This original article was written for The Brighter Business Magazine. Brighter Business Empower is the place small business owners learn BIG ideas. Learn more here www.brighterbusinessempower.com
We all know that running a business and living every day life are no
easy task. And it never helps when we’re
stressed at work.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates that in the year
2011 Canadian employers incurred $6 billion in lost productivity
costs. Including job turnover costs and "presenteeism" costs. Presenteeism occurs when an employee is physically
present but mentally absent.
Every day 500,000 Canadians are off sick due to mental health
problems. But there are ways to reduce
stress at work.
Take Care of Yourself - You've running around taking care of everyone else but you. Do what YOU need to do to take care of
YOU. It might be as simple as giving yourself permission to take 30 mins to
do something you love like reading a book, watching a TV show or going
for a walk. But if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be
able to take care of anyone else.
Take a Deep Breath – There’s a great saying, “Life is 10% of what
happens and 90% of how you react.” If we
can just take a deep breath, and take a step back before reacting, you may
reduce your stress by calming yourself first.
Validate your feelings - Either take the time to write out in a
journal how you’re feeling to make it real, or find a friend who will
listen. Once we validate that what we're going through is real we can deal
with
the issues head on. If you find yourself overwhelmed, know
that it's real. Once you can identify what you're feeling you'll be able
to find
a solution towards making a change.
Be Thankful - Starting your day off on the wrong foot is never a
good way to begin. But you can make a choice on how you go about your
day.
Find something to be grateful for. Once you have an attitude
of gratitude, it will create blessings. And by having a positive
attitude, you'll be able to enjoy your day more. Besides if you're
happy,
everyone else around you will be too. Happiness is contagious.
Surround yourself with GREAT people - If you are constantly
hanging around with people who bring you down, your stress will go up.
Find those people who lift your spirits.