Does the final quarter of the year make that little wrinkle on your forehead more pronounced each year? Do you find yourself worrying about your business while you’re trying to enjoy Thanksgiving turkey and green bean casserole? Are you eating 10 zillion Christmas cookies in one sitting just to cope with stress?
We know that the majority of Americans feel increased stress levels around the holiday season, but owning a business adds a whole extra burden as the end of year approaches. Trying to finish projects, meet KPI's, wrap up campaigns, AND keep your clients happy. This constant state of overdrive is taxing on the mind, body and soul.
You may even see business pickup in the fourth quarter because EVERYONE (including your clients) is going into overdrive trying to finish out the year strong.
Helpful Stress vs. Harmful Stress
While a certain level of stress can be motivating and even helpful when it comes to crushing your end-of-year goals, that debilitating stress (you know the kind I'm talking about) is counterproductive.
We've seen a lot less of the "work 'till you drop" mentality as younger generations fill the workforce. We've learned that more of a focus on taking care of oneself can lead to increased efficiency, higher motivation and more job satisfaction.
So, let's make sure that fourth quarter stress doesn't get out of hand. But, easier said than done, right?
If you’re feeling this counterproductive stress each and every year, it might be time to consider taking simple, actionable steps NOW to prevent it from compounding again in 2023.
Lucky for you, we have a few small steps that you can take now to set yourself for a stress-free 2023!
Try New Stress Reduction Techniques
Learn to manage your stress better! This seems obvious, but it can take time to incorporate new habits into your life. Start now, and you'll be an expert at destressing by Q4 of 2023.
Here are some proven stress reduction techniques:
Reducing caffeine intake - increased stimulation increases stress!
Adding exercise - hello endorphins!
Get your sleep on track - stress impairs sleep, lack of sleep add stress.
Eat to stabilize blood sugar - leafy greens, protein, and foods that fuel your happy hormones!
Find your happy place - make your space a stress-free zone.
Help others! There's no better way to take your mind off of your own problems.
Find a calming activity and actually DO IT: yoga, meditate, craft -- try them all!
Set Goals!
Goal setting is so powerful. Setting achievable goals for your business for the year of 2023 will provide you so much direction as you begin the new year.
Goal setting is proven to...
provide direction
offer you a clearer focus on what is truly important
help you make important decisions
provide motivation
result in satisfaction when a goal is met
Plan the End of 2023
You know we love a good plan! Here's how you can start planning for next end-of-year while you're still in this one.
Grab a pen and paper and make a list of everything on your plate that is causing you undue stress right now.
Then go through and determine if there is anything you could have done differently throughout the year that could have reduced the load you're carrying now.
Make a plan for avoiding the situation you're in now. Whether it's setting deadlines to space out your work, delegating more tasks to employees or hiring out work.
If you're looking at your list and thinking that you could use some extra help with marketing, content creation or project management, we'd love to work with you in 2023! Let's chat. Contact us today!
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