Effective ideas to help alleviate home office stress.

Owning your own online home business is wonderful, but if you are like me, there are days when you feel down and stressed.  You just can't seem to get going.  Sometimes sitting in your lonely home office, it seems like you are the only person on earth.  You feel like you are locked in a cage with no way out!  This can also be compounded by a slump in your business sales and/or success!

When you feel like this, it is hard to get any work done and can be very counterproductive for you.  You must step back, take a break, clear your head and get rid of some stress!

I have found a few things that can help alleviate these problems and would like to share them with you.

1.  Get up and get away from the computer for awhile.  Even if it is only for 10 - 15 minutes.  Walk around the house, stretch your muscles, do some neck and back stretches.  These can do wonders!

2.  Take a walk.  Get dressed, go outside, breathe in the fresh air and take a 20 - 30 minute walk.  This is one of the most invigorating things you can do to clear your head and get the cobwebs out.  Walking is the one activity I would recommend the most.

3.  Call a friend or family member and just chat for awhile.   This can also be a great way to lift your spirits and confirm your suspicions that there are other people on this planet!  ;-)  Chat for awhile and laugh a little.  Laughter is a great medicine!

4.  Have a little fun!  Put on some of your favorite music and dance around the house.  Let loose and have some fun.  Act goofy, crazy or waltz yourself to China.  This helps get out some of the frustrations and pent up emotions that can cause the blues.

5.  Just relax!  Turn everything off, (including your computer), make yourself a cup of coffee, cocoa or just plain water.  Just sit in complete silence and watch the birds outside or put a cool cloth over your eyes.  Let your mind just go blank for awhile.  Forget everything and just relax!

6.  Exercise your mind!  Show your mind that there is more than just the computer.  Do a crossword puzzle, play a few games of solitaire, or read a book.  These are all great ways of getting your mind off business and clearing out all the old to make way for the new.

7.  Do some housework!  This might not be the most fun thing to do, but it helps take your mind off business for awhile and believe me, after about an hour of housework, you will be more than ready to get back to business!

8.  Take a TV break!  Watch a program that allows you to escape to another world.  After you are finished you just might be glad to be back in your world.

9.  One thing I do when business gets the better of me is to shut the computer down for the day and turn my attention to other things that need to be done.  Just taking a small break from business can help, but when things are really stressful we may need a longer break.

10.  Get some sun!  After being indoors so much, we need to get out and get some sun.  The sun is very good for your mind and body.  Sunshine is a very good anti-depressant!  But do remember to wear protection so you don't get too much exposure.

11.  Enjoy time with your family!  Play a game, take a walk, watch a heartwarming family adventure movie, or just sit and talk.  No matter how hard we work, we need to make time for family.

12.  Eat healthy foods!  This we all know, of course, but it is much easier said than done.  Start by changing one meal at a time or adding one healthy food a day.  The better we feel, the better we can handle everyday stress!

I hope some of these pointers will help you relax and get back to business.  I know they have been a great help to me more than once.  Sometimes when you are feeling unproductive, stressed our or just plain tired, the idea is not to work harder but to stop working and give your mind and body a well-deserved break!