Freelancers and Entrepreneurs Need to Prioritize Their Mental Health

When I became fully self-employed three years ago, I had a long list of things I wanted to invest in to ensure my social media consultancy was a success. My checklist included standard items like getting a website, securing an LLC and finding a business banking account. Missing from my list was anything pertaining to my mental health.

There should have been.

Entrepreneurs experience higher rates of mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder and addiction in comparison to their non-entrepreneurial counterparts.

“The prevalence and co-occurrence of psychiatric conditions among entrepreneurs and their families,” published in the journal Small Business Economics, found startling statistics about the prevalence of mental illness affecting entrepreneurs in comparison to the general population.

The report found that 30% of entrepreneurs in the study struggle with depression, in comparison to 15% of non-entrepreneurs.

Due to the uncertainty many entrepreneurs face, these results are understandable. We push ourselves toward our dreams. We grind almost 24/7. While our passion can be admirable, it can cause many of us to push through without prioritizing our mental health, with dangerous consequences.

I became a reluctant entrepreneur after losing my job, no less than 60 days after closing on my first house. To say I was stressed is a severe understatement. However, I could secure small client projects faster than hiring managers could ghost me, so I persisted without dealing with the angst I felt when I unexpectedly lost my job.

Read the full article in The Mighty.