Why mental wellness should be a priority for entrepreneurs
Stress is inevitable for any entrepreneur, but it doesn’t mean neglecting your mental health. Prioritizing mental wellness should be on your to-do list.
Entrepreneurship might seem fun and exciting at first glance, but it’s probably one of the most stressful things you can do. One day you’re pumped about launching your business, and the next day you’re drowning in emails, despairing over your never-ending to-do list, and questioning your life choices.
While influencers might be all about the hustle culture, the reality is that the grind can take a huge toll on mental wellness, which affects not only your personal life but also your business.
In this article, we’ll explore why mental health matters for entrepreneurs and the various ways you can manage it, even on a busy workweek.
Source: Pexels
Why mental health matters for entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs face a lot of immense pressure. They usually work on their own or with just a small team, which makes them prone to juggling multiple things at once. As a business owner, they are also their own boss, which can be a negative as you have to decide everything on your own and not have anyone to ask for help with.
All of these stressors can lead to burnout, anxiety, or depression. And no, these are not just buzzwords or the latest trend. These are real things that can negatively impact your physical and mental well-being.
Poor mental health can also affect your work performance. This can be through:
- Decreased productivity: Poor mental health can lead to a lack of focus and severe fatigue. You’ll find it difficult to finish a task and might make more errors as your mind cannot think properly.
- Poor decision-making: Stress makes people do irrational things. You are at risk of making impulsive or careless decisions since you lack the clarity to analyze your situation.
- Lack of passion: Burnout can lead to people questioning why they are working in the first place. This leads to decreased motivation and engagement with their work.
As you can see, mental wellness can affect a lot more than you think. Entrepreneurs need to prioritize it if they want to maintain their passion and energy and continue to have stellar work performances.
7 tips for managing your mental health as an entrepreneur
Now let’s move on to the different ways you can take care of your mental health even as a busy entrepreneur:
1. Set boundaries
Entrepreneurs tend to blur the line between work and personal life. Ever checked emails in the middle of the night? Answered a work call while you were on lunch with a friend? Finished a spreadsheet during a vacation? Yes, you probably did it a lot!
It may feel like you can’t ever be away from your business as you have a lot of things to do. And you may think that you just worked for a short time so it’s not a big deal.
But always being “on” can make it difficult to fully unwind and recharge. And if you don’t rest, you’ll just lead yourself to burnout or, worse, a mental breakdown.
This is why it’s important to set clear boundaries. Some things you can do are:
- Have a clear start and end point for your work. Once you’re done with the workday, don’t allow yourself to do any more work-related activities.
- Do a digital detox. Turn off push notifications, put your phone to Do Not Disturb or Quiet Mode, set a “no tech” time, or physically put your phone away during your rest times. This way, you’ll be less tempted to do work and focus on relaxing.
- Have a dedicated workspace. This is even more important if you work from home. If you don’t have space in your house, consider working in coffee shops, libraries, coworking spaces, or even renting office space.
Source: Pexels
2. Take regular breaks
The more hours you work, the more productive you’ll be, right? Wrong!
Hustle culture might glorify constant work but taking breaks is crucial if you actually want to succeed. This is because a well-rested mind helps you maintain focus, energy, and productivity.
Rest also allows your brain to form new connections and ideas which can lead you to come up with solutions or creative approaches to your business.
- Take short pauses throughout the day. No one can remain focused and productive for eight hours straight. Even a short 10-minute break of stretching, walking around, or taking a quick snack can help relax your mind.
- Schedule breaks on your calendar. Having a set schedule can help you remember to do it if you forget to or “force” you to rest even if you may feel like you don’t need it.
- Go on vacation. Taking time off from work can help you feel more rested. Just make sure to really rest and unplug instead of sneakily checking emails (remember our tip above?)
- Get enough sleep. Don’t think of sleepless nights as a badge of honor. Aim for the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
3. Be active
Exercise doesn’t just tone your body or help you build those abs. They are also a proven mood booster. This is because physical activity releases endorphins in your brain, the feel-good chemical that lowers stress and improves mood.
It’s recommended that an average adult do around 75 to 150 minutes of exercise per week. This can be moderate activities like walking, cycling, or yoga to high-intensity ones like tennis, swimming, or running.
Too busy to exercise? You can incorporate shorter activities throughout your work day instead. For example, you can bike to work instead of driving. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or follow along with a quick 15-minute YouTube exercise on your lunch break. Remember, exercise doesn’t need to happen at just the gym!
4. Build a strong support system
Entrepreneurship can feel isolating as you may feel like no one can understand what you are going through. But you don’t have to face your problems alone.
Make an effort to stay connected with people. Join networking groups and entrepreneurship communities to talk to fellow business owners who understand your journey. You can also find a mentor or a coach who can provide valuable insights and advice on running a business.
Maintaining your personal relationships is also important. Set time for your family, friends, or partner. Be open with them about your concerns and anxieties instead of bottling them all up.
Source: Pexels
5. Make time for hobbies
All work and no play don’t just make Jack dull—they also make him sad and stressed.
Make time for hobbies, passion projects, or creative outlets. These can include sports, cooking, painting, gardening, or learning a new language.
Hobbies are important as they provide an escape for your mind from all the work stress and decision-making. It also reminds you that there is life aside from work.
Hobbies can also improve your focus and creativity. Doing things you love can help reset and stimulate your brain, giving you fuel to focus or generate new ideas.
You don’t need hours of free time to have a hobby. If you think you’re too busy, start small by doing 15 to 30 minutes of them. Then, you can gradually increase as soon as you have time or if you see the benefits.
You can also use your hobbies to connect with people. Join a book club, go to a dance class, or visit a museum with your friends. That's effective multitasking, right?
6. Eat a balanced diet
It’s very easy to fall into the trap of constantly eating fast food, ordering takeouts, or getting one more coffee at Starbucks when you’re drowning in work.
However, while they may be fast (and deliciously addictive), they are not good for your body long term as they are laden with salt, sugar, and oil.
A balanced diet filled with nutrients can help replenish your body better and give you more energy to tackle the day. Try to consume more fruits, vegetables, and lean meat while avoiding processed food. You can also eat foods filled with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, like blueberries, leafy greens, nuts, avocado, and salmon.
Don’t have time to cook? Consider meal prepping or signing up for healthy meal kits. You can also keep healthier snacks like apples or nuts at your desk so that you won’t be tempted to reach for sugary sweets or junk food.
7. Outsource your work
Trying to do everything yourself is a fast ticket to burnout city.
Delegating tasks can free up your time and lessen decision fatigue. Consider hiring professionals for tasks that may not be your direct expertise, like graphic designers, video editors, or web developers. This can help you focus on tasks that you enjoy and produce higher-quality work.
If you still want to do creative work, you can use templates to make your life easier. Tools like logo makers or social media post creators provide you with premade templates that you can customize so you won’t need to start from scratch.
If you have plenty of tedious tasks, you can hire virtual assistants or admins to help you out. You can also use automated tools like email schedulers, expense trackers, inventory managers, AI chatbots, and AI background removers to do routine work so you can focus on more important tasks instead.
Conclusion
Stress is inevitable for any entrepreneur, but it doesn’t mean neglecting your mental health.
Prioritizing mental wellness should be on your to-do list. Don’t think of rest as a distraction. Instead, think of it as a great way to reset and refuel your mind and body to help you tackle all your business goals. Remember, no one can be successful with their business if they are not feeling the best they can be!
