Mental health has become an underlying issue that is typically avoided in the world today, and in business, especially. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to her or his community. Entrepreneurs are two times more likely to suffer from mental health issues than regular people. Unfortunately, many business people are unwilling to seek help for their psychological problems for different reasons, one of them being stigma.
Hither Mann, CEO of Fortune Academy and Mental Health Charity Founder, has dealt with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety in her teenage years and early twenties and is not afraid to shine the light on the matter. Becoming the World’s First Female Trader & Educator, and the Award Winning Entrepreneur of 2019 by the UK House of Lords did not come easy. Watching her male mentors in the banking industry go through addictions for drugs and women due to their financial stresses only fueled her desire to change how the working population deal with money problems since this hasn’t been tackled successfully yet. She shared some of her tips to ensure you are at the top of your game mentally.
Get Enough Sleep
Most entrepreneurs, because of the many goals they have to accomplish, ignore creating good sleeping habits. It’s not the first time you have heard that a good night’s sleep can help you stay calm and more focused. Sleep has a direct impact on your mood. Studies show that sleep deprivation can lead to irritability, anxiety and anger management issues. As an entrepreneur, you need to deal with dynamics from employee relations, partners in business, unexpected financial and legal stress and thus lack of sleep would only hinder your ability to deal with all these areas successfully,.
Getting adequate sleep will also have a positive effect on your decision making, memory, make you less prone to developing cardiovascular diseases, obesity and even boost your immunity. All these factors are vital in creating a successful entrepreneur. The old belief that “I’ll sleep when I die” will definitely cause you to live an unhappy and shorter life, so ensure you listen to your body and sleep a sufficient level daily. I for one, will always sleep 7 to 8 hours or as long as my body feels it needs to feel re-vitalised.
Watch your Caffeine Consumption
When we hear the word caffeine, it’s clear that the subject is coffee, tea, or the many brands of energy drinks out there. Caffeine is known for some of its positive effects like reducing the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, and serving as an antioxidant in the body, eliminating harmful free radicals that damage cells. However, having an unregulated amount of caffeine can have some negative effect on an entrepreneur’s productivity.
While that cup of coffee will make you alert and feeling less tired when you wake up, it may affect your sleeping pattern if taken close to bedtime. We’ve already seen what inadequate sleep will do to an entrepreneur. You will eventually end up needing another cup of coffee to solve the next morning’s fatigue issues. If that happens repeatedly, it will only lead to dependency, caffeine tolerance, and adrenal fatigue. The effects of coffee last up to eight hours, so the recommendation is not to drink any after 2 pm. Most caffeinated beverages contain a lot of calories, which may cause weight and cardiovascular problems. If you need to quench your thirst, choose water over other options.
Take Time to Experience Nature
It is a known fact that nature has a way of clearing the mind. Exposing yourself to the outdoor natural marvels is one way to develop a healthy mind as an entrepreneur. Being in nature decreases stress levels, improves mood, relieves fatigue, increases creativity, and makes people more gracious. Experiencing nature reduces activity in the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain that is usually active during rumination (repetitive thoughts that focus on negative emotions).
There are many ways you can integrate nature into your daily routine. One of the healthiest ways to tap into nature is by exercising outdoors. Take a jog in a park or even do yoga at the beach. Meditate and take a minimum of ten minutes a day in nature. The benefits are countless, and getting to your entrepreneurial goals will be much easier.