While all professions have their pros and cons, studio ownership brings with it a host of additional problems. For a start it’s a very human centric profession. When you run a studio you have human contact every day which is wonderful. Being a part of a thriving community can do wonders for your mental health. However with all that human contact comes the responsibility of managing of those human emotions. This can add a lot of stress to your life as a studio owner. Here are a few things that might help you out.
1. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, focus on what’s going right
There is always so much to do in studio life – managing classes, staying on top of admin, organising performances. It’s easy to get bogged down in what’s not going right rather than what IS going right. Focus on your healthy class sizes, how great your last student showcase was, how you’ve booked a venue for the end of year performances. Keep reminding yourself of the good things and how you have the ability to keep things chugging along.
2. Prioritise
Choose one thing. One thing that you really need to get done and let that be your focus. It might be your budget, choosing songs, raising your prices and sending out an announcement, scouting for a new location to open a second studio. Whatever it is that’s worrying you, prioritise it. You don’t need to solve the problem immediately, just chip away at it until it gets done.
3. Practice Square Breathing
For more urgent stress relief, try Square Breathing. This is where you breathe in for 4 counts, hold the breath for 4 counts and breathe back out for 4 counts. Use this method whenever you need to quickly recentre yourself. If you need to have a difficult conversation with a staff member, you’ve just had a negative encounter with a disgruntled parent or you’ve just realised you’ve made a big and expensive mistake. Do 4 x Square Breaths and then make a plan.
4. Take a big step
A lot of the time stress comes from feeling stuck. Feeling trapped. A great solution to this style of stress is to take a big positive action. It’s a mood and productivity booster that will spread positive energy into other areas of your business. Hire a new teacher, add a new class, sign up for the business leadership course you’ve been meaning to do. Take control and make a big decision to get yourself out of your stress rut.
Happy stress reduction!
All my best,
Chantelle
