Entrepreneur burnout: Seven strategies to improve mental health

Entrepreneurship is often negatively correlated with mental health: CEOs focus too much on their work, they restrict their sleep, are undernourished, consume too much caffeine and suffer from perfectionism. Because of the latter, by the way, they often take on all the work themselves, whether it’s hiring employees or designing realistic business cards.

This article talks about how to overcome pathogenic factors and improve mental health.

Strategy 1: Prioritise communication

It may seem that work will be more productive if the majority of one’s time is devoted to it, without asking friends and relatives for help. But this position is productive only to the point where fatigue and depression begin, for which occupational health assessments are important.

How to establish social connections? First, connect with offline and online entrepreneurial communities, that is, with likeminded people.

Second, even business moguls shouldn’t ignore love affairs: many entrepreneurs choose to be single, believing they’re too busy to be distracted by love. As a result, they lose healthy human relationships, which provide reliable support in situations of risk, as well as a base from which to recover from failures.

Strategy 2: Analyse destructive expectations

Inflated expectations (from oneself or others) inherent in perfectionism will certainly do their dirty work – they will bring stress and pain. It’s important to discover the source of unrealistic expectations. The following can help:

• target the good, not at the best
• remember that nobody at all is guaranteed against mistakes
• answer the question of whether it would be realistic to expect the same from others and apply the same logic
• focus solely on controllable factors; expectations of uncontrolled things can trigger only stress

Strategy 3: Self care

Entrepreneurship shouldn’t be a sprint, otherwise owners risk burn out. Physical activity helps turn on creativity and cheer people up, and it doesn’t have to be running or hard workouts. There’s always  walking, dancing or playing sports – whatever works and brings a little happiness.

Other forms of self-care could include:

• spa and meditation
• a healthy diet and adequate sleep
• quiet activities like reading, podcasts, watching Netflix, listening to music and playing computer games
• joining a special interest club
• any hobbies
• group activities such as concerts and sporting events

Finally, it’s worth thinking about whether it’s time to take a trip: a well-organised vacation stimulates a more joyful and creative approach to work.

Strategy 4: Work with a coach or business psychologist for individual growth

Taking care of his psychological stability, an entrepreneur must know his personal characteristics, in particular, the boundaries of his comfort zone. This requires a business psychologist – a safe hub that helps clients understand their pros and cons.

Strategy 5: Discover sources of self-esteem outside the business

Entrepreneurs should separate themselves from their business, even if it is associated with a personal brand. Answering the following questions honestly might help with this:

• What would friends have to say?
• What personal qualities are the most valuable?
• What brings a sense of individual worth?

Strategy 6: Re-evaluate how important success and failure are

There are many examples where apparent failure eventually led to success, and apparent success led to failure. When something disturbing happens, one just needs to show equanimity by saying: “Time will clear the air”.

Also, it’s a good idea to figure out what one actually considers a success. If it’s defined solely in terms of short-term income or business growth, it can be a source of restlessness and frustration. If success is the entire business process, owners will maintain psychological balance even facing misfortune.

Strategy 7. Learn to behave in difficult situations

When we want to avoid problems at all costs, we act and make decisions unconsciously. On the other hand, our behaviour is determined by courage if we know how to respond to challenging situations.

To do so, owners must learn to treat themselves as a best friend, rather than a perfectionist.

Restoring and maintaining mental health is perhaps the best gift anyone can give their business and themselves. It shouldn’t be ignored

The editorial unit