According to a MYOB Snapshot  80% of small business owners lose sleep at night.   According to Natalie Feehan, Executive Group Marketing at MYOB, the first thing a business needs to operate well is a healthy owner.   So what exactly did the research show?

  • 91% of small business owners admitted stress from their business impacts other areas of their lives
  • 83% of small business owners said they sacrifice hobbies, exercise and spending time with their family to stay on top of their work.
  • 41% of small business owners said they put their health last because they are time poor and focused on the success of their business.
  • 25% of the respondents said they exercise sporadically, if at all.

We all know that starting and growing a business is hard.  It takes time, it’s stressful and it requires sacrifices.   However, without a healthy mind and body our productivity, business growth and satisfaction with our life decreases.

Tips for Decreasing Stress & Promoting Wellbeing

  • Start your day well, exercise first thing whether this means going to the gym, walking or taking a yoga class. When you exercise first thing in the morning you are found to be more productive during the day, plus you are less likely to make excuses as your workload grows during the day.
  • Don’t eat your lunch at your desk. Either eat in the lunchroom with other staff members or pop home for lunch if you live locally, or even meet up with friends or family to have lunch.   You will find you’re more productive in the afternoon if you give your brain a break while you eat.
  • Make sure you create a good sleeping routine – turning your phone and computer off an hour before going to bed. Switch to an alarm clock rather than having your phone in your bedroom.
  • Don’t forget nutrition; it’s vital that you eat well if you want to perform well so either take time to meal prep on the weekends or outsource to a subscription meal service.
  • If you’re doing roles in your business that are causing stress and can be outsourced, then why not do that? –Bookkeeping or accounting software can save you time, stress and free you up to have more hours in your day to do other things within your business (or take some time off).