May was Mental Health Awareness month, and below I reference a few articles we have posted on social media for further reading. Our goal in calling awareness to mental health challenges for entrepreneurs is threefold:
1) Destigmatize Mental Health Challenges
2) Create Openness & Transparency
3) Empower People to Seek Help
As an entrepreneur myself and working with entrepreneurial organizations for the entirety of my career, I have had to face my own anxiety, be open and transparent with safe others to help me find solutions, and be empowered to prioritize my own mental health and take care of myself. How I practice this is through embodied practices in nature, like walking, hiking, running, biking, and taking deep breaths. I also like meditation and sing with the Indy Choral Artisans.
I had the chance to ask several colleagues about why they believe mental health practices for entrepreneurs are important, and first from our Co-Founder/COO Dawn Lively:
“Entrepreneurs face stress from every possible direction of their lives, and there’s an inherent amount of stress with starting and sustaining a business that isn’t often discussed openly. For me, I take time for at least one self-care activity a week, whether that’s a massage, a pedicure, or an appointment with a therapist, depending on what is occurring in my life at that time. I also walk as often as I can as I’ve found it to be the most effective for me to clear my head. This is what entrepreneurs need to find for themselves – activities that give them a refreshed outlook. Maybe marathons, maybe binging Netflix – no judgment!”
From our Marketing Intern, Gracen Perdue:
“As a perfectionist, I have such a strong desire to make sure everything is perfect all the time, and this is not good for my mental health. I’ve met a number of entrepreneurs who are similar. Here is what I do to challenge perfectionism:
When I need to prioritize my mental health, I try to spend time with people who I know support and love me no matter what is going on in my life. By surrounding myself with people who remind me of my value, I find that my confidence is lifted and I am more encouraged to continue challenging perfectionism.”
How do you prioritize your mental health as an entrepreneur? We’d love to hear from you.
At FullStack, we believe and our clients tell us that our work is not just about saving entrepreneurs time and money on figuring out HR & Benefits, but it’s also about freeing up their time and headspace to prioritize their mental & physical health and spend time with their loved ones.
Check out some of these other resources for further reading about Mental Health Awareness.