This is a guest post by Snowden McFall, author of Stress Express! 15 Instant Stress Relievers
How stressed are you? Career Builder.com says that 78% of American workers feel burned out and 1/3 of Americans say they’re living with extreme stress.1 Nearly 80% of all doctor visits are stress-related and 43% of adults are sick because of stress.
What’s more the American Psychological Association says stress costs industry $300 billion a year in absences, medical costs, lost productivity, turnover.
The numbers around the world are equally staggering: UK, 4 billion pounds, Australia, $14.81 billion, Canada, $12 billion, annually. That’s billions of dollars each year in each economy and millions of people who are under stress!
As a woman business owner, you are especially prone to burnout.
On top of all the demands every entrepreneur encounters, women are caretakers. Our excellent emotional intelligence can work against us when it comes to managing priorities, especially if you’re a mother. Female entrepreneurs often work in isolation and have a harder time accessing capital.
Personally, I know how hard it is to juggle everything as a woman business owner. A few years into my 27 year old business, I developed hypoglycemia. My doctor told me that in addition to eating right and better self-care, I had to take 2 weeks of vacation to handle my stress.
And for the most part I have followed that advice. But in recent years, my husband got laid off, my sister in law was dying of melanoma and my father had a stroke. Three dear friends were battling cancer and my stress levels skyrocketed. So I set out to learn everything I could about stress management, for myself and others.
What Can You Do To Lower Your Stress Levels?
1. Get More Sleep.
You need at least 7 hours a night, (the minimum to prevent cancer according to the World Health Organization.) Less than 7 hours means you are functioning at a cognitive disadvantage, are 3 times more susceptible to colds and are likely to gain more weight. Fortune Small Business reported that 13% of entrepreneurs have trouble getting to sleep every night.
The solution: plan for good sleep. Go to bed earlier, do not check email before bed, do not watch TV in bed. Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleeping, making love and resting.
2. Take Vacations:
Expedia found that 34% of Americans don’t go on vacation at all! What’s scary about that is for women aged 45-64,
two weeks of vacation cut their incidence of heart attack in half, according to a Boston College study! 2
Expedia found most people feel rejuvenated after vacation, are more productive and more satisfied with their marriages. A Canadian life coach discovered that when his clients doubled their vacation days, they doubled their income.3
3. Spend time with girlfriends.
Years ago, Ladies Home Journal found that women are increasingly isolated and lonely. Which is sad, because the latest research shows spending time with friends creates the release of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that relieves stress and promotes euphoria.
In a study, those who had the most friends over a 9 year time period cut their risk of death by 60%.4 A key indicator in two different happiness studies demonstrate that strong friendships and connections lead to joy.5
4. Cultivate Optimism
Optimists live 7 years longer than pessimists, have better lung function and are far less likely to die young or die from cancer. Several studies from NIH and Yale demonstrate this.
Dr. Martin Sullivan of the University of Pennsylvania spent 20 years interviewing 350,000 executives and learned something fascinating: the top 10% performers think differently from others: they are all optimists!
So if you want greater success, achievement, and profit in your business, become a more positive thinker.
Women have the ability to make a huge difference in their businesses, the economy and the world. As a female entrepreneur, you can have an enormous impact on others, but only if you take care of yourself first, prevent burnout and stay healthy.
Snowden McFall, professional speaker, trainer and author, is the owner of 27- year old Brightwork Advertising and Training and 14-year old Fired Up. She has written 5 books, including Fired Up!, which has sold 63,000+ copies, and her new book Stress Express! 15 Instant Stress Relievers.
An expert on stress and motivation, appeared on 300 radio shows, CNN Financial News, The Home Shopping Network, Bloomberg Television, Investors Business Daily, and foxnews.com. She was named National Women in Business Advocate of the Year by the Small Business Aministration and was honored at the White House and Congress. She can be reached at www.firedupnow.com
1“Stress in US Rises, Causes Health Problems,” The Scoop, The Meeting Professional, March 2008, p.442.
2 & 3. Brown, Sarah, “Clean Break,” Vogue, June 2003
4. &5. Taylor, S. E.; Klein, L.C.; Lewis, B. P.; Gruenewald, T. L.; Gurung, R. A. R.; & Updegraff, J. A. “Female Responses to Stress: Tend and Befriend, Not Fight or Flight”, Psychological Review (2000), 107(3), p.41-429.