When it comes to running a business, a fairly common mistake that business owner after business owner makes is working too hard, and not scheduling time to take a break. The fact is that running a business is hard work, very hard work, and if you put too much pressure on yourself and don’t take time out, you will struggle to make a success of your business.

Believe it or not, stress can be a real killer when it comes to business success. This is because it’s almost impossible to run a successful business when you are overly stressed out. A lot of people adopt the mindset of ‘work now, relax later’ and believe that they can relax once their business is a success. However, the truth is that if you don’t make time to relax, business success may never come.

Relaxing matters when you run a business, here’s why:

Why does relaxing matter?

Running a business can be like a rollercoaster ride, you never know what’s coming up next. This means that life can be incredibly stressful, and stress can impact your mindset and mental health. Plus, high stress levels can have an impact on your mindset in regards to your business, and can impact how productive you are, which can in turn, impact your business’s success.

Unless you want your optimism to fade, to have a bleaker outlook for the future, or your passion for your business to all but disappear, it pays to take relaxation seriously. If you end up getting yourself overly stressed out, your business will suffer as a result, which isn’t something that you want to happen.

What are the best ways to relax?

Get out: A simple way to relax after a hectic day/week is to get out and do something fun. Whether that’s going for a relaxing meal with friends, buying tickets to a show from ticketsales.com and having a night at the theatre, or it’s going for cocktails, it doesn’t matter, all that matters is that you are taking some much-needed time out.

Stay active: Did you know that exercise is a great stress reliever? Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly are much less likely to suffer from stress-related mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Take the time to be active whenever possible. Whether that means going for a run each morning, cycling to and from work, or practicing Pilates for half an hour before bed, it doesn’t matter, all that matters is that you are staying active.

Turn off: Instead of focusing on work all the time, when you finish work, close the door on it and turn off. Your time away from work should be your time for you, to do the things that you love. When you’re at home, don’t think about your work, have home time as work-free time. There are many relaxation aids that are so easy to introduce into your home; if you like the idea of getting started with scents, AromaTech can help with scented oils that can really make a difference to your mood. If you fail to draw a line between your home life and your work life, regardless of whether you are the boss, your business and your mental health will suffer as a result.

If you don’t take time out of work to relax and unwind, your business will suffer as a result. So it’s important to be mindful of that and make time for yourself, to give your business the best chance of success.