Mental Wellness as a Business Owner

When I’m not working as an Investment Banker, I host a successful podcast called The Silicon Valley Podcast. A topic that continually comes up on the show is around mental wellness of founders and business owners. This coincides with what I see consistently while helping businesses in Investment Banking. With the overlap across the spectrum, I wanted to take some takeaways from guests on the show and put them on paper for the readers of the newsletter.

What is Mental wellness??

Mental wellness is an important aspect of overall health and well-being. Being a business owner can be a challenging and stressful role, with pressure to satisfy investor expectations, responsibilities for employees and their families and pressures from one's own loved ones and friends. With all that pressure, how does one take care of themselves in order to have clear thoughts and keep things moving forward???

(*disclaimer here…these are suggestions and opinions from past guests on the podcast, please seek out the needed professionals for your situation)

Take breaks and make time for leisure activities: It's important to take breaks and make time for activities that you enjoy and that help you relax and recharge.An example would be to go on a walk, lay down, meditate, juggle... This can help you manage stress and prevent burnout.

Exercise regularly: Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve mental health. Such as going to the gym and listening to a podcast, hint, hint,?

Eat a healthy diet: A healthy diet can help you feel more energetic and focused, and it can also have a positive impact on your mood.

Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can lead to feelings of fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Make sure to get enough sleep by setting a consistent bedtime and creating a sleep-friendly environment. Surprisingly many people need more sleep than they think. A great book on this topic is Why we Sleep by Mathew Walker

Seek support: It's important to have a support network of people you can turn to for help and advice. This could include friends, family, masterminds, business coaches or a professional therapist or counselor.

Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment and accepting your thoughts and feelings without judgment. It can be a helpful way to manage stress and improve mental wellness. (Years back I did a 10 day meditation retreat and to this day, when I feel stressed, I go through the breathing techniques and instantly feel more relaxed )

Remember, it's okay to ask for help if you are struggling with your mental health. To be honest, the more interviews I have done and the more transactions I work on, the more I have come to be aware of how common of a problem this is and with that, how many resources are available to support business owners and founders. Taking care of your mental health is an important part of being a successful business owner and running a successful business.

If you thought this was helpful, please share and add to the conversation by writing a response.

***The content is not intended to provide legal, financial or M&A advice. It is for information purposes only, and any links provided are for your convenience. Please seek the services of professional(s) before making any decisions. ***

Shawn Flynn

Shawn Flynn is a Principal at a premier middle-market investment bank with a global presence. Shawn has expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, and secondaries. He speaks Mandarin and is the host of the award-winning Podcast The Silicon Valley Podcast. Connect with him on LinkedIn .