Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. This professional path is full of difficulties, which is one reason so many entrepreneurs can experience mental health issues.
According to a recent survey, 58% of entrepreneurs have battled mental health challenges. Specifically, 21% have experienced anxiety, 19% have had depression, 41% have dealt with stress, and 71% have encountered above-average stress daily in the workplace. Even more unfortunate, the survey found that 55% of entrepreneurs agree that running a company has harmed their mental health.
The challenges of being an entrepreneur
When learning about the mental health issues that entrepreneurs experience, you may be asking an important question: what specific challenges make entrepreneurship so hard to manage? Honestly, the answer isn’t that straightforward. Multiple factors contribute to the challenges entrepreneurs face, but a few common difficulties typically arise.
1. Adversity around every corner
The first challenge is probably the most obvious. The entrepreneurial journey is full of adversity. When trying to build a successful business, entrepreneurs face obstacles to securing capital, increasing sales, managing a team, hiring top talent, and more. If entrepreneurs don’t respond appropriately, adversity can make running a startup a more difficult journey.
2. High–pressure environments
Being an entrepreneur means sitting in the hot seat often. Entrepreneurs can have investors to report to, clients with unrealistic expectations, tight deadlines, or team members who need help resolving a conflict. These high-pressure situations can easily take a toll on a person’s mental health and make work less enjoyable.
3. Loneliness and self-isolation
One of the most common realities of entrepreneurship is loneliness. Oftentimes, entrepreneurs feel incredibly lonely, as they’re the primary person making decisions and managing teams, especially in the early stages. As a result, it can be hard to open up to people, especially those at the company. Most entrepreneurs aren’t sure who can relate to them, leading to self-isolation. Additionally, long work hours can pull entrepreneurs away from their families and friends, making life even more lonely.
4. Managing relationships
Speaking of loved ones, entrepreneurship can make it very difficult to maintain relationships. Sometimes, the connections entrepreneurs have can suffer, especially romantic ones. These types of relationships require significant attention and nurturing, and some entrepreneurs struggle to provide those things, leading to frustrated partners and poor relationships. And an unhealthy relational life can quickly result in an unhealthy professional life.
5. Increasing and managing capital
Handling the financial aspect of a company is incredibly challenging. When seeking investors, entrepreneurs face a lot of rejection and criticism. People can ridicule their ideas and make their business seem pointless. And even when they do find people who believe in their company and invest, entrepreneurs still have to earn enough money to make their investors happy. They also need to ensure their business has enough to pay employees and bills. Ultimately, it’s a heavy burden to shoulder, and it doesn’t go away unless entrepreneurs are already independently wealthy when they start their companies.
6. Doubt
Sometimes, the challenges entrepreneurs face aren’t external but internal. Self-doubt is one of the many issues entrepreneurs battle. Whether they’re a new or experienced entrepreneur, they can constantly question if they’ll succeed. And if their doubt is left unchecked, it can lead to depression and a negative outlook.
How to lead a balanced, healthy life
While entrepreneurship is challenging, it doesn’t have to be such a heavy burden. If you’re an entrepreneur who’s overwhelmed by the difficulties of starting and managing a business, there are several steps you can take to live a healthier, balanced life.
1. Exercise daily
Exercising is one of the best ways to boost your mood. Working out daily will sharpen your mind, keep you mentally fresh, enhance your motivation, and make you happier. And it doesn’t matter what time you work out. You can do it in the morning, afternoon, or evening. The most important thing is to simply make exercising a priority.
2. Eat healthy foods
Food is like fuel for your body. If you eat well, you’ll live a healthier life. It’s that simple. Even making small changes each day can bring immense benefits. Maybe that means replacing the soda you typically drink for lunch with water. Or, it might look like cooking a nutritious meal to bring to the office instead of ordering fast food. Regardless of the specific steps you take, healthy eating will enhance your mental, emotional, and physical health.
3. Take time to relax
While running your company will require a significant amount of your attention, you still need to take time to relax and unwind. Unplugging from your email and work responsibilities will help prevent burnout and give you time to practice self-care. The hustle culture is not sustainable. If you want to stay healthy, don’t work grueling hours non-stop, and take time to relax.
4. Create a solid routine
Routines are a great way to maintain productivity and perform at your best. That’s why you need to build a schedule to help you focus, stay on track, and remain accountable. Doing this might require you to spend a few hours mapping out the routine you want to implement. But putting in the effort to create a schedule—and sticking to it—will work wonders in helping you complete tasks quicker.
5. Prioritize learning
If you’re an entrepreneur, your job isn’t solely to work hard and play hard. It’s also to learn. Reading, listening to audiobooks, attending conferences, or tuning into webinars will help you learn how to have a more successful business. And as you continue to grow and gain knowledge, entrepreneurship will be easier to navigate and handle.
Entrepreneurship and balance can coexist
Becoming an entrepreneur doesn’t have to be extremely stressful. Of course, some stress is expected and normal because challenges will arise. However, if you implement healthy habits, you can have a more balanced lifestyle and enjoy running a business. So, start incorporating healthy choices into your daily routine and watch how much better work feels.