Sherry Walling, PhD, a clinical psychologist who works with entrepreneurs, cautions that burnout is a lot more serious than it sounds. This includes, “Racialized people being more impacted by COVID, the political uprisings, the increase in racist acts and hate crimes.” Why burnout shouldn’t be ignored “There are so many intersectional layers,” Chivon says. While the pandemic has certainly highlighted some of these challenges, it hasn’t been the only factor impacting mental health rates in certain groups. Although the balance is steadily improving, the brunt of “informal care” still falls to women. One study found that the workload among entrepreneurial women amounted to three full-time jobs, while their pay only reflected 50% of one job. The pressure to keep up has affected some groups more than others. “There’s no one telling you to take that break.” You’re supposed to be constantly in this motion,” says Chivon. “There’s this feeling that you can’t pause or take your foot off the gas, essentially. Hustle culture, which has permeated stories from startup leaders, still has a pull on business owners. “The grief didn’t come for six months.” In crisis, entrepreneurs react in the way they know how: working harder. “Right after the fire, I was in go mode,” she says. The founder of Moss Botanicals watched her home and business burn to the ground in a California wildfire. “Hustle culture can be a response to that stress,” she says, “because if I just hustle, hustle, hustle, I feel like I have power.” She helps entrepreneurs mitigate stress and burnout by helping them to approach their businesses creatively while avoiding the pressure to adopt hustle culture. In her work, business coach and mental health advocate Nora Rahamian has witnessed the same with her clients. Chivon John leads wellness programming at Shopify. “If anything, the more passionate and dedicated you are, the more mindful of burnout you have to be because you’re not necessarily going to put up those guardrails,” she says. In her experience, the opposite is often true. She bristles at the expression “When you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Overworking as a coping mechanismĬhivon John is the Global Wellness Lead at Shopify and runs her own business on the side. Three experts who work at the intersection of mental health and entrepreneurship spoke to us about the causes and impacts of mental health struggles on founders-as well as their optimism for the future. Among this group, isolation, lack of resources, and the pressure to adopt hustle culture can pile up. Studies show, in fact, that entrepreneurs often report higher levels of certain mental health symptoms versus the general population. Entrepreneurs like Monisha are not immune-even if they normally thrive in the high stakes conditions of starting a business solo. The organization also reported that the global prevalence of depression and anxiety increased by 25% during the first year of the pandemic. Her creativity tanked and she struggled to get out of bed.ĭepression is a leading cause of disability, according to the WHO. The stress of the new role surfaced underlying anxiety and depression. Monisha Edwards was running her own successful branding agency when the unthinkable happened: her father was wounded and she became his caregiver. This series shines a spotlight on the issues that impact entrepreneurs every day-along with solutions and resources to help put your wellbeing first. While this is a reminder to pause and reflect on the importance of self care, mental health is a priority all year long. Mental Health Awareness Month happens every May.
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