How stress affects business owners, executives and employees, and what to do about it.

Are You Stressed? 

Saturday, August 15, was National Relaxation Day, a day dedicated to unwinding and enjoying our personal lives. But for most of us, relaxing on the weekend isn't the challenge. We could all do with a little less stress at work, too.

In this newsletter, we look at how stress affects business owners, executives and employees as well as what to do about it.  

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The Biggest Driver of Stress: Lack of Control No one is surprised to learn that owning a small business is intensely stressful. It certainly isn't a surprise to business owners.   One study points to lack of control as the largest source of stress. Even worse, obsessing over things that you don't have the power to change can have physiological effects such as raising your blood pressure and emotional effects like reduced confidence.  Read more about the leading causes of small business stress and recommendations on how to manage them.

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Can You Handle It?  How well you handle the stress from running a business can make the difference between a successful venture and failure, writes technology entrepreneur Tim Knox. “I think the real question isn't whether or not you have what it takes to run a business. The real question is: Do you have what it takes to handle the stress of running a business?” Knox writes.   Read more about Knox’s remedies for dealing with the stress of owning a business.  "You Have to Manage Fear and Overpower It” An article written by entrepreneur Jay Goltz explains six ways to deal with the stress of business ownership, examining the importance of separating fear from anxiety, forgiving yourself, and not "looking down."   “In business, you have to manage fear and overpower it. Whether the tight rope is 100 feet up or 1,000 doesn’t make much difference. Don’t look down. Look straight ahead. Focus. Take action,” Goltz says.  Read more about Goltz’s six strategies for overcoming stress. The Danger of Stressed Employees A certain amount of stress is unavoidable in any job. But if your employees are always stressed out, and worse, they believe that you don't notice or care, the feeling can erode their respect for you. Read more about the importance of keeping employee stress levels in check.  Power Naps and Employees Would you consider letting your employees take a quick nap if a little fatigue began getting in the way of their productivity? A growing number of companies are using just that strategy.  “We let our employees nap to encourage productivity,” said Benjamin Lotan, the co-founder of Social Print Studio in California. “It's amazing how much of people's time at work involves doing nothing: waiting, procrastinating, watching the loading bar of a YouTube video. Napping offers a more efficient alternative to this kind of behavior.” Read more about the debate around workplace naps.