Entrepreneurship sounds like a dream come true—you get the glory of being a leader and a changemaker, as well as the satisfaction of making a difference. You get to be your own boss, potentially make more money, and even live a much more flexible life. When we look at the great entrepreneurs throughout history, there are so many people we respect and admire: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and on and on the list goes.

But before their success came the stress. And as any entrepreneur will tell you, sometimes the stress isn’t worth everything that they ultimately achieve. There are even some cases where the burden of entrepreneurship causes serious mental health strife.

Even those who seem to have it all together might be hurting underneath all the charisma they have to project if they’re going to succeed. They struggle with depression and anxiety in silence. Others who don’t understand their struggle might think that if a person is strong enough to start a business, they should be able to overcome a bout of depression, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Depression is different from feeling short-term sadness, and it’s not something that people struggle with because they’re not strong. Mental illness encompasses debilitating conditions that actually require great strength from those who are fighting them.

Why Mental Illness: Understanding What Triggers This

There’s no right or wrong reason why entrepreneurs might struggle with their mental health. Just as no two startups or businesses are alike, no two mental conditions will be alike either. However, there are several likely causes that many entrepreneurs have in common:

• There’s a high risk of failure. Many startups don’t make it despite how hard their founders try. For somebody who is depending on the success of their business as their livelihood, this is overwhelmingly stressful.

• Entrepreneurs often have to fill more than one job within their company. When they’re starting out, they don’t have the option of hiring people—so they end up doing everything themselves.

• Because they’re so busy, entrepreneurs might neglect certain aspects of their physical health, which can, in turn, exacerbate mental-emotional problems. Things like exercise, sleep, and good nutrition are important if people want to keep a healthy state of mind.

• There’s an element of isolation to entrepreneurship. Those who are starting their own company might feel as if nobody understands what they’re going through. They don’t have anyone to vent to or share their concerns and frustrations with.

• Entrepreneurs become successful because they’re dedicated to what they do. Unfortunately, there can be a downside to obsession. When you’re so fixated on your business, it’s easy to neglect other aspects of your life that bring you joy, such as time with family or spiritual worship. You might not even realize how much it affects you to lose touch with these.

The other problem is that the same qualities that make a good entrepreneur also leave them vulnerable. A person who successfully starts their own business is going to be someone who is motivated, creative, passionate, energetic, and ambitious. These qualities all reflect a high emotional state—it’s hard to be passionate about something without being emotionally invested in it.

But emotional people tend to have stronger senses of negative emotions just as they have stronger senses of positive emotions. An entrepreneur is likely to struggle with despair, hopelessness, and feelings of worthlessness to a greater degree compared with the average person.

How to Overcome It

To avoid entrepreneurial mental-emotional anguish, it’s important to keep two things in mind: Your success does not define your worth as a person, and pushing yourself to the brink is not a good business tactic.

So often, people with entrepreneurial ambition have trouble separating themselves from their business. If their business fails, then they see themselves as a failure as a person. If their business ends, then they see their life as ending too. That’s just not the case—if one business venture doesn’t succeed, there will be other opportunities in the future.

Secondly, entrepreneurs need to understand that there’s nothing respectable about pushing themselves past their limits. A successful businessperson is someone who makes time for their own health, who achieves work-life balance, and who doesn’t sacrifice their own well-being for their job.

What Are The Signs of Depression?

If you’re worried you might be suffering from depression, you should know the signs to watch out for. Here are common symptoms that indicate you could be depressed:

• Tiredness and sleep problems

• Changes in appetite and weight

• Irritability/uncontrollable emotions

• Thoughts of suicide or self-harm

• Inability to concentrate

• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism

• Restlessness

• Persistent sad thoughts

At ASMM Digital, we want to make sure you have a solid foundation of support as you undertake your entrepreneurial endeavors. To work with us, reach out today by calling 443-679-4916