When the going gets rough

Recent studies into the area have shown that entrepreneurship – more so than any other profession – nurtures a vulnerability to mental health issues.

And there are reasons why this is so:

• Inefficient stress management – work and life are generally stressful, but entrepreneurs are more likely than others to neglect self-care. They are sleep-deprived, caffeine-fueled, undernourished, and financially stressed. And all the while that fear of failure keeps them pushing on, even with their health and wellbeing at stake.
• Insecurity – without the safety net of a fixed pay cheque at the end of every month, an entrepreneur’s life is shrouded in uncertainty. This leads to feelings of anxiety and having little control over the outcome of their lives.
• Isolation – when they’re just starting out, hard graft often means going at full tilt all by yourself. In the end, entrepreneurs can feel socially isolated, and to make matters worse – they feel they can’t find support among traditional corporates who couldn’t possibly know what they’re going through.
• Shame – because of the conservative, old-school way of thinking that’s entrenched itself upon society, entrepreneurs feel pressure to never show weakness. This is because they won’t get sympathy from the masses who keep telling them to ‘get a real job’. For this reason they suffer in silence, ashamed that they don’t in fact, have it all together.

Light at the end of the tunnel

As we touched on in our previous post about Burnout, struggling along in silence is not the answer. There are countless challenges and obstacles that entrepreneurs face on a daily basis, but so does everyone else. As a result, there should be no shame in reaching out and talking about it. The worst case scenario is losing everything you’re passionate about, everything you’ve worked so hard for. And really, it’s not worth it. Not even a little.

At ZwavelStream Clinic our psychologists have experience in business as well, which makes them the ideal support for anyone who feels isolated by the mounting pressure of entrepreneurship. With us you will find a judgement-free safe space for you to regain balance and control over the legacy you’re working so hard to establish.