ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND STRESS
In the HR Consultancy space, we have worked closely with entrepreneurs, especially owners of SMEs. As vision bearers, most entrepreneurs spend a lot of their time and financial resources to actualize their dreams. The excitement of seeing the hard work pay off keeps the energy up and motivates the entrepreneurs to keep going.
On the other hand, sometimes business conditions can be harsh and the reality dawns on business owners that all their hard work can easily be wiped out and recurring expenses also add to the pressure. This high stake causes entrepreneurs to push themselves sometimes without taking breaks.
Stress and pressure are inevitable when running any business; therefore, entrepreneurs must find a way to handle/manage or ease the mental and emotional burden. The following are some of the ways that can help:
- Research before starting the entrepreneurship journey: Proper research will help an entrepreneur have realistic expectations as they set out to start a business. This will greatly ease the psychological burden because they will not be caught off guard when challenges arise.
- Involve the team in decision-making: Most business owners feel like they have to deal with all the decision-making while involving their teams in brainstorming on possible business-related solutions that could ease this burden.
- Seeking Professional help: When stuck or feeling overwhelmed, entrepreneurs can seek professional help from qualified psychotherapists to assist in clearing their minds so that they can cope with work-related pressure.
- Seek counsel from other entrepreneurs: Talking to other people who understand the struggles reduces stress levels because one can get practical advice. This also creates a community where they can interact with like-minded people and reduces the feeling of loneliness when things get tough.
- Normalize having candid conversations about entrepreneurship: For a real shift to happen in entrepreneurship circles, the conversations need to also include the struggles of the journey and not just about sharing the success stories.
The above strategies portray entrepreneurs as humans and not superheroes who get it right all the time hence reducing the mental strain and loneliness faced by business owners.
