November is recognized as “Men’s Mental Health Month,” but for the purpose of this editorial, I’d like to change that to “Entrepreneur’s Mental Health Month.”
As we look at the state of the industry in this issue, overall things look good — sales and projects are both up, which is great, but there is also a downside to that in terms of overworked staff and management burnout. And just because the overall outlook is good, results vary and not every business is booming; in fact, D-Tools’ Jason Knott warns of a softening in the upper-middle bracket (jobs in the $25,000–$50,000 range), which is where many suburban homeowner projects sit.
More From the Editor: The Sorry Optimist
Regardless of the pressures of business being too good or not good enough, it is imperative that you find the time and effective ways to take care of yourself.
Recently, Founders Reports completed a survey of 227 entrepreneurs representing 46 countries about the stresses they face. They found that 87.7% of entrepreneurs struggle with at least one mental health issue, while 34.4% of entrepreneurs experience burnout and 50.2% of entrepreneurs struggle with anxiety.
That near-90% number is staggering, but I am guessing that you are not all that surprised by the findings. Hopefully, if you fall into the category, you have someone to talk to about it, but according to the survey, about a quarter (26.9%) of them feel lonely or isolated.
Therein lies the worry. It is not uncommon for business owners to keep those feelings hidden to project an impression that everything is under control, but those feelings can’t stay hidden forever. I have spoken to dealers who have said they find comfort in sharing with other integration business owners through their buying groups or similar associations.
Anne-Wallis Droter has written an article for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization website called “88% of Entrepreneurs Struggle with Mental Health: 8 Ways to Cope.” Though it was written in 2024, the information is still relevant today. In it, she offers advice on how to avoid burnout and how to lower stress in real time.
Related: Being Mindful
Though I am not an entrepreneur, stress still finds me, and the part of Droter’s advice I regularly try to practice is “establish healthy boundaries,” which includes setting a regular time to turn off notifications, carving out time with loved ones, and blocking off time for focused work. Mastering the art of saying no is in there, too, and though I know I should do it more, I have a way to go on that one.
A few years back I wrote a similar editorial for a November issue called “That State of You,” where I implored you to take time for yourselves to make sure you are at your best for your businesses. I asked you to send your escape methods to me at [email protected], and it got the most responses of any of my articles.
I invite you again to let me know how you manage your daily stresses and pressures. If I think it can help other readers, I’ll write about it here in a future issue, giving you full credit (if you want it; anonymous works, too).
Keep doing those deep-breathing exercises, and we will meet back here next month!
