Managing Your Mental Health As An Entrepreneur

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It is crucial for you to cater to your mental health as an entrepreneur. The success or failure of your business can be greatly influenced by the way that you take care of yourself.

Entrepreneurs frequently neglect their personal needs as they get wrapped up in their daily tasks. But putting your personal needs below your word can lead to an increase in stress and even burnout. 

The Importance of Catering For Your Mental Health 

There are a lot of reasons why it is important to take care of your mental health while you own and operate your own business. 

1. It Increases Your Confidence

An individual who has good mental health is more likely to make brave and assured decisions in life. At any stage of your business, you may find yourself needing to make some risky and difficult decisions. You will better be able to think about the outcomes of the decisions and the future of your business if your mind is in good shape.  

2. Good Mental Health Boosts Productivity

Your mental health will determine your level of productivity. You may be someone who could serve as an example for others as an entrepreneur. You will do this best by being mentally well. You must always offer the best possible version of yourself to other people.

You also need to act in a constructive and forward-thinking manner to achieve the results you want. A person with stable mental health is better able to maintain balanced ideas and forward-thinking behavior. This steadiness helps to raise your performance's productivity.

(Check out the latest from the blog on productivity! Making Money Taking Surveys with Survey Junkie.)

3. Mental Health Supports You In Coping With Adversity 

Your entrepreneurial journey will always have its ups and downs. For this roller coaster journey to go smoothly, you must have a strong personality. It would be much easier for you to deal with these difficulties if your mind is clear. Knowing you have to deal with these highs and lows justifies making mental wellness a top priority for you.

Ways To Manage Your Mental Health

There are some strategies you should keep in mind that can help you feel less stressed. These things will allow you to give your business your all while still making time to take care of your personal life. 
Here are a couple of tips you can use:

1. Outsource Different Aspects Of Your Business

The majority of small enterprises are operated on a tight budget. Finding people to outsource some of your workload to, however, can be worth the investment. It is a fantastic first step in expanding your company and boosting its prospects of success.

You may have hired an accountant because you probably wouldn't be able to handle your company's accounting alone. For areas outside of your own zone of expertise, the same technique can be applied.

A bookkeeper, who charges by the hour, can assist you if you have trouble keeping the finances balanced. If you have a  surplus of emails, maybe you make use of a virtual assistant to ease the load. Want to produce a top-notch video series? Look out for a videographer to support your ideas. 

If you need help with systems like banking, you can also try a company like Novo to assist with your needs. Novo is the powerfully simple small business banking platform that's resetting expectations of small business banking. Complete with integrations to tools small business owners are already using like Stripe, Shopify, Square, and Quickbooks Online.

​Outsourcing is a tactic Dr. Aeshia Jackson has been able to employ after winning a business grant. She shared on The Money Exchange Podcast that with the grant money, she was able to bring on other therapists on her team to help with running Creative Concepts Therapeutic Services. This helped ease up her load and allowed for her to get downtime to focus on other aspects of her life. 

2. Build A Support Network

A corporate network may be familiar to you, but what about a support network? Try creating a support network of stakeholders that care about both you and your business in addition to forming a team to assist you with business duties.

These can include friends, relatives, suppliers, mentors, or clients. This was also the case with Dr. Aeshia Jackson, whose friends came to her support during her hard entrepreneurial times. As a therapist herself, Dr. Aeshia was able to get the kind of support network she needed when her friends came in at the right time to assist her. 

3. Make The Most Of Your Working Time

It's crucial to create goals for yourself and keep to them if you want to strike a healthy work-life balance. Even while it can first seem unattainable at first, using hacks like time blocking will help manage your client's expectations. You’ll be able to let them know exactly when you’re available and when you'll be taking a break.

4. View Time Off From Work As An Investment In Productivity

Having a productive workday is important, but so is having enough time for relaxation. In the simplest terms possible, obtaining enough rest and sleep can increase your productivity at work. Knowing you have spare time to enjoy for yourself at the end of the day can also make you more motivated at work.

5. Separate Your Self-Worth From Your Business

Entrepreneurs frequently identify themselves according to the success of their business endeavors. This can be detrimental, especially to our mental health.

Entrepreneurs who are facing challenges may find themselves spending more time on their company, attempting to make things work. This can result in neglecting their relationships with friends, family, and their personal lives. Take time to take care of yourself and treat yourself to the things that you enjoy. Make time to exercise self-love and recognize that your value and identity are not determined by the numbers on the balance sheet.

6. Get Certain About Your Zone Of Genius

When you first started working for yourself, you undoubtedly assumed the roles of an entire team of people. You were the CEO, the Finance Director, and the Sales Manager all at once. It won’t be productive for you to continue in this manner. As you grow your business, I would advise against doing so.

Establishing your genius zone is now necessary. In essence, this is the position you're best at and the related tasks you like doing. 

Finding more delight in your work and producing better results are both benefits of working in your zone of genius. It's time to start assigning those roles that aren't a good fit for you.

Conclusion

It is so important to take care of your mental health as an entrepreneur. However, if all the above tips fail, it is essential to ask for professional help as mental health issues continue to grow worldwide. The need for people to show up as their best selves is a lot of pressure can lead to an increase in anxiety and depression. 
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Are you curious to listen to Dr. Aeshia Jackson’s full story with overcoming her mental health struggles and building a successful business? You can hear it in my latest podcast episode. Listen to it here.
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