Originally published on healthtransformation.net
The negative impact of stress is difficult to understate. It can cause sickness, lead to burnout, and turn amazing businessmen and women into mediocre ones. In this article, successful entrepreneur Adam Ferrari, founder of Ferrari Energy, details seven ways to manage stress as a business owner.
- Exercise
Exercise has been proven time and again to be a universal way to combat stress. Your physical and mental health is absolutely dependent on adequate exercise. Stress is a decided risk factor for dangerous conditions including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and many mental and emotional conditions. Exercise helps burn away stress while helping you stay fit, sleep better, and concentrate. Now with various digital platforms we are redefining what it means to go to the gym. Fitness influencers offer mobile and diverse solutions on streaming platforms such as YouTube. There are also opportunities to change the traditional lunch meetings and opt for a workout class followed by a healthy lunch to change up the rigid formality of meetings while still getting business done and maintaining self-care. Consult with your physician in order to develop a high-quality exercise program that will destroy the stress that can drag you down.
- Prioritize Healthy Eating
In addition to getting exercise, a solid diet is vital to overall health and stress reduction. In addition to fighting off chronic conditions, healthy eating directly promotes brain health and hormonal health while fighting against stress. Poor and irregular eating affects every system of your body and exacerbates the dangers of work-related stress. A solution that is working for me is doing a massive food prep on Sunday night. I know this is a concept most people are familiar with but I challenge you to think beyond the standard meals and prep for snacks including apples with peanut butter, homemade beef bone broth, chia seed coconut milk pudding for fast and nutrient rich grab and go’s to defer unhealthy snacking. This is another area where you should consult with your nutritionist in order to be sure that you are eating the right foods at the right time.
- Protect Your Work-Life Balance
The first response of many business owners to stress from work is to decide to simply work longer and harder. Hard work is important, but it is important to understand the concept of diminishing returns. At some point, the stress that comes from extra hours at the office overtakes any positive results. Neglecting your personal life at the expense of non-productive work time is a sure recipe for burnout. I carve out time for myself during the day by blocking off my calendar. It doesn’t have to be an hour investment or extremely cardio intensive as you can alternate based on your mood but make an effort to do SOMETHING. Whether it’s a walk outside or a 15 min burnout it will train your body and mind to create these healthy habits. Creating the habit is never easy but once you have it down it’ll be surprisingly seamless to follow. I’ve found it takes about 2-weeks of daily effort to make a strong lifestyle habit stick. Be sure to keep sufficient time set aside for your personal life to keep your energy level strong.
- Maintain and Rely on Strong Personal Relationships
A strong social support system is a fantastic way to fight stress, and the absence of social support can lead directly to higher stress levels. Friends and family can help you offload the stress from work My dad and partner are strong supports in my life. I can’t emphasize how important it is to have an outside perspective from people you trust that have your best interest in mind. While it’s tempting as a business driver to try and maintain that drive at all times it’s ok it give others control and let yourself sit passenger. Additionally, joining volunteer groups, participating in sports, and discovering new group hobbies are great ways to spend time with other people outside of your daily work environment.
- Find New Hobbies
In addition to reducing stress, exploring new hobbies and interests will increase your mental happiness and help you discover your creativity. Any hobby that appeals to your personality and attracts your attention will promote healthy stress reduction. Outside interests and hobbies also help you to “unplug” from work and make your time while at work more productive and enjoyable.
- Practice Mindfulness and Meditation at Work
Spending a few hours at work does a number on your brain that you may not realize. When your mind has been running at top speed it loses efficiency and becomes susceptible to stress. Look for opportunities to give your mind a chance to quiet down occasionally by slowing everything down and focusing on breathing and stillness. It only takes a few minutes every now and then, and simple meditative practices will help your mind stay limber and ready for action.
- Talk with a Professional When Needed
When personal maintenance and management practices are not enough, don’t hesitate to talk with a therapist. You can do this privately while working with someone professionally trained to help you identify the things that are causing you the most stress and the best ways to deal with them. The things that bother us the most are often completely unseen until we talk things out with someone with the skill and desire to help.
About Adam Ferrari
Adam Ferrari is the founder of the Denver-based mineral acquisitions company Ferrari Energy. He is a chemical engineer by degree and is an accomplished petroleum engineer by profession. He also has experience in the financial sector through his work at an investment banking firm. Under his leadership, his company supported organizations including; St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Freedom Service Dogs, Denver Rescue Mission, Coats for Colorado, and Next Steps of Chicago.