It's okay to not be okay in business.

Being an entrepreneur can be an exhilarating ride. Many of my client describe it as being on a rollercoaster: awesome and exciting highs coupled with painful and hard lows. Many focus on the sunshine and joy of business ownership, which is often exacerbated by our social media driven culture where we curate our experiences to make everything seem phenomenal.

It is tough to allow the world to see the darker side, it goes against our instincts, and so we absorb the stress, the agony, and the strain of entrepreneurship.

Running a business is no easy ride - in fact, if you want an easy life, don't start a business. Whilst the upsides can be great, the emotional and mental impact of relentless work can chip away slowly.

45% of entrepreneurs reported to Gallup that they are stressed, but that is not the full picture.

30% of entrepreneurs reported being depressed (compared to 15% of the general public), and 12% reported being addicted to something, compared with 4% of the public.

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and therefore is a good time for us to reflect: entrepreneurship can be tough, entrepreneurship can be lonely, entrepreneurship can demand all of our energy, motivation, enthusiasm and resilience just to keep staggering from one event to another. People are reliant upon you, the pressure to succeed increases as the number of people who need you increases.

Stress and pressure in small doses can be perfectly healthy, and can help the entrepreneur make breathroughs in their business; but when it continues over a sustained period of time, it can lead to serious mental health issues as well as impact on our physical wellbeing. High profile cases of entrepreneurs who seemed to have it all taking their life reminds us how fragile the wellbeing of a business owner can be.

As someone who has publicly written about their challenges with mental health (a battle that never truly ends), I wanted to write to anyone reading this article who is struggling and say...I SEE YOU.

You are not alone. You do not have to constantly display strength. You do not have to struggle in silence, fearful of sharing your fears and stresses with others.

Here are some tips to ensure you begin to care for yourself more:

• Sleep (don't skip sleep, you are not helping yourself if you don't have regular doses of good sleep - aim for 7 or 8 hours per night, and move away from your phone and from work at least an hour before bed)
• Exercise (create a routine of regular movement and exercise - no matter how small, no matter how short. I live for my runs and my long distance cycling - they allow me to focus on an objective that isn't goal related, they keep me healthy, and they allow me the time I need to reflect on my business and life and get some perspective).
• Reflection and meditation (What are you grateful for? What worked today? What one thing will you start doing, stop doing, or do more of tomorrow to ensure that tomorrow is marginally better than today. I'm not great with meditation but I love my Calm app, where I fall asleep to a the sounds of nature or a bedtime sleep story...honestly, give it a try!)
• Companionship and community (Join a group, online or offline. Sign up for a mastermind or a coaching programme. Spend your time with other people who challenge, inspire, motivate and support you. Entrepreneurship can feel lonely, but you don't need to be alone).

So listen out for the warning signs in your mind and your body, avoid seeing it as weakness, and seek help from those who can support effectively. Don't attempt to struggle through by yourself. The world doesn't need another entrepreneur giving up, collapsing, breaking down or taking their life. The world needs you to be open, honest, upfront about your challenges, and to be prepared to allow others to support and champion you.

If you need to talk get in touch with me, or someone else you can trust.

Your best days are ahead of you, you've got this.

(Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/)