Why is it important for founders to invest in mental health?
Giving up: a phrase and stage that everyone has been familiar with at one point in their lives, so why is it that this mantra is one that seems to echo in the ears of founders more frequently than others?
Maybe the key to identifying the reasons behind the frequency of ‘giving up’ in the ears of founders is identifying what they would be giving up. It is not necessarily their vision that they would be giving up. No. It is giving up the pain, the pressure, and the responsibility. It is a form of relief; a temptation to give up this struggle and stress which is almost synonymous to being a founder. It is a way of being released from an emotional burden.
For some, this burden might resonate with impostor syndrome, for others, it might be a loss of vision and scope, while burnout never fails to loom in the background. And while many might be aware of the existence of such factors, few are the ones willing to tackle them, to invest in them.
Just like there are many mental health matters, there are almost always double the reasons as to why mental health is put aside, put off, brushed under the carpet, or placed at the back of the cabinet to be forgotten.
Founders find it difficult to talk about issues related to mental health, viewing it as a weakness, as a failure of themselves and subsequently their business.
In a corporate world where the competition is high, founders expect themselves to build an iron armour and drive their company forward – an iron armour that has no space or time for exhaustion, depression, burnout and anxiety. An armour that protects them while isolating them, preventing them from externalizing their feelings, fears and troubles, and making it difficult for them to talk about such worries, making it close to impossible for them to reach out to others and to seek help.
A facade of protection and strength.
Only these elements are not really forgotten, they are the rust that erodes the armour from the inside out. Instead, what is seen as a weakness can oftentimes be one’s greatest strength. Or rather, investing in monitoring such factors can turn into someone’s greatest strength; their greatest investment.
Let’s break it down into business terms, shall we?
Founders are willing to invest thousands, millions into their company, into bringing their vision to life with the hopes that the more they invest, the greater the turnover. Additionally, founders never shy away from investing in the well-being of their team, organising social gatherings for others’ benefit, whether those are their employees or clients.
But what about them? Shouldn’t founders be spending time and money for themselves too?
Mental health should also be seen as a form of investment: an investment into one’s self. Because at the end of the day, what is a company’s greatest asset if not the brains behind the concept, the soul behind the vision, the heart that pumps blood into the vessels of this growing organisation? The greatest investment one can make for their company is to invest in themselves.
It is a vicious cycle. If a founder is suffering from exhaustion and burnout, it is all the more likely that their performance will deteriorate; problems that were initially seen as sand dunes start to take the form of rock-solid mountains threatening to swallow up the beholder. It is a matter of perspective. Of taking a step back and re-evaluating the situation.
It is in the small things: a thirty-minute walk is half an hour wasted from working on tackling a problem head-on, or so it may seem. It is also half an hour that allows for the expansion of the mind, which allows for taking a step back and looking at the problem from a different angle. It is half an hour not wasted but reinvested.
You, dear founder, are not made of your company. The company is made of you.
Hence, the greatest investment you can make both for yourself and subsequently your company is to invest in yourself and your mental health. As a founder, you are a pioneer, thus dare yourself to be a pioneer with your mental health too, to inspire your team, your investors, and last but not least, other founders.
And there will be moments when, as Phil Knight says, you will want to give up, when the pressure and stress will be immaculate. Investing in your mental health will not eliminate such moments, no delusions there. But what investing in your mental health will do, is relieve the load, and make it easier to deal with such moments. It will build a shield for your founder armour helping you to march forward and not stop.
Never stop.
Written by: Eleni Socratous, Marketing and Community Associate
Why is it important for founders to invest in mental health?
Giving up: a phrase and stage that everyone has been familiar with at one point in their lives, so why is it that this mantra is one that seems to echo in the ears of founders more frequently than others?
Maybe the key to identifying the reasons behind the frequency of ‘giving up’ in the ears of founders is identifying what they would be giving up. It is not necessarily their vision that they would be giving up. No. It is giving up the pain, the pressure, and the responsibility. It is a form of relief; a temptation to give up this struggle and stress which is almost synonymous to being a founder. It is a way of being released from an emotional burden.
For some, this burden might resonate with impostor syndrome, for others, it might be a loss of vision and scope, while burnout never fails to loom in the background. And while many might be aware of the existence of such factors, few are the ones willing to tackle them, to invest in them.
Just like there are many mental health matters, there are almost always double the reasons as to why mental health is put aside, put off, brushed under the carpet, or placed at the back of the cabinet to be forgotten.
Founders find it difficult to talk about issues related to mental health, viewing it as a weakness, as a failure of themselves and subsequently their business.
In a corporate world where the competition is high, founders expect themselves to build an iron armour and drive their company forward – an iron armour that has no space or time for exhaustion, depression, burnout and anxiety. An armour that protects them while isolating them, preventing them from externalizing their feelings, fears and troubles, and making it difficult for them to talk about such worries, making it close to impossible for them to reach out to others and to seek help.
A facade of protection and strength.
Only these elements are not really forgotten, they are the rust that erodes the armour from the inside out. Instead, what is seen as a weakness can oftentimes be one’s greatest strength. Or rather, investing in monitoring such factors can turn into someone’s greatest strength; their greatest investment.
Let’s break it down into business terms, shall we?
Founders are willing to invest thousands, millions into their company, into bringing their vision to life with the hopes that the more they invest, the greater the turnover. Additionally, founders never shy away from investing in the well-being of their team, organising social gatherings for others’ benefit, whether those are their employees or clients.
But what about them? Shouldn’t founders be spending time and money for themselves too?
Mental health should also be seen as a form of investment: an investment into one’s self. Because at the end of the day, what is a company’s greatest asset if not the brains behind the concept, the soul behind the vision, the heart that pumps blood into the vessels of this growing organisation? The greatest investment one can make for their company is to invest in themselves.
It is a vicious cycle. If a founder is suffering from exhaustion and burnout, it is all the more likely that their performance will deteriorate; problems that were initially seen as sand dunes start to take the form of rock-solid mountains threatening to swallow up the beholder. It is a matter of perspective. Of taking a step back and re-evaluating the situation.
It is in the small things: a thirty-minute walk is half an hour wasted from working on tackling a problem head-on, or so it may seem. It is also half an hour that allows for the expansion of the mind, which allows for taking a step back and looking at the problem from a different angle. It is half an hour not wasted but reinvested.
You, dear founder, are not made of your company. The company is made of you.
Hence, the greatest investment you can make both for yourself and subsequently your company is to invest in yourself and your mental health. As a founder, you are a pioneer, thus dare yourself to be a pioneer with your mental health too, to inspire your team, your investors, and last but not least, other founders.
And there will be moments when, as Phil Knight says, you will want to give up, when the pressure and stress will be immaculate. Investing in your mental health will not eliminate such moments, no delusions there. But what investing in your mental health will do, is relieve the load, and make it easier to deal with such moments. It will build a shield for your founder armour helping you to march forward and not stop.
Never stop.
Written by: Eleni Socratous, Marketing and Community Associate
Why is it important for founders to invest in mental health?
Giving up: a phrase and stage that everyone has been familiar with at one point in their lives, so why is it that this mantra is one that seems to echo in the ears of founders more frequently than others?
Maybe the key to identifying the reasons behind the frequency of ‘giving up’ in the ears of founders is identifying what they would be giving up. It is not necessarily their vision that they would be giving up. No. It is giving up the pain, the pressure, and the responsibility. It is a form of relief; a temptation to give up this struggle and stress which is almost synonymous to being a founder. It is a way of being released from an emotional burden.
For some, this burden might resonate with impostor syndrome, for others, it might be a loss of vision and scope, while burnout never fails to loom in the background. And while many might be aware of the existence of such factors, few are the ones willing to tackle them, to invest in them.
Just like there are many mental health matters, there are almost always double the reasons as to why mental health is put aside, put off, brushed under the carpet, or placed at the back of the cabinet to be forgotten.
Founders find it difficult to talk about issues related to mental health, viewing it as a weakness, as a failure of themselves and subsequently their business.
In a corporate world where the competition is high, founders expect themselves to build an iron armour and drive their company forward – an iron armour that has no space or time for exhaustion, depression, burnout and anxiety. An armour that protects them while isolating them, preventing them from externalizing their feelings, fears and troubles, and making it difficult for them to talk about such worries, making it close to impossible for them to reach out to others and to seek help.
A facade of protection and strength.
Only these elements are not really forgotten, they are the rust that erodes the armour from the inside out. Instead, what is seen as a weakness can oftentimes be one’s greatest strength. Or rather, investing in monitoring such factors can turn into someone’s greatest strength; their greatest investment.
Let’s break it down into business terms, shall we?
Founders are willing to invest thousands, millions into their company, into bringing their vision to life with the hopes that the more they invest, the greater the turnover. Additionally, founders never shy away from investing in the well-being of their team, organising social gatherings for others’ benefit, whether those are their employees or clients.
But what about them? Shouldn’t founders be spending time and money for themselves too?
Mental health should also be seen as a form of investment: an investment into one’s self. Because at the end of the day, what is a company’s greatest asset if not the brains behind the concept, the soul behind the vision, the heart that pumps blood into the vessels of this growing organisation? The greatest investment one can make for their company is to invest in themselves.
It is a vicious cycle. If a founder is suffering from exhaustion and burnout, it is all the more likely that their performance will deteriorate; problems that were initially seen as sand dunes start to take the form of rock-solid mountains threatening to swallow up the beholder. It is a matter of perspective. Of taking a step back and re-evaluating the situation.
It is in the small things: a thirty-minute walk is half an hour wasted from working on tackling a problem head-on, or so it may seem. It is also half an hour that allows for the expansion of the mind, which allows for taking a step back and looking at the problem from a different angle. It is half an hour not wasted but reinvested.
You, dear founder, are not made of your company. The company is made of you.
Hence, the greatest investment you can make both for yourself and subsequently your company is to invest in yourself and your mental health. As a founder, you are a pioneer, thus dare yourself to be a pioneer with your mental health too, to inspire your team, your investors, and last but not least, other founders.
And there will be moments when, as Phil Knight says, you will want to give up, when the pressure and stress will be immaculate. Investing in your mental health will not eliminate such moments, no delusions there. But what investing in your mental health will do, is relieve the load, and make it easier to deal with such moments. It will build a shield for your founder armour helping you to march forward and not stop.
Never stop.
Written by: Eleni Socratous, Marketing and Community Associate