10 Books to Keep Business Owners Sane

Owning your own business is tough. From the inception of your business model, to keeping it afloat, there are a number of challenges that will arise along the way that will undoubtedly cause you stress.

But it comes with the territory, and it’s important to not let the stress get on top of you.

With this in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the best books to keep you levelheaded, and hopefully keep you sane.

Read on to find out more.

Staying Sane in Business: A Practical Guide to Sanity, Success and Satisfaction at Work

By Chris Welford and Jackie Sykes

This book is packed with expert advice, empowering exercise, and invaluable skills to take you and your workforce from hassled and hard-pressed to positive, productive and patient.

There are times when your workload might feel relentless, when the pressure to perform is overwhelming, and the stress can seem insurmountable.

Think of this book as a lifeline, providing practical and effective ways to take control, get some clarity, and break through the barriers to succeed and navigate a path to work satisfaction, fulfilment, and happiness.

Success to Die For: Breaking Down Assumptions about Anxiety, Depression, & Suicide and Their Impact on Business Women

By Lynette Davis

Women are breaking through glass ceilings and taking their seats at the table as C-suite execs, startup founders, company presidents, and the multiple role-playing small business owner – but at what cost?

Mental health peer advocate and writer Lynette Davis explores and exposes the personal narratives of female entrepreneurs and business owners.

21 Money Habits That Can Stabilize Your Business And Keep You Sane 

By Nancy Rae Evans

In 21 Money Habits Nancy Rae Evans teaches simple ways to stabilize cash flow, get quick results, and protect yourself should your income dry up.

Are you stressed out by income fluctuations? Does keeping up with your bills feel like a game that’s stacked against you? If you’ve ever questioned your original decision to own a business, read this book! Making more money is rarely the solution to our money challenges. The only lasting solution comes from applying new habits for managing money.

Good Days Start With Gratitude: A 52 Week Guide To Cultivate An Attitude Of Gratitude: Gratitude Journal

Gratitude has such an impact on mental wellness – and this can’t be emphasized enough.

This book comes as a 52-week standard form with exercises that help us realize what we are grateful for and how we can practice spreading words of gratitude to ourselves and others. What an uplifting read!

Keep Your Job, Your Family, and Your Sanity - Successful Solutions to Stress Less 

By Laura Stack, MBA, CSP

Successful people know high performance depends on both professional achievement and personal satisfaction. Professionals need to balance the demands of work and personal life to avoid the peaks and valleys of productivity.

You’ll:

• Establish your governing purpose and values
• Allocate time according to your values and the top priorities in your life
• Understand the relationship between stress and performance
• Learn your personal balance risk factors
• Set appropriate boundaries and eliminate ridiculous standards

The B.I.G. Plan: How Smart Business Owners Stay Sane and In The Game

By Heather Rachel

The B.I.G Plan is a result of watching too many business owners, make bad decisions as a result of the lack of strategic planning and forward thinking – namely reacting to situations rather than being proactive.

Heather Rachel’s book identifies five key segments that are the main contributors to the growth and success of your business, and hopefully, business owners will be able to determine how to cope successfully through the stresses, challenges and issues all related to the growth of their company.

Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions 

By John Kotter

John Kotter – the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus, at Harvard Business School – offers us this tale about a penguin colony in Antarctica, focusing on how we deal with change.

If you handle the challenge well and you can prosper greatly; handle it poorly and you put yourself at risk. But what happens in the tale when the penguins are confronted by change?

Based on Kotter's pioneering work on how to make smart change happen faster and better, the lessons you can learn from this short and easy-to-read book will serve you well in your job, in your family and in your community.

Time Management Ninja: 21 Rules for More Time and Less Stress in Your Life

By Craig Jarrow

Who doesn’t want more time and less stress? Time Management Ninja hopes to help you spend more time with loved ones, achieve big goals, and simply enjoy life, through:

• Simple and practical time management
• Easy tools, rules, and tactics
• More productivity and less stress – Time Management Ninja offers 21 rules to show you an easier and more effective way to take control of your time and manage your busy life

The Source: Open Your Mind, Change Your Life 

By Dr Tara Swart

Dr Tara Swart, a neuroscientist and executive coach with a background in psychiatry, draws on the latest cognitive science and her experience of coaching people to reveal how to master our minds.

Through her book you will:

• Challenge 'autopilot' thinking
• Earn what you want by targeting your energy to your ambitions and values
• Utilize visualization skills to help your brain channel what it really wants
• Attack life with confidence, dispel fear and avoid negative thinking

Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life

By Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein

Following The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, Marie Kondo’s first book, Joy at Work guides you through the process of tidying up your work life.

Whether unexpectedly working at home, or you have a dedicated workspace, if you properly simplify and organize your work life once, you’ll never have to do it again.

Marie Kondo and organizational psychologist Scott Sonenshein will help you to refocus your mind on what's important at work, and focusing on what sparks joy.

Joy at Work adapts the KonMari Method for your professional life, focusing on your working day to identify the most joyful way you work. The book hopes to boost confidence, energy and motivation to create the career you want and move on from negative working practices.