By Chiquandra Cross

S-T-R-E-S-S!!! Ugh, we all know what this is and we all try to either avoid it or manage it, right? Stress is an inevitable part of our lives. In some people, it causes headaches, heart palpitations, increases blood pressure, causes anxiety, depression and insomnia. There are some positive benefits of stress. It can cause us to increase productivity; it temporarily increases our alertness and focus. In some cases, it triggers our endorphins, which will, in turn, help to decrease our stress levels. Stress is nothing more than our mental and/or physical reactions to environmental triggers such as people, places and activities. If we perceive any of these as a threat, then our bodies and minds will respond accordingly.

As active professionals, it is crucial for us to know our stress triggers and develop a creative and beneficial way to manage stress as it comes. A part of managing stress is maintaining balance in all areas of your life. Living a balanced life requires active participation and planning. You have to take charge of your thoughts, emotions, environment, the way you respond to problems and your time.

Creating a balanced life will require some major lifestyle changes. You will have to anticipate potential triggers and stressful situations and plan for a way to handle them. It isn’t an easy feat, but it is necessary in order for you to be successful. One thing to avoid is the biggest self-inflicted stress inducer. Everyone say it with me, “procrastination.” Yes, I said it; I said the P-word. As a business owner, I often put off the work that I dread doing in order to do the ‘fun’ work. By doing this, I sometimes set myself up and end up having to work harder in order to overcome my objections to certain aspects of my business. One way to overcome this is to change my attitude about it. Instead of sitting at my desk and exhaling heavily when I have to do something that I would much rather not, I can set aside a period of time at the beginning of my work day to do what I need to do. I can save the more exciting projects, meetings, etc., for later. Or I could hire a virtual assistant to edit contracts and documents and any other tasks that I feel comfortable outsourcing.

For some, managing your household is a huge stress trigger. There is often guilt, condemnation, anger, frustration and many other negative feelings associated with not being able to keep up with all of the necessary cleaning, laundry and other household chores. All of these feelings hit you at once because you feel like you never have enough time to do it or to do it correctly and completely. My suggestion, consider hiring a housekeeper. For some, this may not sit well initially, but think about it. How much stress could you relieve if you hire someone to come in and thoroughly clean your house, launder and put away your clothes, clean your oven and refrigerator and dust every single surface in your home. You would no longer have to deal with the guilt of not having time to thoroughly clean your home, you would no longer have to deal with the stress of trying to match your son’s socks, locate your daughter’s favorite leggings and find your favorite pair of jeans.

Another way to identify stress triggers is to create a stress journal. By identifying the trigger and your physical and emotional response, you may be able to recognize some early indicators that led to the stressful incident. You may also be able to identify ways you could have altered, or in some cases, avoided the stressful situation all together. When you review the incident, be sure to write down alternative responses that you can use in the future.

Owning a business is supposed to be an enjoyable and fun experience. Remember, you started your business so that you could pursue your passion and walk in your purpose. Pursuing your passion and purpose should not be stressful. In order to continue as a successful and stress-free business owner, it is critically important that you learn to manage stress and create balance in all areas of your life.