5 Ways To Support Your Mental Health As A Business Owner

What does a marketing company have to say about mental health? You might be surprised. Bellrae Marketing exists to impact as many lives as possible, and we help our clients do the same. Mental health is such an important topic that we want to go out on a limb and share some of our own personal experiences in hopes that it can impact someone in a positive way.

Hey everyone, it’s Carly here! When I launched Bellrae Marketing in 2017 I was working full time as a Marketing Manager and preparing for my company’s launch simultaneously. That meant I was waking up at 5 am to do work before going into work, and coming home after work to do more work, usually until midnight. In hindsight, probably not the best for my mental health. But I did what had to be done and like most entrepreneurs, just pushed through. However, as I reflect on that time, and many others before and after, there are many things that I would want that girl to know.

1. Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries can be very difficult, especially when you are someone who cares so deeply about others. However, boundaries are necessary. It’s so important to protect your own space. Boundaries are one of the ways you can do so. Whether it’s boundaries with clients, friends, family, or co-workers, it can be tough to implement, but so very necessary.

2. Make Time For Play

I know someone out there needs to hear this right now: making time for play is just as important (if not more important) than the hustle and grind. Whether you’re a young entrepreneur who’s just starting out, or you’ve been a long time business owner, making time to have fun is vital. Otherwise, you face burnout, anxiety, and stress. Which also leads to having terrible physical effects on our bodies.

3. Pause

We live in a fast-paced, busy world. As business owners, there’s constantly something going on that needs our attention. We can get lost in the day-to-day priorities, but what about prioritizing yourself? Take a moment when you need it. Take 5, go on a walk, meditate. Do what you need to do.

4. Give Yourself Grace

Your workload isn’t going anywhere, and frankly, your output isn’t going to be great if you’re exhausted and overwhelmed. There are going to be days where you don’t feel as motivated as the day before or the day after. That’s okay. The road to success is not a straight line pointing upward, like any progress, it has peaks and valleys.

Give yourself grace. I like to remind myself to speak to myself as if I were talking to a friend. I would never give a friend a hard time about not getting enough done when they were exhausted and needed to just take a day, so why would I do that to myself? We tend to have unrealistic expectations for ourselves and it’s good to be reminded to give yourself some grace.

5. Don’t Fall Into Comparison Traps

Woo, this is a big one! Comparison is the theft of joy. Don’t compare your day 1 to someone else’s day 1,000. The more focused you can be on yourself and those you love, the better off you’ll be. Don’t get caught up in a shame spiral on social media because you’re not as far along in your career as you wanted to be. Don’t worry about if someone else’s Instagram grid is prettier than yours. You don’t know what’s real and what’s an illusion on social media. Oftentimes the couples and people who seemingly have a perfect life on social media are struggling the most.

It can be difficult to remind yourself not to compare yourself and your work to others, but it’s truly pointless. Everyone is unique and no one can do exactly what you do, and how you do it.

Bonus: Express Gratitude

Having a heart full of gratitude will get you far. When you reflect daily on the things you’re grateful for, you train your brain to be on the lookout for the good in the day-to-day grind. I write down 10 things I’m grateful for almost every day. I can say I truly feel happier when I’m doing this practice. When I do this I notice things, no matter how small, throughout the day that make me say “Oh, I want to make sure I write this down tomorrow!” Hence, the training of your brain to notice the good vs things that are going wrong or causing you anxiety.

Mental Health Awareness

I know this isn’t the typical content that you’d expect from a ‘marketing company.’ But, like I said in the beginning, Bellrae Marketing exists to impact as many lives as possible, and if this content can help one person who’s going through a hard time, then that’s something for us to be proud of! What other tips do you have that help you when you’re feeling overwhelmed? Leave a comment and let us know!