How to be an Emotionally Healthy Entrepreneur
If you are a business owner or entrepreneur, you face challenges to your mental health that are unique from the general population. In fact, entrepreneurs may be twice as likely to experience depression or attempt suicide and three times more likely to struggle with addiction*. While running your own business can be extremely rewarding, it is often also stressful and anxiety-provoking, isolating, and discouraging. You may experience increased loneliness as a solopreneur or the boss of your company. Family members and friends may struggle to understand your entrepreneurial mindset and fail to support you emotionally in your dreams and ambitions. You may struggle with decision-making fatigue and a sense of overwhelm with the number of tasks on your never-ending “to-do” list. You likely experience fear about failure and not being good enough, as well as financial stress. Your relationships may be suffering due to lack of boundaries at work and home, or difficulty communicating with important people in your life. While you may feel a passion and purpose in what you do at work, it may be swallowed up by discouragement, anxiety, and a sense of spinning out of control.
While it may be normal for entrepreneurs to struggle with mental health, you don’t have to join the norm. The following are helpful tips to stay on top of your mental health so you can thrive in your business and personal life.
1) Take time to evaluate your physical, spiritual, and emotional health. Self-awareness is powerful! Many of us never take a moment to pause and check in with ourselves about how we are doing and what are needs are. Stop now and ask yourself how you are doing physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Where are you doing well and where are you struggling or lacking? Do you have poor sleep and eating habits? How’s your prayer life? Are you stressed and overwhelmed? Are your relationships suffering? Taking time to assess your overall health in these areas will help you identify your needs and how to address them. Regular check ins will prevent disasters and help you implement changes to get back on track.
2) Get plugged in to supportive community. Running your own business can feel extremely isolating and lonely. You either work alone as a solopreneur or are in an authority position, preventing you from having normal peer relationships with others at work. Community and connection is imperative to mental health. Take time to find ways that you can connect with others to offer and receive support. Church communities can be great for this, or you can find a business owner or entrepreneur meetup or networking group.
3) Establish good boundaries. Entrepreneurs are notorious for having poor boundaries. Do you answer work emails at all hours of the day and night? Do you struggle to be fully “off the clock” taking work home with you and working on the weekends? While there is likely always work to be done and you are responsible to get it done, it’s important to establish healthy boundaries so your business does not take over your life. Make time for family, friends, and self-care.
4) Take time to rest. You’re likely an ambitious go-getter, but if you want to be mentally healthy, you need to create time to rest. This means having a good sleep routine as well as having rest days where you recharge and reconnect with yourself, God, and others. You may think your business can’t wait, but it’s important to create a business that can be successful even when you carve out some time for yourself. Challenge yourself to pause for just 15 minutes a day of intentional slow down time and see how it impacts you.
5) Remember to have fun. Fun is an important element to prevent burnout and fight depression and discouragement. You may think your work is fun, but set time aside to do something outside of work just for fun. Pursue a hobby that you’ve been putting off, do an art project, skip down the sidewalk with your kids, play with a puppy, blow bubbles, or bust out a coloring book. Life can get all too heavy and serious, and at times it requires some fun to balance it out. It will be good for your mind, body and spirit.
6) Be willing to ask for help. Entrepreneurs are often independent high achievers who are used to persevering through challenges. It is common for them to minimize and ignore issues, telling themselves that their stress, depression, and anxiety is not that big of a deal and that they just need to keep plugging away. Don’t fall in to this trap! If you are experiencing overwhelm, stress, and anxiety more often than not, seek help. If your relationships are suffering, don’t wait to do something about them.
The therapists at Clarity Christian Counseling can help. We understand the unique challenges that entrepreneurs face with emotional health and wellness. Whether or not your struggles are directly related to being an entrepreneur, or if you are going through a difficult life circumstance like the loss of a loved one, traumatic experience, or conflict in relationships, we can help you heal and develop the tools you need to live a fully functioning and thriving life so you can make the impact you desire on the world without sacrificing your mental health. Contact us today for a free consultation and to learn how therapy can help you.