Five ways to beat the business blues

Business blues.  You know what I mean, you must have heard about them or even worse, you’ve probably experienced them?

What are business blues? 

You have been working long hours and you start to feel too worn out to focus on anything else but your business; you have trouble sleeping, eating and enjoying other things in your life; you begin to feel so overly worked that you stop enjoying your business and working for yourself; or you are beginning to get into a pattern of working far too much that leads you to drastically put on or lose weight.

This is what I call the business blues. If you want a one-sentence definition, business blues are “ the imbalanced mental and physical state of a business owner, in which one suddenly feels too overwhelmed and mentally confused.” 

As a small business owner, you have a high chance of being afflicted by business blues because you put every ounce of your being into your work, and chances are you do it on your own.

But, if you are suffering from business blues, the following five suggestions might help you beat them:

1. Ask for help

It’s not easy, I know. It’s hard to swallow your pride and admit things are not going as we expected. Plus, you want to take that very well deserved credit for your success and not admit things are no going well. Remember that you can still do this even if someone helps you through the hard, challenging times. Your business will always be your creation and you will always be the brain behind the business.

Asking for help when you need an extra hand, a mentor or a support system is actually highly indicated. Let’s face it, we are not super human beings, and we need cooperation from others once in a while. If you can’t afford to pay somebody, ask your wife/partner to help you with the admin side of things, or if there is a young person in your family, asked them to help a few hours per week. This will be both good for their CV and for your business.

2. Exercise

I can almost hear the excuses already: “I don’t have time to exercise, I barely have time to shower, eat, etc”. That’s all not true. You do have time to exercise. You don’t have to become a marathon runner, merely, you have to find a way to maintain your health. We all know that stress is a killer and that as a small business owner, you are bound to experience some sort of stress. Exercising is a great way of releasing those endorphins that make us oh so happy, think clearer and have much more energy. Exercise is also good for our circulation and bone/muscle strengthening and you need this when you work for yourself. In one sentence: you need to be healthy to own a business. So even if you go for a morning walk, that’s enough. Just move a little.

3. Reduce your coffee intake

This one can be a biggie for some of you, but there are good substitutes. Coffee is good for us, in small quantities. It can help stimulate us to work more efficiently and to keep awake for longer. In big quantities though, coffee can have a bad effect on your health. So have your morning coffee and even a midday one, but later on swap this with a nice herbal tea. The good thing about herbal teas is that they come in great flavors. They are also designed for specific purposes, so find one that suits you. I love to drink ginger and lemon tea because it is a stimulant and it increases appetite and digestion, so it is especially great for those who forget to eat.

4. Sleep

Extremely important for all you small business owners. Yes, I know you sometimes stay over time and work until the early morning hours. But find yourself a sleep pattern that works for you. Drinking a cup of warm milk with nutmeg and cinnamon before bed time is great because nutmeg promotes sleep and milk and cinnamon balance your body. You will always work better after having had a good sleep.

5. Drink lots of water

This one should be a must on everyone’s list. I hope you all know the positive effects on your health from water. It is essential you are hydrated because this reduces exhaustion, which most of you small business owners are so familiar with, I am sure. Always have a 1.5L bottle of water on your desk, in your car, anywhere you are. If you live in a hot climate, this is crucial for you.

There they are. Five easy steps to beat the business blues.

Hope you all have a lovely, productive week.