As business owners, there can be a great deal of stress we place on ourselves to succeed. We often make difficult decisions by ourselves and can have the weight of responsibility on our shoulders, not only for operational considerations, but also employment security for staff. We may be sleep-deprived and working long hours. All those factors combined can result in business owners who aren’t paying enough attention to their own mental health and general well-being.
For those who have started their business from scratch, our identity can also be strongly linked to our start-ups (e.g. Michelle = Shel Design). Although employees can of course experience a great deal of stress in their workplace, it is far more difficult for a business owner to ‘walk away’ from what they’ve created. And most of us are not seeking to do that anyway! But as our business goes through troughs and peaks, it is inevitable that we will also follow that same pattern. This adds another layer of stress, as there is far more than finances at stake if your business doesn’t succeed: if your business fails, YOU fail. At least, that is how it feels!
It is important, then, to be aware of your emotions and enlist techniques to manage your mental health. It doesn’t mean you won’t still experience highs and lows, or be personally affected by what happens in your business. But it will help you to experience less unhelpful emotions, give you more optimism, have clearer thought processes and result in more creativity. Having your mental health in check will bring you to a more stable equilibrium and reduce the amount of ‘emotional swinging’ that you do.
This can be as simple as making sure you share your feelings, fears, worries and concerns with someone who will understand what you are going through. It is why it is vital to be connected to your business community (either local or online) in order to build relationships that can provide a listening ear and a sounding board. Or alternatively, it may be a business coach you enlist to help you work through the phases and seasons of your business, ensuring that you look after yourself in the process.
