People who work at home are less stressed, or at least that's the stereotype. That's what people who are used to working straight hours in an office think. They say that not having any office politics or annoying bosses and coworkers and no strict hours to punch in mean an easy life. Then there's also the stressing commute to work and getting up in the morning. It's no wonder this kind of misconception about home business people exist. It's the dream of every cubicle professional.
But then, it doesn't matter where you work or under what conditions you work. You’re bound to get stressed. Stressed is not the lone feature of office workers. Everyone's bound to suffer some anxiety as a result of many factors in their lives. And the home-run business man is no exception. Just because you have no boss other than yourself means there's no one worrying about profits and expenditures and clients. It is because that single person is the one working at home, running the business.
Stress can be useful, as it can act as a motivator. It also gives us a clue that we're worried about something that might be of value. Like profits and the ability to pay your bills. But too much of it reduces your body's ability to fight disease, wears you out, and affects your judgment. Some ways to curb stress is in order. Here are some.
Organize your work. It's about having a system you can rely on so you won't have to stare and stress at every problem that comes your way. Develop a decision-making procedure to handle your affairs, whether it be in shipping inquiries, handling dealers, answering customer complaints. You can of course improve the system over time, but what's important is that you have a system that gives you control.
People who work out will often report that they feel happier than those who do not. Increased heart-rate and metabolism, better digestion, and an all around feeling of lightness all work together to keep you in a lighter mood. The more you stay on your desk in front of your PC and see problems, the more you might get depressed. Sweat a little. Run. Go to the gym. Staying away from your work doesn't mean abandoning it, as people who work out also tend to come up with new solutions to their work problems simply because they had time to think about the problem while away from the problem itself.
Listen to music. People who listen to music deal with stress by losing themselves in the music or by letting the music dictate their moods instead of just plain worrying about work problems. Some people even have various playlists for different kinds of work they have to do. Think of it as a playlist for doing chores in the home. Create one for doing accounting and so on. Some listen to classical music because it helps them think.
Take up a hobby. One thing about staying at home AND working is the pothole perception: you're already at home but your working/ there's nothing to do at home buy work but far from it. You could always do stuff that allows you to have fun, keeps your enthusiasm burning, and distracts you from work. Some people join book clubs; volunteer to teach, and so on. Taking care of a pet and attending classes on design and cooking could also be something that takes up your time.
Meditate. While computers have a memory cache, people have minds that have limited capacities to actually remember and worry about every single little thing. While computers can erase their cache and get a fresh start, don’t forget that people can as well. Meditate.
You could do some traditional meditation and sit down and breathe, or you can take quiet walks in the park, by yourself. Or just plain have coffee in a cozy coffee shop. Let the day slide by and don't give in to fussing about your worries. Your mind's cache needs to be cleaned up once in a while.
As a last word, and at the risk of being dull, please don't plan to work every single hour of the day. Remember that the goal of working is to earn money to finance the other half of your life: living.
