Riding the Waves of Entrepreneurship: Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month
I was handed a cute lil’ swan floaty
This week’s blog is all about Mental Health Awareness Month. Ever quit your “9 to 5” to work 24/7 and think it was a good idea? Ha! Me too…..because it IS a good idea.
It’s “May Day!” May Day is a European festival that marks the beginning of summer, many of us have a pivotal mindset switch like a door opening into summer. Longer days usually mean more time with family and friends. If you’re in Houston, like me, it also means more pool and a/c time!
Since today is May 1st, I figured this would be a great month to dive into an entrepreneurial mindset, but we are kicking this first one off with all things mental health and entrepreneurship.
I’ll start things off - Hi I’m Erin. I’ve been an entrepreneur for about a decade, but I also struggle with my mental health. I was diagnosed with PTSD, Generalized Anxiety, and ADHD. I also have a connective tissue disorder that makes me really pissed and frustrated.
Missing meetings, having meltdowns, forgetting to tell someone something because I didn’t write it down. “Don’t worry (NAME OF PERSON) I’ll TOTALLY REMEMBER THIS…..” (ME -> 🤡) Sound familiar? Between school, family, work, creating content, and oh yeah my other entrepreneurial ventures, and the new ones I’m working on, things kept slipping through the cracks.
Listen, I’ve been able to crank tasks and be productive my entire life. I wasn’t looking for more productivity, I was looking for more efficiency. I can do a lot, I can be busy. I’m actually pretty good at it, my SIL always says, “My name’s Erin and I get sh*t done.”
I have this affirmation that I always tell myself, “Stay confident, you’ll get what you want.”
Here’s the thing, I didn’t want to just keep cranking stuff out, I wanted more possibility, more accuracy, and a more mindful and integrated work and life schedule. At 36 years old I took ADHD medication for the first time. I was freaking the f*ck out about taking it, but now it’s changed my life for the better. I’m less anxious and more focused, but in reality, I got what I wanted - more possibilities and more intentional focus. It was like I had been treading water and someone finally threw me a cute lil’ swan float.
Here are some facts for your May Day:
In 2019, it was reported that entrepreneurs tended to experience more mental health and addiction issues more frequently than the general public. (Study)....but that was before the pandemic, let’s look at some more up-to-date information.
95% of Entrepreneurs struggle with a work/life balance and are unsure how to create one….(not shocked.)
Entrepreneurs experience loneliness at higher rates than other professionals… (still not shocked.)
Here’s some actual 😳 info with my reactions:
This is from a study by Yael Benjamin, who is the founder of Startup Snapshot. She’s on a mission to “pull back the curtain on the toll entrepreneurship takes on mental health.”
72% of entrepreneurs and founders reported mental health impacts, which included high stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, and panic attacks… (a little shocked.)
81% of founders hide their stress, fears, and challenges from others - even from their own co-workers….(I know that feeling, but also still shocked)
Only 23% of founders see a therapist or coach… (SHOCKED AT THIS ONE.)
47% of founders exercise less than they did prior to having their own business…(kinda shocked since we “make our own schedule”)
93% would do it all over again, and 51% would open another business if their current one failed… (NOT SHOCKED.)
Here’s what I didn’t include, nor did Yael in her study: emotional labor.
In a survey completed by Resurgo back in September 2020, here are the two most shocking stats I found:
22% of the women entrepreneurs surveyed indicated they experienced “feelings of wanting to ‘escape life’ “ - that’s almost one-quarter of those surveyed…(SHOCKED.)
Entrepreneurial women work the equivalent of three jobs, yet only get paid about 50% of one….. (SHOCKED, but also not, yet SHOCKED)
Resurgo has tried to update their data, however many of the women that were originally part of the research have not continued due to the busy-ness they experience in life. They even tried to make a community for women and help solve the problems that many of us face. Even the founder was too busy for her own company - it was a “side hustle,” she was still working a full-time job.
What does all of this mean? Entrepreneurship is inherently stressful. There’s no walking down the steps into the pool…it’s straight to the deep end, hair wet and everything.
Insert mindfulness….. And a strong support system. These two things are your best cute lil’ swan floaties.
Here’s where mindfulness doesn't work:
If you constantly have to put on a fake smile/ fake attitude/ fake everything with your job. All mindfulness is going to do is point out HOW fake you feel.
Putting a timer on it, scheduling it - we’ve discussed time blocking a lot, and that’s a great strategy, but putting “journaling for 15 minutes” every day at 1:30 pm will totally break up your workflow.
Taking full responsibility for every single thing happening, and not considering systemic or organizational contributions to problems you may be facing
It’s not like your favorite home-cooked meal, it’s not a cure for all things mental health.
Because of the inherent levels of stress in our jobs, it’s important to realize what works and what doesn’t. Mindfulness DOES WORK, it’s scientifically proven, but as stated above it’s not a magic pill. Use this week to check in with your mindfulness practices and your mental health.
Let’s take a reality inventory
If you don’t know how you’re feeling, don’t worry, I gotta lil’ cute swan floatie worksheet for you to fill out. Okay Okay, it doesn’t actually have swans, but this worksheet was designed to help you with self-awareness and mindfulness.
USING THIS WORKSHEET - read the instructions, then answer the questions on a scale of 1 to 6. Then, average your score to see your results.
*Remember there are no good or bad, right or wrong scores or answers. It’s all just awareness.
This Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) really showed me where I can further support my mindfulness practices. With the addition of tracking my mindful KPIs (see last week’s blog) I really reflected on what practices were working in my life and what needs some updating. Hopefully, this is the cute lil’ swan floaty you’ve been looking for to help you find some quality floating time with mindfulness.
While this shows that entrepreneurship can be challenging, don’t forget it’s also insanely rewarding, so much so that, according to the stat above, 93% of people would do it all over again. Knowing that it’s challenging, but having the tools to support yourself is the best way to set up your entrepreneurial mindset floatation devices.
Let’s do a quick recap:
Mindfulness isn’t just about reducing stress, it’s about enhancing our ability to navigate entrepreneurship.
It doesn’t need to be perfect, just find what genuinely brings you into a state of self-awareness.
Be honest about what works and what doesn’t.
Embrace May Day with courage and strength, because you are capable of handing the challenges that come your way and you are worthy of all of the success that comes with it too!