Mental Health Awareness Week

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and as the CEO & Founder of Kelp Social, I wanted to take this opportunity to be candid about my experience with mental health and what struggles it can bring about when you’re trying to start your own business. 

I have written so many journals throughout the years, some of which I hope to publish one day to bring awareness to the pain depression and anxiety can bring but that it can also get better. I have done a lot of self-work and therapy throughout my life and I now understand how to manage it. Patience and discipline in equal measure, have been extremely beneficial, establishing a balance between pushing through and taking some time to rest. 

I’ve had to acknowledge that bullying myself does not work and accepting it has helped me be more cognizant of it. Not completely surrendering per se, especially when it comes to anxiety. I suffered from severe arachnophobia, which was hugely aided by exposure therapy and by applying those same techniques to what was triggering my panic attacks, I could build tolerance gradually through small victories. Also, mindfulness has been great for training my brain. Although there are some things I can’t change, I aim to focus on what I can control.

Part of being self-employed is that if you do find yourself having a bad day, you can create your own priority list, depending on the day of course. This means you are compromising with yourself, you may not get through every single task you had planned out, but you’ve done the important things and still get that sense of achievement. I find that trying my best to make time for things that make me happy helps my productivity too. Things like writing, exercise, meditation, and talking to my family and friends allow me to slow down and acknowledge what I’m feeling. 

To anyone struggling, know that you are not alone, share what you are experiencing. One day your battles with mental health will be a part of you, but one that does not define or control your life. 

Better Help has been an incredibly useful service for me, it has meant I can fit a session around work with the added flexibility of being able to message my therapist any time. Please check out the links below for more advice:

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week

https://www.consciousambition.com/tools4founders