It’s loneliness.
Yes, loneliness. Even in this buzzing, world-leading ecosystem we’re in, 85% of entrepreneurs feel lonely on the rollercoaster journey we’re all on (Entrepreneur Pressure and Wellbeing Study). Founders are feeling overwhelmed, under-pressure and it hits personally – but no-one is talking about it. As a result, everyone thinks they’re the only one.
Let’s sort that right now. You are NOT alone.
Ironically it is the buzz within the ecosystem that makes common everyday startup challenges feel worse. We see others’ successes broadcast in the media and each of us think we’re the only ones struggling, fuelling a strong sense of impostor syndrome. The epiphany that we are NOT alone remains one of the greatest things to see unfold when we get founders together in our coaching circles and training sprints.
Loneliness is not just a negative feeling. Extensive research has linked loneliness (across all ages) to increased risk of heart disease, depression and even premature death. Its negative effects have been compared to smoking 15-a-day, and when compared to the national average of 14%, entrepreneurs are over five-times worse. Just ponder how much this could be impacting your personal performance and productivity.
This week we were at Westminster bringing the topic of entrepreneur mental health, and its impact on business, to the attention of MPs with the Mindful Investor team and the APPG for Entrepreneurship. Our Study helped paint a picture of where we are on this topic and fuel discussions on what we can do about it – where this sense of loneliness took centre stage. By opening up (in safe environments) we can smash the silence and steel all the power from the fears that loneliness leaves us with. We can support each other and help those in our teams identify and connect with their challenges too, making everyone happier and more effective overall. Stand by for much more to follow on all of this soon.
In the meantime, dive into this piece we recently wrote for Tech Nation on the wellbeing impact of entrepreneurship and this loneliness epidemic we have. Grab the #founderfuel tips from that here.
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At Foundology (formerly weare3Sixty) you’re surrounding yourself with the coaching, peer-learning and cathartic community support that is proven to build confidence, bolster resilience and enable faster, more informed decision-making. For us, it’s all about fuelling the humans behind the world’s startups and making sure that every founder and startup leader in the ecosystem has the support and skills to thrive not just survive on the scaling journey.
Find out more about our group-coaching FounderCircles, our fuelling FounderFamily and our dedicated founderhood founder-coaching at foundology.org
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