An article in the Daily Mirror highlighted that research carried out for Santander has found that working through the COVID-19 pandemic has led to negative mental health effects for a third of small business owners – while two in five are questioning whether they want to continue running their business. Around 40% of women reported an impact on their mental health, compared to less than a third of men.
Small Business Owners Report iBOSS Comments:
My first thought on this was how difficult these times are for all small business owners. Then I wondered how accurate the stats to be for men? Research has shown that men are more likely to be less forthcoming when admitting, what by them, can be perceived as a weakness. Admitting to being under stress can often fall into that category.
The real truth of the matter is that there’s a large amount of business owner’s male and female under a lot of stress in the current climate. There are many excellent mental health professionals out there that give direct support to helping you personally through difficult times. There are also business professionals that can step in and support you and your business by offering a fresh approach and taking some of the strain. Most business consultants have at some time in their career been through difficult periods and have felt the stress of ‘how do I get out of a difficult situation’? Those that have come through the other side will tell you they sought help in one form or another.
The trouble is a lot of people going through this stressful time only see professional help as an additional cost. The real question is at what cost will this continued stress eventually bring to yourself, your family, and your business?
Remember it’s good to talk!
For more help and advice on how you can relieve stress from your business contact phil@theiboss.co.uk
Remember if you really are suffering from mental health issues and you need extra professional support I would urge you to call the samaritans or look online at the mind website for help.