7 Signs You Need to Improve Your Mental Health
Hello! I’m Denise G Lee, and I help business owners like you manage the ups and downs of running a business while taking care of yourself (and that includes your mental health).
Running a business can be very rewarding, but it can also be stressful and challenging. To do well and stay happy in your business, it’s important to take care of your mental health. Being aware of and dealing with stress, worries and other issues can make you feel better and help your business succeed.
Here are seven signs that you might need to focus on your mental health and some easy tips to help you stay healthy and successful in the long run.
First, let’s set aside the myth that you’re the only one who struggles with mental health. Many people have faced or are facing similar challenges. Knowing this can help you understand why it’s important to focus on improving your mental health and make your current situation feel less heavy. Next, we’ll look at examples of leaders who also struggled with their mental health.
Lessons from Leaders Who Struggled with Mental Health
Several well-known leaders and business owners have faced serious problems and public failures. Their stories show why it’s so important to take care of mental health. Here are three examples:
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Johnny Crowder, CEO of Cope Notes:
Johnny Crowder, who had severe mental health issues, started Cope Notes to help people with daily text messages about mental health. His own struggles show why mental health support is important for leaders. His experiences show how mental health challenges can affect how leaders lead and make business decisions.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX:
Elon Musk has talked about his mental health struggles, including extreme stress and burnout. His intense work habits and high standards have sometimes caused public issues and business problems, like strange social media posts and strained relationships with employees.
Howard Schultz, Former CEO of Starbucks:
Howard Schultz has shared his experiences with depression and the huge pressure he felt while leading Starbucks. His mental health issues affected how he made decisions and led the company, especially during times of growth and crisis.
These examples show how hard being a leader can be and why it’s important for everyone, including you, to take care of mental health and do the right thing. Looking after these areas can help avoid problems and lead to long-term success. Plus, I’d prefer not to write about you facing similar issues in the future.
Now, let’s talk about the signs that you may need to improve your mental health.
1. Always Feeling Tired
What It Looks Like:
You feel tired even after sleeping all night. Your energy is low, and it’s hard to stay focused on your daily tasks. When you’re at work, you’re having trouble staying awake or feeling overwhelmed by tasks that were once simple. This has been happening for at least 6 weeks or more.
Why It Matters:
Feeling constantly tired can be a sign of burnout, which means you’re dealing with too much stress over a long period. The World Health Organization (WHO) says burnout happens when workplace stress isn’t managed well. This tiredness can make it hard to make good decisions, manage your emotions and stay focused. All this can lower your productivity, and affect your overall performance.
How to Fix It:
You can’t fix what you don’t track. Keep a journal to note your energy levels and see if you can find patterns in your tiredness. For example, you might notice that you feel very tired on Thursdays, the day you do your business accounting. Ask yourself why you feel upset. Are you embarrassed about how your business money is being used? Do you have to deal with people who stress you out?
Understanding the feelings behind your stress and irritation can help you figure out what’s causing the problem and make changes to feel better.
2. Trouble Staying Focused
What It Looks Like:
You have trouble focusing on tasks, get easily distracted, and find it hard to finish projects. You might jump from one task to another without making much progress.
Why It Matters:
Difficulty focusing often comes from being overwhelmed by stress or anxiety. When you’re worried or stressed, it’s hard to prioritize and get things done. Research from the University of California, Irvine, shows that trying to do many things at once can actually reduce your productivity and make tasks take longer.
Scientific Insight:
The Journal of Occupational Health Psychology conducted research with people aged 45 and older. In their study of over 24,000 individuals, they found that high stress can impair your ability to pay attention and remember things. Stress and anxiety can lead to “cognitive overload,” where your brain is overwhelmed by too much information, making it hard to focus and make decisions.
How to Fix It:
Try time-blocking, where you set specific times for different tasks, to help improve your focus and productivity. You can also use tools like task management apps or Pomodoro timers to break tasks into smaller, manageable parts. This can help you stay focused and make steady progress. Take a look at this other article I wrote with more time management tips.
3. Getting Upset or Changing Moods Often
What It Looks Like:
You find yourself getting angry or frustrated easily, or your mood changes suddenly. Your reactions might seem too strong for what’s happening. You can’t stay calm, even if it was really important.
Why It Matters:
Frequent irritability and mood swings can be signs of stress, anxiety, or depression. These emotional ups and downs can hurt your interactions with employees, clients, and partners, affecting your business relationships and work environment.
Scientific Insight:
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says that long-term stress can cause emotional instability, making it hard to keep healthy relationships and make good decisions. Difficulty managing your emotions can lead to conflicts and make you less satisfied with your job.
How to Fix It:
Try mindfulness and relaxation techniques to manage stress and control your emotions. Apps like Headspace or Calm offer guided meditations that can help you stay calm and focused. Also, try the tips from this other article I wrote.
4. Less Interest and Energy
What It Looks Like:
You no longer feel excited about tasks or projects that used to energize you. You struggle to start work and feel disconnected from your business.
Why It Matters:
Losing motivation and interest can be a sign of burnout or mental health issues. When you’re not excited about your work, it can hurt your productivity and your business’s success. Research done in 2019 has shown that burnout can make you lose motivation and become less engaged. When you’re not interested, it affects your creativity, problem-solving, and overall performance.
How to Fix It:
Set small, achievable goals and look for new sources of inspiration to help you get excited about your work again. Create a vision board or goal plan to remind yourself of what motivated you in the beginning.
Think about your past successes and why you started your business to help spark your enthusiasm. Here are some other tips that may help you add a little more spark to your workday, especially if you’re an introvert.
5. Avoiding People
What It Looks Like:
You’re avoiding social events, like meetings or spending time with friends and family. You prefer to be alone and feel disconnected from others.
Why It Matters:
Avoiding people can be a sign of depression or anxiety. Keeping up relationships is important for your personal and professional growth. Being isolated can make you feel even lonelier and affect your ability to work with others.
Scientific Insight:
We’re facing a loneliness epidemic. The U.S. surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory highlighting the dangers of loneliness and social isolation, which are associated with increased risks of heart disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The advisory compares the health risks of loneliness to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and notes that these risks are even greater than those associated with obesity and physical inactivity
How to Fix It:
Getting help from a therapist or doctor, joining a support group, or talking with a coach like me can help you reconnect with others and improve your mental health. Also, try getting back into activities you used to enjoy, especially ones that challenge your mind or body. For example, I love dancing because it makes me focus on how my body moves to the music. Activities like exercise or art can help fight feelings of loneliness and boost your overall well-being.
6. Constant Worry or Anxiety
What It Looks Like:
You’re always worried about different parts of your business. You might have racing thoughts, feel tense, or have physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweaty palms.
Why It Matters:
Constant anxiety can affect your ability to make decisions and hurt your health. It’s important to manage anxiety to stay clear and focused in your business. Ongoing anxiety can cause physical problems and make it hard for you to work effectively.
Scientific Insight:
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 3-5% of people experience major depression at any given time, and the lifetime risk is about 17%. The ADAA also states that long-term anxiety can lead to physical health problems and difficulty thinking clearly. Constant worry can make it hard to concentrate and make decisions, which is important for running a successful business.
How to Fix It:
Try using mindfulness and stress-reduction methods to ease anxiety and improve your mental health. Practice deep breathing or muscle relaxation to handle anxiety symptoms. Adding these activities to your daily routine can help reduce stress and make you feel better.
7. Ignoring Your Own Needs
What It Looks Like:
You’re not taking care of your basic needs, like getting enough sleep, eating right, or exercising. Work demands are taking over, and your personal well-being is being ignored.
Why It Matters:
Ignoring self-care can lead to burnout and hurt your mental and physical health. Taking care of yourself is important for staying effective and strong as a business owner. When you put yourself first, you’re helping your business succeed. The Mayo Clinic says that not taking care of yourself can increase stress and cause health problems, like heart issues and mental health disorders. Keeping a balanced lifestyle is key to being healthy and successful in business.
How to Fix It:
Set up a routine that includes regular exercise, healthy eating, and enough sleep to help manage stress and improve your health. Make a self-care plan with regular physical activity, good nutrition, and rest. Schedule self-care time and treat it as important as any business meeting.
That wraps up my signs. The image below summarizes my tips. Next, I will share my final thoughts.
Final Thoughts
Noticing and dealing with mental health struggles is important for feeling better and doing well in business. By taking care of your mental health, you can improve your focus, motivation, and overall performance.
If you’re having any of these issues, remember you don’t have to go through them alone. As an entrepreneur coach, I can help you find ways to manage stress and improve your mental health. Feel free to contact me for personalized support.
Also, check out this episode from my podcast for more tips on handling challenges and finding balance in your life. Your mental health is crucial for your business success, and I’m here to help you every step of the way!
