Feeling stressed as a business owner and parent? It might be time to do these things

Key takeaways

• Set yourself achievable boundaries.
• Delegate as much as possible. 
• Stay in touch with your networks. Maintaining those connections can benefit your mental health. 
• Be prepared to ask for help if you need it. 

Take a deep breath. Mixing parenting with running a business isn't for the faint-hearted. Maybe you've been back at work for a while or managed fine while the baby was younger, but now things are starting to feel really hard.  

As a business owner, you might take on several operational roles like running payroll, servicing clients, making sales, posting on social media, and answering customer enquires. And maybe for a time, that worked. Now you have an unpredictable bundle, you're finding you can't get through the same amount of tasks as before, or your energy levels have dipped. So, what can you do as a business owner to regain control?  

Keep your hours in check  

Answering emails outside of business hours? Taking calls on the weekend? You've essentially given yourself a 24/7 job. Many business owners start a business to gain more life-work balance, only to end up worse off trying to do everything themselves. Swamped under the weight of all those responsibilities, your family, relationships, and health can begin to suffer.  

No matter how much you love your business, blurring the boundaries between life and work eventually leads to resentment and burnout. Monitor the hours you're spending on your business, including those emails you're sending at 2am when the baby's awake to regain some balance.  

Not sure where to start? Try setting yourself some achievable boundaries. This might mean starting with something small, like making sure you’re home for dinner on Tuesday night, or it could mean not taking client calls on the weekend. Do what feels right for you. Then, when a boundary is breached, ask yourself, ‘Is my boundary realistic? Why is it being breached? How can I work more efficiently to maintain my boundary?’. It’s worth making time to review your boundaries regularly, adding and subtracting to them as needed.  

Sometimes, being really intentional about how you want to spend your time can help you keep your hours in check. Don’t forget to schedule in downtime to maintain your energy levels too.  

Let go of control  

Before this baby came along, the business was your baby. Or at least a really high priority in your life. Stepping aside or sharing control of some parts of the business is difficult. You know your business better than anyone. And besides, how can anyone else do a better job?  

Truth is, they can. And you should want them to. If you resist bringing in help (assuming you can afford to), you are resisting growth and the business will be capped at your capacity. That may be OK in the short term, but adding a baby into the mix can easily spiral into you developing unsustainable working practices. Try to mitigate this in your business by delegating as much as possible and hiring talented people to do the work you don't enjoy. You might be surprised at how relieved you'll feel once you have the right support.  

For sole traders, it might not be possible to hire staff, but it’s still working thinking about where you can alleviate some pressure. For example, you might want to consider a virtual assistant to help with some of your admin so you can focus on developing your business.  

Stay connected  

It might sound counterintuitive to add more to your plate, but keeping in touch with your networks will be a lifeline at this busy time. Whether it's talking to a business coach about your challenges, a parent network or playgroup where you can talk developmental leaps, a supportive online small business community, or free mental health coaching to support your emotional wellbeing, staying connected is so beneficial to your mental health.  

This is particularly important if you are a sole trader, and don't have staff to bounce ideas off or people in your life who understand your business and its unique challenges.   

Ask for help  

If you haven’t done so already, it’s a good time to fill out our support plan to help you map out how you’re going to get the support you need. If you’ve already filled one out, it might be a good idea to revisit it. Consider: Where can you access more support at this time? Is it asking your partner or a family member for help? Does anyone in your parenting group have some (non-judgemental) advice? If you've experienced a mental health condition before, is it time to talk to a professional? Don't be afraid to reach out. Ensuring you have the support you need will not only benefit you and your baby but your business too.  

Helpful resources  

Lifeline 13 11 14 
Provides crisis support and suicide prevention. 

Beyond Blue 1800 512 348 
Talk to trained mental health professionals who will listen, provide information and advice. 

Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) 
Mental health and wellbeing support for new parents 

Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) 
Provides support for the emotional challenges of becoming a parent 

Mensline 
A free telephone and online counselling service for men. 

MamaTribe 
A community network of mothers supporting mothers. 

Small Business Debt Helpline 1800 413 828 
Small business financial counselling service offering free, independent, and confidential support. 

Free Mental Health Coaching   
Free coaching from a highly trained expert to help you create or fine tune your mentally healthy workplace (NSW). 

NewAccess 
Free and confidential one-on-one mental health coaching program delivered to help small business owners manage the pressures that come with running a business.