Lately, I’ve had a lot of people in my vicinity who are stressed about work. They complain about how overworked they are and don’t have much to show for it. I get it because I’ve been there.
While I still occasionally get stressed about work, I can tell you I’m not stressed about money. I can also tell you that I don’t get nearly as stressed as I used to. It takes a lot of work to get to this place, but it’s worth it.
Learn to manage your energy (not your time).
Time management gets a lot of attention in the business world, but I think we need to talk about energy management. Honestly, this would probably help us stop being stressed about work.
Here’s what I mean. Not everyone works on the same schedule. For example, I’m not an early morning person. I’ve tried everything. I also like to work out at night instead of during the day. And finally, I need breaks from people sometimes.
Knowing this about myself, I try to arrange my schedule according to my energy. I do the heavy lifting when I have peak energy. I also try not to overload myself with too many events because I know I’ll feel drained.
Learn to prioritize what matters.
One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is thinking everything is important. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time of experimentation when you need to be everywhere. There is also a time when you need to say yes to all the opportunities that come your way.
However (and this is a big however), that is only temporary. At some point, you learn what matters and what doesn’t. You also know what leads to money and what doesn’t. Your job is to follow what you know is productive and say no to everything else. Otherwise, you will end up stressed about work.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Most people are stressed about work because they sweat the small stuff. For example, everyone gets so stressed over technical difficulties. One small thing goes wrong and they are already questioning their own intelligence. In reality, tech issues just happen. It’s a part of living in the 21st century.
Here’s another example. People get really upset when they don’t hear from a client prospect right away. I’m here to tell you that something things just take time. People are busy. Or maybe the client isn’t ready to move on right now. Those are all normal circumstances, so why get so stressed about it?
What are some of the small things you get stressed about in your business? Learn to identify them in the moment and remind yourself they aren’t that big of a deal. Learning to let the little things go will greatly help you to not feel stressed about work.
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling stressed about work, chances are you’ve made one of these mistakes. Review them and see where you can make some improvements.
Amanda Abella
Amanda is a best-selling author of "Make Money Your Honey", a book that helps freelancers and business owners understand their relationship with money and how to make it more productive. She's driven by helping others live the most productive and fruitful way possible.