Entrepreneurs, you may not be putting enough emphasis on one aspect of success: your mental well-being.
A great deal of what makes a great entrepreneur also makes us susceptible to mental illness, so you cannot afford to put your needs aside for the sake of your company. Mental health is easily one of the most underrated and overlooked keys to entrepreneurial success. According to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health, 49% of entrepreneurs deal with mental health issues directly.
Let’s look at 5 ways to take care of both your mental well-being and your business
Support
Being supported is crucial for your mental and emotional well-being. Your physical health is impacted secondarily by support as well. Depression is associated with a lack of social support, and studies have shown that loneliness alters brain physiology.
People’s connections have been greatly facilitated by social media, which also allows you to access support from people all over the world because it is not time- or space-constrained. Online communities of entrepreneurs and small business owners who understand your struggles can be a great resource for finding support.
Even if you don’t immediately know how, sharing your burden with others and letting them help you nonetheless can be incredibly beneficial. Asking for support should not be viewed as a sign of weakness but rather of strength.
Professional support
Apps for mindfulness and mental health are excellent ways to incorporate professional assistance into your daily routine. Professional assistance need not only come from psychologists or therapists; it can also come from healers, therapists, and coaches for personal development. These experts have the ability to look beyond our immediate surroundings, assist us in dealing with the past, and enable us to move forward for the benefit of both our personal and professional lives.
Daily practice
Every entrepreneur can find the time to establish a daily routine that will help both them and their company. Daily rituals can include breathing exercises, yoga, gratitude exercises, meditation, and even taking a stroll. Make sure it’s something you enjoy and that gives your mind and body some peace. Knowing you have this sacred window of time each day is invaluable as work pulls you in so many different directions.
Outsourcing
Look at your life, identify the things that are occupying your time and draining your energy, and find someone else to take care of them. Because we wear so many hats as entrepreneurs, it can be difficult for us to delegate some of the responsibility (and control) to someone else.
An example of outsourcing could be hiring someone to help you with your social media management or it could even be as simple as hiring someone to help clean your house!
Radical self-acceptance
We all require a healthy dose of self-acceptance, regardless of our position in life—whether we are business owners, CEOs, or librarians. When we recognise our struggles for what they are and accept them as part of who we are, only then can we move forward without feeling guilty or ashamed of ourselves. This has an impact that extends beyond our mental state and enables us to be understanding and forgiving of other people’s difficulties.
Most of us started our own businesses because we believed we could change the world and make a difference. However, we cannot effectively do this if we are also judging ourselves and other people.
Your success, happiness, and general well-being depend on your mental health, so you should take care of it. Today’s entrepreneurs have incredible opportunities for innovation and problem-solving, but there are also many challenges. We need to give our mental health top priority if we want to move into a strong and prosperous future.
Join us on the 22nd of September as we bring together a community of entrepreneurs, small business owners, marketing professionals and thought leaders.
Our mission is to help support every attendee both personally and professionally by building business and mindset resilience.
Join our waiting list now.