Top 10 Ways to Manage Stress When Working from Home

Many of us choose to work at home to avoid the many stressors associated with the typical 9-5 job - things like an unreasonable boss, too much work and/or ridiculous deadlines. However, we may soon discover that working from home brings its own stressors. So, how can we cope with these new stressors? 1. Organize Your Workspace Make sure you have a dedicated workspace, along with all the necessary equipment such as telephone, computer, printer, fax, etc. You'll need a comfortable chair and a good desk. You can make your workspace more pleasant by ensuring that you have plenty of space, plenty of light - and, if you're a feng shui afficienado, have someone come in and feng shui your space! 2. Eliminate Unnecessary Tasks Go through your "To-Do" list and eliminate anything that really doesn't belong on the list, or anything that doesn't absolutely need to be done. Be rigorous in your decisions - eliminate as much unnecessary activity as you can. Doing so will not only save you the time you would spend trying to perform those tasks - it will also save you the stress and physical problems associated with worrying about those unnecessary tasks. 3. Acquire Necessary Tools The right tools make any job much easier. Spend the money to get the basic equipment that you need to do your job. And, if your budget allows, spend some extra money to get the tools that (while not absolutely necessary) will simplify your work and make your life generally much less stressful. Invest in a good, automated marketing management system and let automation handle lead management and order fulfillment chores for you 4. Hire a Virtual Assistant(s) Identify tasks that are routine, repetitive and not one of your core processes. Consider outsourcing them to a virtual assistant (which is much more affordable than you might think). Candidates for outsourcing include article marketing, website design, SEO, backlinking, lead follow-ups, etc. 5. Establish a Support Network Working from home can become a very lonely activity. Establish a strong support network - this may be a group of colleagues with whom you collaborate via the internet (e.g., forums, chat rooms) or a local group in your community or church. The important thing is to maintain regular contact with people who are important to you - and who can understand what you're going through as an entrepreneur. 6. Manage Your Expectations Don't expect miracles or ove ight success. Establish a relationship with a coach or mentor who can help you set realistic goals and expectations - and help you stay motivated when things don't go quite the way you want them to go. An online, or home-based business, is just that - a business. As such it requires an ongoing supply of customers and products and vendors, etc. Each and every one of those presents another opportunity for a problem to occur, increasing your daily stress levels - just like the typical 9-5 job. 7. "Chunk-It" Your grand and glorious plans may sound impressive, but taken as a whole, they can be very overwhelming and scary (e.g., "I want to be a millionaire" or "I want to retire in five years"). The best thing to do with such grand goals is to "chunk them," i.e., break them into much smaller, more manageable pieces and then create a plan to achieve each of those sub-goals. 8. Eat Healthy Eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Reduce or eliminate caffeine (coffee, black and green tea, cola drinks, and chocolate). 9. Exercise Exercise relieves tension, pushes oxygen to the brain, and provides a respite from stressful situations. 10. Rest & Recreate Try to take time everyday to slow down and do something you enjoy, even if it is just for a few minutes. One of the great advantages of a home-based business is that you are now your own boss - but that is also one of the biggest causes of stress in your life: you are now the one person who needs to decide what tasks need to be done, when and by whom. Get the FREE MaxPro Report and Audio that will show you additional ways you can reduce the stress associated with running your online business.