Advice On Dealing With The Stresses Of Being A Leader

Leading a team and business comes with many stressors. No matter how strategically or efficiently you manage your business, at the end of the day, if you don’t learn to take care of yourself and reduce your stress, you can be putting future success and growth to a halt. Andrew Miller, a CEO of numerous businesses including two $1B plus companies, provided these effective stress-management techniques.

Put Yourself First

Although it may be difficult to put this statement into action, as most business leaders tend to trade their personal time for work time to get their business to the next level, it is most necessary. In order to be a great team leader, you must be able to manage your own life and take care of yourself, first and foremost. If you are unable to perform to your greatest potential, your business and your team will feel those effects. Begin by investing in your physical and business mental health by exercising, sleeping well, surrounding yourself with loved ones, and finding time to pursue activities you enjoy.

Delegate

Of course, to be a great leader you have to learn how to delegate well. As a leader, it is hard to veer away from the “I’m just going to do it myself,” attitude. Knowing the strengths and skills of your team members and delegating tasks accordingly will not only ease the tension, but will also motivate the workers you put your faith in to complete the mission.

Stay Fit And Active

Aerobic exercise has been shown to release endorphins, which are natural substances that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude. You should strive to get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking, biking, or water aerobics.

Eat Healthy

Just like a car, humans also need the correct fuel to function at our fullest potential. Feeding your body with essential vitamins and minerals through natural, whole foods will also assist in the elimination of stress. Simultaneously, there are several healthy office snacks that help operation outputs.

Meditation

Of course, there are several benefits of meditation in business. If exercise is not your thing, you can opt for milder forms of physical activity. such as yoga. Yoga and other various methods of meditation have been proven to benefit the mind, body, and spirit. If you don’t feel comfortable going to your local yoga studio there are thousands of online videos you can use as guidance in the comfort of your own home.

However, also like a car, you don’t want to be placing the wrong fuel into your body as this can lead to a big problem down the road. Limiting the intake of unnecessary caffeine is critical as it actually does more harm than good. Your anxiety and stress levels can be exacerbated by excessive caffeine. If you’re drinking more than two cups of coffee per day, I’m talking to you.

Add to that a few chips, fries, or other unhealthy saturated fats and you are setting your engine up for shutdown. Try adding more color to your plate with fruits and vegetables, and watch your energy levels naturally increase.

Ask For Help

Of course, never be afraid to ask for assistance. There are qualified experts looking to lend you an ear if you don’t feel comfortable talking about your stressors to your immediate family or friends. They can ask you questions and dig into the stresses and causes more deeply. They will also help you discover what types of stress management work best for you.

Sleep

Moreover, regular sleep is an effective tip to productively manage stress at work. Lack of sleep impacts your ability to perform at your best. In fact, studies show that sleep deprived people are less cooperative, harder too work with, and more selfish. Simultaneously, they may be less aware of how their lack of sleep is impacting their behavior. At a minimum, you should try to get a regular six hours of sleep every night. This way, you can always feel further energized, rested, and recharged prior to important business responsibilities.