Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

5 Strategies to Stay Sane as an Entrepreneur Owning your own business means constant pressure, so neglecting your stress should be non-negotiable.

By Theo Tsaousides Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

As an entrepreneur, you already know how easy it is to drive yourself crazy. You have to juggle multiple roles and tend to millions of tasks. You live in ambiguity, unable to predict when and where your ideas will pick up and turn into sustainable businesses. You keep questioning the value of what you offer. You have to embrace negative feedback and pretend it doesn't bring you down. You are constantly faced with small failures. Funding doesn't come through, prospective clients don't call back, focus groups aren't receptive to concepts and family vacations have to be canceled.

And while failure is an integral part of success, dealing with mistakes, complaints and rejection on a regular basis could make even the strongest self-esteem crumble. Especially when self-esteem becomes synonymous with being successful.

Entrepreneurs make huge emotional investments in their ideas. They become one with their concepts, their services and their products. Their business becomes their identity. Any loss or failure is no longer just about time and money. It is about self-worth.

And that kind of investment can be a slippery slope. The multiple demands, the relentless ambiguity and the unforeseen failures can have a detrimental effect on your mental health. Research shows that entrepreneurs are prone to several mental health issues, including: depression, anxiety, hypomania, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

One out of five people each year are diagnosed with a mental disorder. How will you make sure that this year you will not become part of this grim statistic? Below are the most effective strategies to protect your most valuable asset: your mental health.

Related: How Successful People Manage Stress

1. Mind your body.

The first step to guarding your mental health is to take care of your body. The mind-body connection is strong and reciprocal. Your physical state affects your psychological state. When you have a nasty cold, you feel unmotivated, distracted and irritable. Similarly, your own thoughts and emotions can have an impact on your physical well-being. When you are worried about making payroll at the end of the month, you may start getting severe tension headaches. Body functions known to contribute to a healthy mind include the quality of your sleep, your level of physical activity and your nutrition. All of which will have different effects on your mood, your motivation and your cognitive performance.

Related: Want to Defeat Stress, Anxiety and Worry? Exercise, Say 'Thank You' a Lot and Use The Calm App.

2. Leverage your emotions.

Emotions are not signs of weakness to be eradicated. They are indispensable, internal signals created to keep you in line with your goals. They are your evolutionary allies in your quest for success. Emotions such as: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and anxiety are non-verbal, non-cognitive ways of assessing the environment for risk, tracking progress toward a goal and evaluating the outcomes of your actions. Learning to interpret them can protect you from stress, boost your motivation and keep you more focused. Ignore them, and you have lost a valuable resource.

3. Examine your self-talk.

Self-talk is what you tell yourself in the privacy of your own head. It is the sub-vocal speech you use to operate day to day. You use it to keep yourself in check, to make decisions and to judge yourself and others. When the content of your self-talk is filled with messages about how you don't have what it takes, how no one cares about what you have to say and how difficult it is to have the life you want, your motivation will shrink, your creativity will dry up and your mood will deteriorate to alarming levels. Be mindful of what you tell yourself about yourself. If it's not helping you solve problems and make progress, change your tune.

4. Foster connections.

The stress and isolation that mark the entrepreneur's life can easily turn to serious mental torment. When you are so immersed in the life of your business, it is easy to neglect your own social life. Social support is one of the most effective natural buffers against depression and anxiety. Surrounding yourself with people who can understand what you are going through and respect your work and ambition is paramount. Having frequent contact with people you can trust and rely on provides a strong antibiotic against emotional distress.

Related: 10 Tips to Help You Remain Sane While Running Your Business

5. Seek professional help.

Entrepreneurs are used to solving problems on their own. When it comes to mental health, however, it may be wise to get an opinion from the experts. Therapy is a good option if you are looking to expand your self-awareness, gain a different perspective and share your "craziest" ideas without worrying about being judged.

But in some cases, therapy becomes a necessary option. For example, when you can't fall asleep at night because your head is pulsating with worrying thoughts about the future of your business. When you can't get out of bed in the morning because you feel unable to deal with the world. When you can't get any work done, you miss deadlines, or you have to often have to apologize for being behind schedule. And definitely when you start thinking that the world would be a better place without you in it.

Theo Tsaousides

Neuropsychologist, Speaker and Author

Theo Tsaousides is a neuropsychologist, speaker, and author of Brainblocks: Overcoming the Hidden Barriers to SuccessHe teaches leaders and entrepreneurs the neuropsychology of success, to help them make better choices, reach their goals faster, and have more fun along the way.  

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Apple Intelligence Is Finally Dropping This Week. Here's a Peek at What's Changing on Your iPhone.

Apple's iOS update will introduce features like AI summaries of text messages and an AI-powered Siri that can handle tech support questions.

Business News

A Wells Fargo Worker Was Discovered 4 Days After Dying at Her Desk. Her Cause of Death Was Just Revealed.

Medical examiners have released the cause of death of Denise Prudhomme, who was found dead at her desk in Wells Fargo's Tempe, Ariz. office.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Leadership

How to Create a Workplace Culture That Supports Digital Transformation (and Why It's Important)

Technology and culture change go hand in hand — pay attention to both!

Business News

Meta Fires Employee Making $400,000 Per Year Over a $25 Meal Voucher Issue

Other staff members were fired for the same reason, per a new report.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.