Get Ready to Have Your Mind Blown
Empowered by Tenacity Blog by Tina
Objective: The More You Know, Entrepreneur Story, Food for Thought
Recent research conducted on the mental well-being of founders revealed that founders are…
2X more likely to experience suicidal thoughts & depression
10X more like to be diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder
3X more likely to become an addict
6X more likely to have ADHD
These stats are staggering. When I think about my mental health issues, I realized…
I’ve had ADHD since I was a kid.
In some ways I probably am a mild addict.
I was diagnosed with Bipolar II after my business tanked in 2021.
I battle depression every day.
I’ve had many suicidal thoughts.
The last three all happened when I owned my own business.
Another survey discovered that founders spend…
60% less time with spouses
58% less time with kids
73% less time with friends and family
Again, these numbers make me sit up and think about my life. Actually, they give me a rude awakening. They make me realize that I, too, have jeopardized my life to a large extent. I definitely spend less time with family and friends. I forget to make plans until it's too late or I turn down invitations because I have “so much to do” (mind you, the work will still be there in an hour or two or even the next morning). My kid is my handsome, charming champagne-colored goldendoodle named Brooks, who, as you can imagine, can never have too much of my attention so no worries there.
After reading these and being honest with myself, I then tried to subconsciously make an excuse for my addiction to work by asking:
Where are these entrepreneurs in their businesses? Are they in the early stages? Are they in growth mode? Did they get acquired? Did the business fail?
What about the founders that hustle and struggle then become multimillionaires? Isn’t that worth it?
Does it matter, though? Does it matter where they are in their business or that they became millionaires? Maybe. Maybe not. I think what we need to ask ourselves is to what extent do we compromise our health, our life, and our relationships? I’d be curious to know how much the multimillionaires struggled along their journeys and was it worth it for them? (Side note: If you’re a multimillionaire reading this, please contact me. lol) Regardless, the answer is different for everyone so if family, friends, kids, pets, and wellness are important to me, then I need to set aside time to check-in with myself on a regular basis. I need to be more self-aware then be ready to admit to myself how I really am. This is not easy to do. It’s going to take work and effort, but there are tools out there to help you such as Daylio, which I really love, the FitTech products like the Oura ring, and even just a dedicated, caring friend, spouse, or family member. Having that accountability partner who checks-in proactively could be a game-changer.
Final stat of the day: 77% of founders refuse to seek qualified help.
Let’s not be one of the statistics mentioned in this article. Let’s hang on and prioritize our mental wellness.
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Hang on Health, a Nashville, TN nonprofit, empowers entrepreneurs with mental resilience. By supporting entrepreneurs with mental wellness resources such as education, community and coaching, they are emboldened to achieve peak performance.
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