A study by researcher Micheal A. Freeman focused on mental health explained that 49% of entrepreneurs suffer from one mental health condition during their lifetime. According to the report, start-up founders are twice likely to suffer from depression, six times more from ADHD, twice likely to have suicidal thoughts and more.
This means every entrepreneur needs to pay adequate attention to his or her mental health to avoid being a part of these statistics. The reason for this isn’t far-fetched, entrepreneurs are better described as risk-takers passionately in pursue to solve vital problems in the society, with such great task comes fear, insecurities, obstacles, and doubt which affects ones mental health.
Dealing with mental illness as an entrepreneur can hurt your productivity and your business suffers because of it. To avoid this, there is a need to care for your mental health, some mental health care tips for entrepreneurs are;
1. Find a supportive community; entrepreneurship can be lonely, especially if you are a solo-preneur. Find your community of people with the same goals, values and drive. Remember, you are not alone so plug into a tribe to get that support network you need.
2. Exercise your body; while it might feel like you are hustling harder to keep things moving, it is important to take a break from work and exercise your brain. Get active and outside by participating in physical activities like jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, and dancing.
3. Eat a healthy diet; what you eat has an effect both mentally and physically. It is important to be conscious of what you eat and how it affects your mental health. A healthy diet can help prevent depression, eat high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, mineral and nourishes the brain.
4. Practise self-care; As busy entrepreneurs, make out time from your schedule and put your mental health first. Self-care includes gardening, a cup of coffee, a bubble bathe, or even a walk around the neighbourhood.
5. Explore therapy; while therapy may have been seen as a taboo in the past, it is now embraced as a key component to mental wellness for everyone.
6. Try Meditation; it helps you reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia. According to studies, meditation may slow, stall or even reverse changes that take place due to normal ageing.
7. Just relax
Again we are all in this together.
