I didn’t realize that there’s a larger need for better mental wellness for entrepreneurs (includes bloggers, content creators, small business owners, self-employed professionals, and many others).
Mental stress is global. Mental illness, stress, and depression is evil and happening as you read this — cutting across geographic boundaries, races, and age.
I thought social media was toxic and that it led to all sorts of issues for entrepreneurs. Apart from rampant (and often undocumented) social flexing, there’s deceit. There are lies. There are groups of scammers. There’s all sorts of useless nonsense on social media as well.
That’s why there was a need to revisit and redefine how to use social media for business.
Read:
Social Media and Mental Health for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship is a challenging by itself. The last thing you need is a completely different routine just to manage your mental wellness, peace of mind, and sanity.
20+ years of doing business now, I happen to know just how it all feels like. Words like stressful and demanding don’t even do justice to the real test of entrepreneurship.
As an entrepreneur, it is important to take care of your mental health.
Here are nine things you can do to improve your mental wellness:
Focus On What You Control [Leave The Rest]
Rebecca O’Brien helps entrepreneurs thrive at workplaces and at entrepreneurship with her coaching programs. She made a point recently that stuck with me. It’s another thing that she also had a large role in bringing me back from the dead (and that’s for another day).
Her point: Focus only on what you can control
You can’t control the stock market. You can’t control what the government does. You can’t help avoid taxes. You won’t be able to do a thing about how people think about you (to a large extent, while you continue to do your best).
You can’t change a thing about nasty folks and other people who are hard to please. You can’t control how other people behave or the sweeping judgments about they make you.
Just let it go.
Set Boundaries
Here’s a simple task for you: Fire up that calendar you barely use (yes, the calendar app that you keep talking about on Twitter but never really use it). Chalk out times of the day and block time for what you need segments of time for.
I won’t get all Atomic Habits at you, of course not. What I’d suggest is that you treat all the time you blocked out (1.30 hours for exercise, 8 hours for sleep, 6 hours of uninterrupted work, and so on) like God’s sweet Calendar management.
No excuses. Don’t let anyone take that time away (share it with everyone if you like so that they know).
While doing anything you are doing during any time, this also means not checking work emails or taking work calls outside of business hours. Be sure tp time for yourself each day to relax and recharge.
Don’t Take It [Anything] Lying Down
Some people don’t like conflict. Understandable. But this goes so far that they think that it’s just normal to take all kinds of abuse (verbal, non-verbal) as something that’s “all in a day’s job”.
Freelancers go through bad episodes of non-payments (or late payments). Self-employed professionals settle for lower charges and lower pay. Business owners take abuse from vendors sometimes or also from their customers.
In other cases, entrepreneurs are often schooled by everyone else (especially those who never ran a business) on “How to Run a Business”.
I know this one first hand. I struggle with this everyday.
I only have one piece of advice for you: Don’t take it. Bite back, bark back, avoid people, hide away in the mountains, or dwell in a cave.
Do whatever you ought to, except that you don’t take this shit lying down.
Get Enough Sleep
Here’s a note for you: If you don’t sleep well enough, you’ll die. It’s as simple as that (My cousin’s friend passed away just because of lack of enough sleep).
Because we sleep everyday, we don’t seem to think about it much. Further, we take it for granted.
Sleep is essential for good mental health. When you are well-rested, you are better able to cope with stress and make sound decisions.
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Eat Right
Your diet defines who you are, how healthy you are, and even helps you reverse some ailments. Food is not just to fill your tummy; it’s also to keep you healthy and alive.
I was diagnosed with diabetes at a young age of 40. I decided to reverse diabetes with just exercise and diet (and no insulin or medicines).
I manage (with good days and bad days, of course).
The point I am making: it’s easy to work to death when it comes to entrepreneurship. As if to prove a point. Maybe it’s because a lot is at stake.
What you don’t realize is that your entire life (actual life as in Life) is at stake.
Avoid shit food. Eat healthy (Google It Up, I am not an expert).
Celebrate your Successes [Just don’t be an ass]
I’ll tell you what kind of a person I am: I make a million dollars and I’d still think I have a long way to go. I’d never thank myself enough or give myself enough credit for whatever I managed to do so far. It’s so bad that I also feel guilty if I ever get a compliment.
I put myself through severe bouts of self-inflicted punishments. I am not sweet to me, I am not kind to me, I am not protective of me.
I am the idiot who thinks honesty is the best way to live life. I mean well for others but that dog always bites back.
42 years later, I start to realize that this is a horrible way to treat myself. It’s pure injustice.
Love yourself enough. Celebrate your successes (Your success; not what social media defines it as) — no matter how big or small.
Give yourself credit when you achieve something.
Read More:
25+ Wellness Resources, Apps, and Ideas For Entrepreneurs
How do you cope with mental stress? What do you do to manage mental wellness?
Tell me all about it on Twitter, LinkedIn, or my LinkedIn Brand page.
