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Leading a company can be an exhilarating and fulfilling experience, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges and pressures. When you’re a business leader, maintaining good mental health is crucial for both personal well-being and effective decision-making.
To that end, 17 Rolling Stone Culture Council members explore some proven strategies business leaders can employ to manage their mental health amid the challenging demands of their roles. From regular exercise to setting boundaries to seeking support and fostering a positive work culture, these strategies can encourage a healthier and more resilient approach to leadership.
Exercise Regularly
To manage my mental health as a business leader, I prioritize regular exercise. It reduces stress, clears my mind and boosts my overall well-being. Exercise releases endorphins, improving mood and sleep. It provides an outlet for tension and frustration. Regular exercise enhances my energy, focus and resilience, helping me handle the demands of leadership effectively. – Arvin Khamseh, SOLDOUT NFTs
Take Morning Walks
I wake up earlier than the start of the workday to walk at least four to five miles and still have time for my morning routine before I sit in front of my screen. This is so important to my productivity for the day. We tend to be conditioned to think of the week ahead, but learning to take it day by day is key. – Amanda Whitcroft, Secta AI Labs
Develop Self-Awareness
I believe a key aspect to achieving a high level of mental health lies in self-awareness. Everyone decompresses differently, and there is no right or wrong way to do it — you just have to do it (like Nike). One of my tactics to eliminate stressors is to tap into the most distressing aspect of my day or week and then prioritize those tasks when I’m the most refreshed and in the best mindset. – Evan Rubinson, Dean Guitars
Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care is number one. Mental health and stress are very closely related, and bringing the nervous system from fight or flight to rest and digestion is how your best decision-making occurs. Things like using a sauna, meditation, exercise, nature time, social time and adaptogens all work together to balance the depletion that occurs with large amounts of decision-making, planning and screen time. – Lizandro Salazar, ArcataX Inc.
Acknowledge Milestones
Take the time to stop and appreciate what you and your team have accomplished so far. Make sure you recognize where you are. Acknowledge your milestones and that you’re still in business! It’s encouraging for your whole team and can level-set you for the future. – Dustin Eide, CanPay
Establish Better Work-Life Balance
It is critical to establish clear work-life boundaries. When one allows everything to overlap, that’s a setup for a crash. Equally important, as a leader it is important to encourage your team to do the same. I have found that everyone is more productive when personal time and boundaries are respected. We all need to recharge, recalibrate and enjoy life outside of work. – Chuck Wilson, Babygrande Records
Make Time for Yourself
Finding time for yourself is essential. Work-life balance is a must. I make time for my daughter and make sure I get exercise on a routine basis. I see friends and my therapist. I do it all — whatever will help manage the stress of running a company and handling high-stress environments at all times. – Heather Besignano, ICON PR
Embrace Unstructured Time
Unstructured time is vital but often overlooked. Amid common work-life balance advice, it’s easy to miss the importance of downtime. Our loved ones recharge us, but there’s a business bonus too. Step back from the endless “to-do” list and you’ll find creativity and big-picture thinking waiting in the wings. Let loose and embrace the unstructured — it’s good for the soul and for the bottom line. – Seth Yudof, Fan Rebellion
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Spend Time With Family
I have worked very hard, long hours in my life. I have always had two things that kept me sane: my family and long walks. I find a nice long walk every day gives me the ability to think things through and plan for the day. To totally decompress, I spend time with family, including my children and now my grandchildren, who bring such joy that all problems melt away and answers to problems magically appear. – Domenic Rom, Goldcrest
Set Notifications
Work-life balance can be elusive, and I find the answer is in being intentional and scheduling it in. I have set my calendar to notify me five times during the workday with the word “Breathe.” Sometimes I may be engaged and choose to ignore it, but usually, it serves to stop me in my tracks and gives me five minutes to pause, look around and take a breath. Then, I am ready to dive back in refreshed. – Bob Bonniol, MODE
Connect With Mentors and Peers
An effective strategy for managing my mental health as a business leader is connecting and commiserating with a mentor or peer group of other leaders and founders. Only other founders and leaders can truly understand the challenges of running or scaling a business, and having that feedback loop from someone who “gets it” is so worthwhile because it’s the only time I feel heard and understood. – Harrison Wise, Wise Collective Inc.
Delegate Tasks
Set up healthy boundaries, especially around managing stressful situations. One way to do this is by delegating tasks and prioritizing only the most important for your own list. Look at this act as a function of self-care. By doing so, you can better manage the demands and pressures of being a business leader, put leadership trust in others and help maintain your own mental and emotional well-being. – Stephanie Dillon, Stephanie Dillon Art
Normalize Saying ‘No’
The strategy that I use to manage my mental health is setting healthy boundaries combined with normalizing saying “no” to things. It can be tempting to say “yes” to every opportunity, and the value of saying “no” is often overlooked. I can lead more effectively if I am in a good mental state personally, emotionally and professionally. Openly discussing these boundaries has improved our work culture. – Julie McQueen, CarbonTV
Think Proactively
Life is full of trade-offs, sacrifices and compromises. One big mistake entrepreneurs make early on is to over-index on work and events while under-indexing on their mental health. With the benefit of experience, I now think proactively about my mental health and give it considerable weight when making business decisions. Ultimately, this makes me a better leader and makes the business stronger. – Dan Giuliani, Volt Athletics
Meditate Before Bed
Meditation is a game-changer. It conditions me to discipline my mind to not overreact in a stressful situation. Ten minutes before you go to sleep every evening and you are on your way. If possible, throw in an hour of exercise three days a week and you will see positive changes in your mind and body. – Mike Parham, Bearly Awake Coffee and Adventure
Carve Out Time for Mental Breaks
It’s both a blessing and a curse that leaders are often on the go, traveling or working remotely. The good news is, this allows for ample opportunities to decompress. Stepping away to walk the dog or go to the nearest cafe are easy ways to fit in mental breaks, and lunch breaks should include digital detoxes, even if only for a short time. – Cynthia Johnson, Bell + Ivy
Schedule Fun Activities in Your Calendar
I’m a big fan of time blocking and scheduling downtime and fun activities on my calendar, as if they were meetings. I’m then less likely to make excuses for not doing things that contribute to calmness and mental health (e.g., gym, outdoor lounging, travel). – Nancy A Shenker, theONswitch
