishes and other “lower brain stuff” having a set of basic/calm activities gives touch points to anchor life.
December 13th, 2008 at 3:37 am
Carrying around a lot of stress is really bad for business. It will affect the quality of your interactions through the day, and you will be less productive. Find ways to reduce stress and your biz will thank you!
Matt
December 15th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Hi Melanie,
While it is ideal to, at times, get away from the work environment (we need our own special “time out”), I like stress-reduction techniques that I can even do at work. I particularly like visualization and guided imagery. I go to the beach (in my mind’s eye) at least once a day, feeling the warmth and comfort of the sun as I walk on the beautiful, clean white sand, overlooking the crystal clear blue ocean.
I believe that when I “unclutter” my mind, breathe deeply, repeat positive affirmations, and imagine good things happening, my stress will invariably get less.
Best Regards,
Andy Lax
IntelliCollect, Account Manager
http://www.intelli-collect.com
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Hi Melanie,
I am fortunate to live in an area where there are bike paths/jogging paths. I make it a point to go out for a jog every morning. It’s refreshing to go for a jog away from traffic where I can hear the birds chirping and enjoy the nature. It also gives me time alone and time to think. The morning jog clears my mind and destresses me.
Anita
January 5th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Obviously one of the sources of stress in a startup is the large variety of issues which have to be dealt with that are outside the founder’s realm of experience and comfort.
I have found that people who are not afraid to ask for help from experts, rather than take it all on their own shoulders, have less stress and find more time for the things they love to do.
I’m proud to be one of those “experts” and mentors, who has been there and done that, and actually enjoys solving business and funding problems for my clients. See my website http://www.startupprofessionals.com, and the link to my blog, to see what I can do for you.