New Study Shows Mental Health is A Challenge for Business Owners
In a survey recently released by Freshbooks with Mindshare, results show that business owners do face mental health challenges.
These are different than those with traditional jobs.
Entrepreneurial depression is a real thing.
Yes, while those in a “9-5” job also face stress, business owners have the added stress of running their own business.
There’s no road map built for business owners.
They can’t just show up and get paid.
They must lead their teams, ensure the right system and process are in place, create sales and marketing plans, and ensure they’re cash-flow positive and profitable.
While 9-to-5ers experienced stress, burnout, isolation, and anxiety about job loss over the last year, entrepreneurs are no strangers to these pressures and uncertainty. Self-employment often is unpredictable, and entrepreneurs are often tasked with mitigating the unpredictability with strategic business practices and fierce determination.
A few years ago, I wrote about entrepreneurial depression and gave a subsequent talk about it at SXSW.
Should we even be in business, is a question many of us ask.
From the survey, self-employed professionals say several factors had a negative impact on their mental health:
- 44% say they experienced financial stress and fear about the future of their business (down from 47% in previous report).
- 29% say working alone most of the time had a negative affect on their mental health (unchanged from previous report).
- 28% say they had concerns about having too much work to do in too little time (down from 33% in our previous report).
- 27% say they feel like they can never show vulnerability or weakness (unchanged from previous report).
Resources:
6 Ways to Manage Stress Like a Pro While Running a Business
9 Things to Keep in Mind Regarding Your Mental Health
Mastering the Mind, How Business Owners Can Win the Mental Game.