For many people running a business is a dream of a lifetime. However, not everyone realizes what kind of impact such a job has on a person’s mental state. Employees often have certain thoughts about their boss’s mental integrity. Sometimes, they aren’t too far from the truth.

Business is tough work, which comes with numerous stresses, problems, anxiety, failures, and victories. All of the above can easily happen within a week or even a day. It’s not surprising that such a pace can affect a person’s mental state.

Let’s talk about how business impacts your mental state and how to avoid adverse effects.

1. Long Work Hours Lead To Stress

When you are just starting a business, you are faced with putting in long hours in order to save money on the workforce. The majority of small business owners don’t take time off, working on the weekends and holidays.

It may come as a surprise to some, but many studies have been done to evaluate the impact of long work hours on a person’s mental health. Long work hours are directly related to psychosocial stress response. Simply put, they hinder our mental health.

It’s important to make a strict work schedule and follow it. Resting time should be an integral part of that schedule. A person should have at least one day each week when he or she can do something other than work.

2. Overwhelming Responsibility Causes Anxiety

When you start having anxiety attacks, you’ll have to stop working to spend time on fixing your mental state. So it’s always better to use preventive measures such as on of these anxiety apps.

Business owners are usually overwhelmed with responsibility. Being the only person responsible for the well-being of many people as well as the success of the business isn’t just complicated, it’s tiring.

If you can’t share responsibility with a partner or an assistant, at least consider insuring your business against some failures. For example, you may want to consider asset protection strategies or basic business insurance.

3. Trying To Do Several Jobs At Once Hinders Physical Health

When you are putting in long hours and trying to do several jobs at once, such as promoting your business through SEO, keeping employees in check, and negotiation with partners, your physical health could be the first to suffer.

From headaches to insomnia, and from frequent colds to heart disease, business owners experience them all. These people have a tendency of not taking sick leaves but working regardless of their physical state.

More often than not, such forgetfulness and irresponsibility in regards to physical health lead to mental health problems. Regular physical discomfort turns into impatience, irritancy, and anxiety.

Delegation is the key to a successful business. It’s important to find people you can delegate at least some of the responsibilities to. Even if it means making fewer profits.

4. Signs That Business Has Started Affecting Your Mental Health

If you catch the problem early, you can fix it quicker and without suffering substantial losses for your business. Below are several signs you shouldn’t miss:

• It’s tough to concentrate on tasks.
• You are feeling tired after a good night’s sleep.
• The fatigue seems to be overwhelming you.
• You are feeling unusually emotional or even tearful.
• You get angry with people too often.
• You are considering alcohol as a way to reduce stress or to cope.
• You are trying to avoid social situations.
• It takes you too long to make simple business decisions

7 Things To Remember About Mental Health In The Workplace

These things should be part of the required reading for business owners. Some of you may want to print them out and hang on the office wall

1. Building  Assets

Mental health is a business owner’s most valuable asset. Just as the rest of the assets, it can be either well maintained, developed or neglected.

2. Improving Mental Performance

Business can improve mental performance. As long as you keep your mind healthy, you can improve its performance at work.

3. Flexing The Brain

Minds are flexed more often than muscles. In the majority of workplaces, your mind is working much harder than the body. When the brain “muscle” is healthy, it can create better and faster solutions, thus giving the owner a chance at a competitive edge.

4. Combining Mind And Heart

Mind and heart work together. The products and services you offer are created by thinking and feeling people. Healthy feelings are the key to a healthy mind and body.

5. Improving Turnover

Good wellbeing means a better turnover. Unhappy, unsatisfied, distracted employees and owners usually take time off, go on sick leaves, and botch deadlines. As a result, the business suffers.  

6. Battling Depression

Depression is similar to heart disease. In the business environment, an employee with depression is just as inefficient as an employee with heart disease is. These two conditions are key reasons for lost work time.

7. Supporting Mental Health

It’s the employer’s responsibility to support its workers’ health, both mental and physical. By overlooking signs of mental health problems, you are ruining your business.

Final Thoughts

Business can directly affect your mental health in numerous unfortunate ways. It’s up to you to keep tabs on your mental condition and react to the early warning signs. The key to avoiding mental health problems is allowing yourself to rest, delegating tasks, and sharing responsibilities.