Mental Health and Entrepreneurship: Recap and Takeaways

On Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021, Food System 6 brought together a group of industry leaders to talk about the importance of mental health and well being for entrepreneurs. Below is a summary of the conversation and some key takeaways for anyone looking to prioritize their own health, the well being of their teams, and the longevity of their success. Scroll to the bottom to watch the full event recording.

One of the key takeaways from this conversation emerged early on in the conversation. FS6 Therapist-in-Residence, Rishi Nijhon, brought up the idea that mental health and healthcare are not two separate entities - it’s all just healthcare!

“This idea that our mental health is a separate entity and is not related to our overall well being is false and it leads to a lot of stigma.” - Rishi Nijhon 

You do not need to be at a breaking point or in a state of crisis to seek mental health support. Preventative medicine is optimal - whether we are talking about mental health or physical health.

Burnout Culture

As entrepreneurs and innovators, we are all too familiar with the glamorization of burnout culture - in fact, many of us have fallen prey to the idea that hyperproductivity is a badge of honor that is worth the cost. However, “when an entrepreneur buys into this old narrative that we need to grind hard and push through to be successful,” it takes a toll “not only on the entrepreneur but on their business,” says Pam Chaloult, executive coach and FS6 mentor.

“It is courageous and brave to stand in clarity that we must take care of ourselves.” -  Pam Chaloult

About our webinar group

• 71% said that therapy has been a good resource for them
• 86% wish they had more opportunities for self care
  
• 64% said that time is the main barrier to seeking support
• 79% wish they had access to more mental health tools and resources

Wellbeing in the Time of COVID-19

Being nearly a year into this pandemic, it can feel like the urgency of our discomfort has shifted - that we should “get used to it” or that we no longer have an excuse to be struggling with the changes brought on by this crisis. However, the prevalence of this prolonged stressor across our lives - in work, family, friends, and private life - is leading to a rise in anxiety and a drop in focus.

“If you are having a hard time focusing, staying on task, motivating, and following through,” says Rishi Nijhon, “you are having a natural human response to an extreme environmental condition. It is not because you are lazy, or you lack discipline, or you are not good enough.”

All three of our speakers dug into the idea that we need to continue to extend compassion to ourselves and others and that “it’s okay to not be 100% everyday.”

“COVID has helped us to [see that] we really need to take a stance of understanding - with our management, our employees, their families. It has opened the door to having more open conversations.” - James Serlin, founder of Revel Meat Co.

Facilitating a Paradigm Shift

This conversation would not be complete without the recognition that there are additional biases and pressures for female and BIPOC leaders and entrepreneurs to be “superheroes” - to be strong yet soft, family-focused yet ambitious, to be facilitators and educators. First off, thank you to our participants for asking “how do you get people to understand?” and “how do we create containers within our teams… so we can all feel safely heard?”

For FS6, this conversation is an invitation to find community and to engage with others who are exploring these questions. We must all work together to keep naming these issues, to continue bringing awareness to this narrative, and to remind our communities to think about these challenges. “We are building the ship as we sail it,” says Rishi Nijhon. 

“It is our work together that is going to change this story and change these conditions.” - Pam Chaloult

For any woman-identifying entrepreneurs who are interested in diving deeper into this dialogue, we recommend exploring the upcoming Social Venture Institute virtual convening.

Tools, Takeaways, and Best Practices

• Box Breathing: this centering technique can be used by anyone who needs to take a moment to gather themselves and assess their emotional needs. Here is how: release your breath for 4 counts, inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, release for 4 counts, and repeat.
• Practice self compassion and forgiveness! Remember that you are a “finite resource” and that it is okay to feel stretched thin, burnt out, or distracted.
  

“Life is going to bring you hard times, it is going to bring you hardships… but when we put guilt and shame on top of those hardships, it becomes suffering. It changes the quality of that distress and makes it much harder to go through.” - Rishi Nijhon

• Expressive Writing: if you are someone who finds release in self expression, consider taking a moment each day to write about a topic that you are grappling with.
• Lenient Leadership: If you are managing a team, consider flexibility around tardiness, personal time, and breaks needed to address family needs.
  

 “Founders are a finite energy source - we can’t perpetually push forward.” - James Serlin, founder of Revel Meat Co.

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Panelists:

• Rishi Nijhon - Psychotherapist, Kaiser Permanente | Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Research, California Institute of Integral Studies | Therapist-in-Residence, Food System 6
  
• Pam Chaloult - Wisdom Leadership Mentor & Convenor, Practical Feet Advising
• James Serlin - Founder & CEO, Revel Meat Co. | Cohort 5 Entrepreneur, Food System 6

Rishi Nijhon

Pam Chaloult

James Serlin

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Missed the webinar? Watch the full recording here:

​View other recordings in the series here.