It goes without saying -running your own business comes with a lot of anxiety. I always love hearing how other business owners combat this – hint: it gets worse the longer you sit and stare at a screen. I though I’d share a little insight into what’s helping me at the moment. I tend to like to sit and work for a long amount of focused time. I don’t do well with stopping and starting; often finding myself completely unproductive if I have had to jump around to different tasks too much during the day. I love the “zen” feeling of being deep in work and it also lets me quit for the day at 5 or 6 without guilt, so I try to set aside those types of timeframes in my day. A huge motivation for me to be my own boss was to incorporate healthy, non-computer outlets into my life – the main one being exercise. Years of sitting in an office and not making time or having time on the way to/from said office left me feeling tired, out of shape and anxiety ridden. I’m trying to make it a point now to go to the gym and release my anxiety, get out of the house and get moving at least 4 days a week. Looking back, it was so hard to carve out time for myself with my agency job, a young child, meetings, freelance, etc. Whew, I am tired just thinking about it. And while I can’t say I am less stressed business-wise after working out, but I am certainly more positive and relaxed. I try to focus on all the tasks I need to get done for the day while I am running on the treadmill and it helps me feel more prepared rather than just plopping down at my desk and clicking things open. I’m hoping I will be able to incorporate some non computer creative outlet into my days soon, too. Calligraphy, drawing, painting – all things I miss and want to get back to. Maybe I need to start getting up a lot earlier! It’s important to give yourself a mental break when you work at home. Allow yourself to to take time to relax and not think about your work stresses. Take a break!