BUSINESS AND MENTAL HEALTH
Posted on February 03, 2023 by Mark Julian, One of Thousands of ADD ADHD Coaches on Noomii.
In 2023, mental health and well-being has become a budget line item - and it's about time! Here are a few reasons why this is so important right now.
My dad owned a small retail shop in D.C. Downtown Historic District. He loved story telling and sharing jokes with friendly customers and suppliers. Growing up in the family business, I frequently overheard these tales, many of which were, to me, cringe-worthy at best.
I remember one that involved two men arguing in…a bar, of course. The argument soon escalated to shouting when one yelled out, “You’re just wrong! After all, everybody knows you’re crazy!” To which the other reaches into his pocket, pulls out an envelope from the state mental institution and retorts, “I’m not crazy and I have the papers to prove it! Now let’s see yours!”
It was sort of a joke within a joke back then, which relied on a general lack of personal understanding and knowledge in order to get a laugh. My Pop’s generation, later dubbed The Greatest Generation, often equated mental health and mental illness as if they were one and the same. And for many working class Americans, mental illness was falsely equated with a lack of intellect and/or erratic, even violent conduct. For many, it was locked away and spoken of in whispers as a sad or shameful thing.
Thankfully, today we’re coming to know and understand so much more about ourselves and our brains. The National Institute of Health, NIH reports that in 2021, “Scientists have learned more about the brain in the last 10 years than in all previous centuries.” That’s a lot of study, research and data! And much of it made possible by entrepreneurs participation in the rise of nanotechnology.
Some principles worth knowing or remembering:
• Your brain is engaged in everything you do.
• This includes thought, memory, emotions, attention, touch, movement, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates the body.
• Brains are at the heart of every business, government and creation within a society, including the society.
• When it works right, you work right.• Like snowflakes, no two brains are identical, so every brain is absolutely unique.
• The human brain is the most complex organ in your body – in fact, it’s the most complex organ in the known universe.
• Brains are a soft, light grey, gelatinous mass that weigh in at around 7 lbs., most of which is water.
• Many things hurt the brain.• Many things help the brain.
• The human brain can change.
A renaissance, so to speak, with the brain and with mental health and wellness couldn’t have come at a more critical time.
Since March of 2020, mental health challenges have been at all-time highs. One study by Mental Health UK headlines: Four In Five Small Business Owners Experiencing Poor Mental Health. Daniel Amen, MD, founder of the Amen Clinics notes, “Brain related conditions affect 200 million Americans at some point in their lives.”
In December, 2021, Inc. magazine reported, “Entrepreneurs have a higher than average rate of anxiety and depression.” And Brene Brown points out, “Another pandemic is going to follow this one – and it’s already started – which is a real mental health pandemic.”
I’m personally grateful that we’re living in a time when an entrepreneur, namely Elon Musk, openly shares that he is both on the autism spectrum and has bi-polar disorder. That’s an inspiring story for a business owner to model after!
First, it’s worth reframing mental health to be foremost, just good health. Secondly, it’s simply good business, too! The health conditions below are those most frequently cited by business owners today:
• Depression & Anxiety
• Attention challenges
• Brain fog & Memory problems
• Insomnia
• Panic attacks
If you happen to be struggling with these or another health concern, please take note that you are not alone. Reach out to a mental health professional or ask a friend or family member to help you do so. High- performing entrepreneurs most often have coaches, therapists and teams that provide support and help drive solutions. There’s no reason not to use a similar strategy for your mental health journey and your businesses success!
About the Author:
Mark Julian is the President of ClearView Consulting & Coaching, LLC, which provides career and business counseling solutions; customized ADHD performance tool-kits, and process-driven coaching to individuals and businesses. He is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and business owner/operator drawing from decades of first-hand business experience and professional coaching expertise.
Mark is also a Senior Business Counselor at Mason SBDC. He counsels start-up and veteran business owners and specializes in business-concept-review, marketing/sales, and general operations and processes.
