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5 Stress-Busting Strategies for Every Entrepreneur Shouldering a mountain of responsibilities can be stressful, even for entrepreneurs and no delegation works here

By Aastha Singal

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

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Having investor meetings lined up one after the other, mobile phone beeping with reminders every other second, talented employees leaving the organization for better opportunities, customers expectations, cash flow management and whatnot, stress is inevitable for entrepreneurs. Owning a business might sound fun but sustaining it is the real task that often ends up taking a toll on one's mental health.

In the haze, some might break into a cold sweat while others take this opportunity to re-evaluate their choices – personal and professional. However, timeout is no apparent solution given they have hundreds of lives depending upon them, according to the size of the organization. Entrepreneur India brings to you some tried and tested stress busters suggested by people who work round the clock like you:

Disciplined Routine

Apart from being a company's founder or frontrunners, entrepreneurs are general human beings who don't hold a control over certain situations. Things happen but it is the way one deals with it determines the end effect. For Wakefit.co co-founder, Chaitanya Ramalingegowda maintaining a routine without fail despite the stressful situation has helped in putting things into perspective.

"Things, like spending time with your loved ones, doing an activity together, running or working out, reading a (physical) book and getting off digital screens, can all be simple routines that can consistently help in dealing with things (stress)," Ramalingegowda said. Not letting your life getting disturbed due to work stress is the most effective technique to fight it with fervour the following day.

Deep Breathes

When things are getting out of hand and you are not able to make sense of anything happening around, heart starts beating at an inhumane speed, the brain stops working and all body functioning halts or even when you just need to calm your inner self, the ancestors would suggest the calming technique. A simple act of conscious deep breathing helps in calming the brain and breathing.

"With our brains constantly bombarded by external stimuli, ours is a generation that has stopped breathing properly. Think of this as a modern variation of Pranayama, if you will, but it can be quite powerful and literally does not need any space or equipment to implement every day," added Ramalingegowda.

Let Go

"If there is something I have no control over in spite of my best efforts, there is no point of taking stress for it," believes Rama Krishna Kuppa, Founder and CEO of ONGO Framework. Rightly said, if a task is worth the time, energy and resources, one would know, if not they'd know too. Kuppa firmly believes that stress is necessary for good results but an excess of it can be harmful.

All successful entrepreneurs, be it Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg have taught the world the lesson of hard work and persistent but one teaching we always forget to grasp is acceptance. When they failed, they accepted and moved on. Letting go of a task can be heartbreaking but taking unnecessary stress over something that isn't in our hands is not smart either.

Digital Detox

Every time a message pops on our mobile screen, our hands start itching to pick it up and see what is awaiting our attention. Being a part of the business ecosystem automatically means you need to stay connected and accessible at all times but staying away from technology for even the smallest amount of time significantly reduces our stress levels.

The break from tech not necessarily need to be a long one but could include your non-word related activities like morning workout, reading sessions, family hangouts or movie dates. "Taking small breaks or getaways have often helped me to think about new perspectives on business challenges and come back energized to give back more," said Rohit MA, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Cloudnine Group of Hospitals.

Regular Breaks

While attempting to create a better future for their children, entrepreneurs often miss out upon the important experiences of their lives, which works as an added stress for them. Taking regular breaks from the stressful life of an entrepreneur and entering the shoes of a father, spouse, sibling and child for more than a few hours once in a while brings in a new perspective to life.

"Spending time with my son (7 yrs. old) who brings in a very different perspective in life from his favourite moments of the day to help out is his projects often gives a much-needed respite from the daily mind chores. I use every opportunity with him to unlearn and learn again," Rohit shared.

Aastha Singal

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Features Writer

A business journalist looking to find happiness in the world of startups, investments, MSMEs and more. Officially started her career as a news reporter for News World India, Aastha had short stints with NDTV and NewsX. A true optimist seeking to make a difference, she is a comic junkie who'd rather watch a typical Bollywood masala than a Hollywood blockbuster. 

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