Sales and Marketing - Jen Jordan
Jen Jordan brings a wealth of life and leadership experiences to her writing. After 10 years creating a variety of content for a nonprofit, Jen decided to establish her own writing business. She specializes in creating high quality blog and website content for small businesses. When she's not writing, Jen is a competitive triathlete with a goal of completing a triathlon in all 50 states.
| |
Small Business Owners and Mental Health: Caring for Personal Health and Cultivating Healthy WorkplacesIt’s not surprising that mental health is a hot topic of conversation these days. Countless surveys and studies reveal how the pandemic and other stressors continue to weigh heavily on many Americans. Small business owners must join this conversation-both from the perspective of cultivating their own mental health to providing healthy workplaces and mental health benefits to employees. Small Business Owners and Mental Health While entrepreneurship is often romanticized, owning your own business can be an isolating and stressful experience-especially during a global pandemic and economic uncertainty. However, not all stress is the same. Good stress (sometimes called a resilient response) can be motivating and increase the likelihood of success as it leads to innovation and problem-solving. Many entrepreneurs thrive in stressful environments. Bad stress can have devastating consequences, leading to cognitive and somatic issues. This type of stress can hinder success and negatively impact every area of life. Stress can lead to burnout and feelings of numbness. Many small business owners report symptoms of burnout and question whether they want to keep their businesses going. Building good mental health habits for yourself and your team can bring many benefits, including improved productivity and overall performance, better communication, more creativity, and more focus. Here are some practical steps small business owners can take to care for their own mental health. Allow yourself to feel: Entrepreneurs are excellent at compartmentalizing. It’s a necessary skill to separate and suppress feelings, fears, and anxieties throughout the day. Create time and space to acknowledge your feelings. Some entrepreneurs find it helpful to journal or use audio recordings to express their feelings. Physical health impacts mental health: Our mental and physical health are inextricably linked. Cultivating a healthy body can have positive impacts on overall health.
Whether it’s a quick 15-minute stretch break in your workday or setting a hydration goal, these small steps can have positive impacts on your mental health and resilience. Practice gratitude: Cultivate a habit and mindset of gratitude. Take time each day to identify specific things for which you’re thankful. Whether it’s writing them down at the beginning or end of the day or a less formal practice, gratitude can help reframe your perspective and bring a sense of balance to your life. Cultivating Healthy Workplaces In addition to caring for your mental health, small business owners can lead the way in cultivating healthy workplaces for employees. Mental health isn’t something that can be left to deal with privately, and a growing number of younger workers are bringing it to the forefront. Many small businesses will need to consider providing mental health benefits as a central part of their overall compensation packages to attract and retain top talent. Small businesses have some advantages when it comes to creating healthy work environments. The close-knit teams often found in smaller businesses can make cultivating greater openness, understanding, and cooperation easier. One key to overall success is ensuring your employees feel confident about asking for what they need to succeed at work and at home. Every employee has unique circumstances. Take time to listen, recognize those needs, and work together to find solutions that benefit both the company and the employee. As the country continues to grapple with the conversation about mental health, small businesses can set the example by cultivating healthy workplaces, better work-life balance, and overall respect for the needs of individuals. Works Cited https://smallbusinessify.com/how-to-deal-with-mental-health-in-your-small-business/ https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/26/small-business-work-mental-health https://www.verywellmind.com/the-plight-of-the-small-business-owner-5222431 https://about.gosite.com/blog/small-business-mental-health https://ducttapemarketing.com/small-business-mental-health/ |
|