Being the boss means that almost everything lands on your shoulders. Even more so in the early days. You need to tackle the accounting, the marketing, the orders, packing, and shipping – order delivering your services. 

It’s a lot. 

As your business grows the demands on your mental health also rise. It is a prudent decision for company owners to seek a mental health counselor that meets their needs can provide a source of support alongside these other tips.

Boundaries

If there are no boundaries set between work, home, life, and downtime it can be a messy and uncomfortable working week. 

Clients and employees will assume they have the right to reach you in your downtime, and family will encroach on your working time. 

Choose a defined time frame within which you will work. When that time has passed, turn off your work phone or email notifications, as well as any other business communication channels. This time is yours to do with as you like, so make the most of it.

But you should use these boundaries too. Apply them to emails out of work hours – unless you have an explicit agreement that both client and you will be available due to project constraints. Also don’t forget to step back and take a break where appropriate, perhaps refocusing using the power of the ABC please method.

Productive

It’s not a stretch to say that many business owners want to be as productive as possible. And, downtime can feel like you are missing out on essential working hours. 

But it is also very possible to have overwhelming moments, which means you aren’t sure where to start. 

You might not start every day with the best mental health and feel like being productive, but you must have systems in place to help. One of the most simple structures that you can have in place is list-making. 

We can often tell when we will need some days on auto-pilot. To help with this, start making simple to-do lists with three urgent items at the top each day. 

This will keep you productive and avoid the feeling that you aren’t performing. 

Take time out

Learning how to relax and take time out is a skill, and it does not come easy to people who are naturally high achievers. 

While you don’t need to book regular weekends like everyone else, you need to ensure that you have time away from your work. 

Evening and at least a day or two off per week are some of the most critical times that you can be away from work. 

Many people don’t realize is that the times they aren’t working can be incredibly beneficial. It allows our brains to make connections and problem solve in the background. Giving yourself time off also reduces your stress levels, so when you get back to you’ll attack it with vigor and excitement. 

Everybody has a different strategy for dealing with the uncertainties of difficult times, so be patient with yourself as you figure out what works effectively for you. Even if you’ve been feeling upbeat, don’t overlook the necessity of maintaining your mental health.

If mental health is on your mind, you should check out this post: How To Improve The Mental Health Of Your Employees.