Working longer hours, managing people, following up delayed payments from clients—these are just some of the things that happen in the day-to-day life of an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is not all glitz and glamour. If you want to succeed, you’ve got to embrace the value of hard work.

While it can be stressful to deal with all these challenges especially during this challenging time, there are practical activities that you can try in order to relieve stress and anxiety in the midst of pandemic.

From trying out delightful new recipes to reflecting, we have a list of suggestions for you to choose from.

1. Get some well-deserved sleep

The recommended amount of sleep for adults is 7-9 hours a night. But we get it, managing a business isn’t easy, and you may sleep lesser due to overtime work. This is why catching up on sleep is a top priority; there’s nothing more practical than blissfully sleeping away from the stress.

2. Maximize free digital libraries or courses

Although this can be a challenging season for all entrepreneurs, you can still maximize this time to learn new things in order to adapt and embrace the new normal. From online courses to institutions offering free training, there are variety of learning module and training sessions that you can choose from.

The Department of Trade and Industry is offering a lot of free training and mentorship session for entrepreneurs. You can visit their website here. 

3. Reflect

Being in solitude means having the time to gather your thoughts and evaluate your plans. Being an entrepreneur requires a lot of decision-making every single day, so learn to pause, reflect and have a quiet moment once in a while. This can help you see the bigger picture of your business—from where you’re at to where you’re going and how you can achieve your business goals.

4. Try new activities

From trying out new recipes to finishing your arts & crafts projects, these are perfect stress relievers for you. And they’re productive, too! It’s healthy to have interests and activities outside of your business. They push you to improve as a person, and therefore as an entrepreneur.

5. Exercise!

Aside from keeping your body healthy and strong, exercising releases endorphins or “happy hormones.” Take up yoga, wall-climbing, hiking, or other fun sports. Keep your body healthy and your mind happy by staying active.

Stress and anxiety can get the best of you, so listen to your body and take good care of it. Your business might mean the world to you; however, this doesn’t mean you’ll make your health your second priority. Keep being productive—but always keep your body and mind sound and active. No matter how many businesses you put up, there’s only one YOU. Love your business, but don’t forget to love yourself more!

We just listed some of the best ways you can keep stress and anxiety at bay. Have other suggestions to share? Sound off in the comments below!