Running your own successful business is the stuff of hero myth in America. Your desire to take the risk, undertake the effort and see it through, sets you apart from many other people.  Your character strengths (for more information and a personal assessment of your character strengths, see my book.) are your gifts and, sometimes, your burden to bear.

In her 2014 Inc, 5000 article Jessica Bruder quotes psychiatrist and former entrepreneur Michael A. Freeman.

“People who are on the energetic, motivated, and creative side are both more likely to be entrepreneurial and more likely to have strong emotional states,” says Freeman. Those states may include depression, despair, hopelessness, worthlessness, loss of motivation, and suicidal thinking.”

The good news is, this assessment does not apply to everyone. Other studies find that entrepreneurs, have a significantly lower incidence of physical and mental illnesses, visit the hospital less often, and report higher levels of life satisfaction than employees.

But what if you find your freely chosen role of entrepreneur is causing you anxiety, depression, despair and hopelessness?  Here are some suggestions from those who have been there.

Don’t value work and your business over love.

Make time for your loved ones, suggests Freeman. “Don’t let your business squeeze out your connections with human beings,”. When it comes to fighting off depression, relationships with friends and family can be powerful weapons.

Limit your financial exposure.

Know your numbers.  Complete your current reality spread sheet (in the book), set a limit on how much you are willing to invest and do not let friends and family invest more than they can afford to lose.

Pay attention to your health.

Regular exercise, good food, regular sleep are all important.  Entrepreneurial culture admires long hours. Elon Musk claims to work 120 hours a week, sleeping at his factory.  While this may seem like laser focus and dedication his erratic behavior is causing chaos for him and his company.

Remember, self-worth is not the same as net worth.

This is a hard one for entrepreneurs.While money may distinguish a successful business from a failing business, money is not the key to happiness.Relationships, health, being engaged and challenged are more important.  To keep your balance, take time to find pleasure and success in otherendeavorsunrelated to your work.

Reframe

If your business flounders, don’t tell yourself you are a looser.  Remember you are risk taker with a vision and determination.Take inventory of what you have learned; develop a plan and execute. Make something from the ashes.

I am an advocate for carefully designing your business to enhance your life, support your values and connect you to people who appreciate you and value your contribution.  To find out more, read my book.

Photo by Fernando @cferdo on Unsplash