Entrepreneurs face added health challenges

Entrepreneurs face countless problems with money, partners, employees, failure, and never-ending uncertainty. The physical, mental, and emotional consequences can take their toll.

According to researchers, people who own their own businesses tend to be passionate people in the best and worst ways and are more prone to:

• Hopelessness
• Depression
• Despair
• Sense of worthlessness
• Loss of motivation
• Suicidal thinking

Entrepreneurs’ burdens are doubled by the obligation they feel to keep their problems to themselves.

Overwork and poor self-care: a recipe for disabling exhaustion

Researchers also suggest that entrepreneurs struggle with hypomania — a milder version of mania seen in 5 to 10 percent of Americans. This makes them prone to overworking.

Business owners tend to dive into their projects and succumb to poor diet, lack of sleep, not enough social support, and minimal exercise.

These habits make them less resilient emotionally and physically and more prone to health consequences.

Self-care as the foundation for business success

Though running a business or launching a startup is full of stress, you can still support your resilience, health, and energy.

Find emotional support. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. See a mental health professional if you are experiencing symptoms of significant anxiety, PTSD, or depression.

Make time for friends and family. Research shows social connections improve physical health, psychological well-being, and longevity.

Get regular, adequate sleep. According to the CDC, adults who average fewer than seven hours sleep per night are more likely to report chronic health conditions such as heart attack, stroke, asthma, SOPD, arthritis, depression, diabetes, and dementia.

Exercise regularly. Moderate daily exercise helps reduce stress, improve mood, reduce inflammation, improve sleep, manage weight, and support good gut bacteria for better brain function.

Exercise should leave you feeling energized and refreshed. If you exercise and feel exhausted, you over-did it.

Get out in nature. Spending time in nature — whether in a beautiful park, or out on the trail — elevates our sense of well-being and may reduce risk of depression.

Take a digital sabbath. Unplug for an hour every day or a full day on the weekend. It does wonders for your mental and emotional health, and it makes room for real-time social connections that further support your health.

Travel less. When we are on the road — or in an airplane — we face irregular schedules, poor diet, and sleep deprivation. When possible, avoid travel during times of stress.

Schedule time off. Create regularly scheduled time where you have absolutely no commitments, not even wrangling the kids at the playground. Make a day solely for you and only do what brings you joy and rejuvenation.

Support your gut health for good mental health. Our gut microbiome — the community of bacteria present in the digestive tract — is innately tied to many aspects of our health, from energy level to mood and brain function.

An anti-inflammatory diet will help support gut health and your stress resilience.

Eating plentiful and varied produce (with a minimum of fruit to avoid spiking blood sugar) is one of the best ways to support healthy gut bacteria. Aim for five to seven servings per day.

Support your adrenal glands. The health of our adrenal glands can make the difference between being energetic and being burned out.

Adrenal adaptogens, phosphatidylserine, and plenty of sleep are ways to support your adrenals.

Avoid junk food and excess sugar. These items put the adrenal glands into overdrive, draining them of their reserves.

When you support your health your energy increases, your mental focus improves, you become more efficient, and you are better able to handle the chaos that running a business requires.

If you need support in any of these areas, contact my office for more information.

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