Mental Health Matters

Take care of yourself so you can take care of your business
Nora Johnson interviews Business Coach Lee Gray

Why is the concept of work-life balance so important to owners looking to grow their success?
Well, I believe that there really is no work-life balance. Some days you’re overly balanced on one side, and then other days you’re tilting more to the other side. So I like to say “work-life harmony”. There are going to be highs and lows throughout the day, and we have to accept that it may not always go as planned. It comes down to how we position ourselves and prepare for anything that comes our way.

I was doing some research and found a statistic stating that 62 percent of business owners feel depressed at least one time a week. We’re tired, or we’re worried about something—whether it’s at work or at home. And as owners, we most likely can’t take a day off every week and just go home and sit down or do some yoga in the park, but we can do little things throughout the day to achieve harmony.

What are some action items owners can do throughout their day to achieve better harmony and possibly improve their mental health?

The very first thing that I recommend is to have a daily huddle with your team— not to go over tasks but to express how everyone is doing. The team should discuss where they are on a spectrum of happiness, and if there is anything on their mind that they want to share.

I tend to get a lot of pushback on this effort, owners say that their team doesn’t have the time to huddle up, but it’s really important to give your employees the ability to practice communicating simple things. It also gives you practice in asking for help when you may really need it.

What could happen to a business if an owner doesn’t focus on their mental health? The burnout of an owner probably has a bigger impact on profitability than anything else—they end up working harder than ever while getting less and less results. A lot of this comes down to decision fatigue. Meaning, they make decisions without the strategic thinking time needed to make productive choices.

Another recommendation I have for owners—and all employees—is to set your alarm for five minutes a day to just take a break. It’s not going to kill you to be gone for five minutes at a time. And if you use those five minutes a day and go on a walk, those breaks are going to begin to have the compound effect of producing endorphins.

What recommendations do you have for owners who are overworking themselves at their shop?
If Bill Gates can run a company and not touch a computer, then you as the owner of your shop don’t have to touch everything either. If you don’t delegate and give people an opportunity for responsibility, then you’re not going to be able to grow your business.

I recommend that you write down where you spend your time throughout the day in 15 minute increments. Then, take that list and categorize the things that you like to do, and the tasks that you shouldn’t be doing. Systemize the things that you shouldn’t be doing and delegate those tasks out.

What other tips do you have for owners in maintaining their mental health and work-life harmony?
It’s important to manage your environment both within your shop and in your personal life. When you’re at the shop, what kind of music do you want in the background? What kind of beverages do you and your team want in the breakroom? Managing those things within the shop are just as important as when you leave. Be around people who are forward-thinking and you enjoy being with.

Times are challenging right now, and managing your environment might look like not engaging in political conversations while in the shop. Allow yourself a mental break and establish your environment by also setting boundaries.