Three Key Ways To Avoid Depression And Anxiety As An Entrepreneur

Once upon a time there was a small town and few people were gossiping under a banyan tree. It was sunny afternoon of winters and people were just spending time there. Suddenly a lion came running and there was a man sitting on top of it. Everyone saw it and talked how brave and courageous that man was and dreamt of becoming one secretly. That man on the other hand was thinking "How and why the hell did he got on the lion, and now how he can keep himself from getting eaten?". If you are an Entrepreneur this might sound familiar where everyone around thinks you are going great thing and very courageous. Whereas in reality you are very scared and struggling every second for the survival - fighting against all odds for standing up to the expectations of investors, employees, clients, family, peers, etc.

As per hard facts based on the study conducted by Dr. Freeman of University of California, there are 1 in 3 entrepreneurs who live in constant state of depression and anxiety. This comes to a shocking fact that 30% of all entrepreneurs experience depression.

Why this all hoopla around Entrepreneurship

Successful entrepreneurship has carried a cult figure in the Universities and research centers around the world. We have seen that the people who are Successful in this field have a Hero status in our world stage. We have seen so many idols like Mark Zuckerbergs, Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, etc. We wish to be like them and follow there success in the small dream companies we own.

You tend to set up huge goals for yourself and constantly are under pressure to fulfil those. The bigger the gap between where you are and your expectations of where you should be, the higher the stress.

Entrepreneurs and Depression or Anxiety

The correlation between depression and running a venture is not new. There had been examples we contantly hear in news about the few high profile suicides and locking oneself down. These examples are enough to raise the warning signs about the effects of licing a pressured life of an Entrepreneur. Business Leaders, instead of howing their vulnerabilities, practiced what social psychiatrists call managing external impression - which is simply known as "fake it till you make it".

With the changing times, more entrepreneurs started speaking about their internal sufferings and struggles. People have come up from all corners to talk about their own struggles and the days of soliture and despair. Although these people failed, they struggled, they have managed to accept the tough part and highly recommended to ask for help in such situations instead of shutting youself down.

Another level of complication is added by the fact that new entrepreneurs often neglect their health. You might end up eating too much or too little. You might not sleep and exercise enough. You cannot push yourself and abuse your body,"

A famous quote by John Gartner says that "If you're manic, you think you're Jesus. If you're hypomanic, you think you're God's gift to technology investing."

Top 3 tips for the Entrepreneurs to survive the troubled waters

Speak Openly About Your Struggles and Stop Feeling Ashamed - Anxiety and depression can happen to any person. View your illness like any other illness.
Build Your Mental Resilience - Take care of your mental fitness everyday. Take benefits of mindfulness and meditation seriously and reduce the effects of depression and anxiety.
Work On Your Physical Health - You are what you eat. Take time for exercise and healthy eating.