Skip to content

Making ends meet is top of mind for a lot of business owners and employees these days. Many one-person businesses are straining to meet demand and now it’s become more difficult to hire.

Whether you are the boss and the only employee or you’re running a skeleton staff of you and a lone employee, the following tips will help decrease the stress behind being the only person representing the business. 

Identify Stressors  

If you are the lone employee, recognize what brings you the greatest amount of stress. Is it a line of customers that you can’t process quickly enough? Maybe it’s an angry customer that tries your patience. If you have a lone employee working for you, find out where their biggest stressor is. Once you know what it is you can solve for it.  

Leave it at Work  

While this is easier said than done, the human body can only handle so many hours under stress. If you are stressed at work, create an after-work ritual that helps your mind recognize when the workday ends and your rest time begins.  

Your end of day ritual could be going out for a walk, tossing the ball with your dog, or talking to your kids. Whatever you choose, do it every day when your workday ends. The pattern of it will help your brain feel more at ease.  

Bring in Help  

The budget may not allow for several full-time employees, but if there is a particular time of day that you’ve noticed a crowd building at your business, think about bringing in help for that time. This will reduce the stress of the single employee. Online assistant help may also be an option. Virtual assistants can help even if you only need a handful of hours a week.

Don’t Compound  

You don’t want to compound the stress of the workday by piling on other things that make your body feel unhealthy. For instance, while you may be tempted to end a busy day with fast food, don’t. Making unhealthy choices will only increase your stress and decrease your body’s resilience. Instead, have a healthy snack while you cook a good meal or purchase takeout from a restaurant that specializes in healthy cooking. 

Reframe How You Think About the Job  

When you are the only person working at the business it can feel very lonely as well as exhausting. While you can’t change the fact that you are the only employee keeping the business running, you can flip or reframe how you feel about the experience. Instead of focusing on the stress and the work that never seem to get done, think of the things that you are thankful for. For instance, some people are currently out of work with no salary coming in. Other businesses had to close their doors permanently because they couldn’t wait out these business closures. Thousands of people have lost their lives or a loved one to this illness. When you start looking at it from the perspective of gratitude you will come to appreciate your job and your health more.  

If you are the only employee at your business, you need to safeguard your own physical and mental health. Concerns about money can be stressful enough without adding in the stresses of being on your own. With these tips you can help navigate some of the strongest causes of stress and begin to appreciate the job you have.