Mental Health of a Business Owners

Over the years, I’ve had several deep interactions with business owners & entrepreneurs of varying scale - from companies having a turnover of 10 Crores to ones exceeding 100 Crores. And often when I sit to have a deep conversation with them, I observe the same unmistakable pattern. These business owners – the ones running the show, and always in the line of fire – they all look strong & happy on the outside, but when you talk to them, you find that most of them are at the brink of collapse. The pressure to excel is high, but the pressure to appear ‘normal’ is even higher. Their present conditions don’t allow them even the luxury of opening up or breaking down in front of a friend or a loved one. This isolated existence only makes them weaker, so much so that they cannot even acknowledge their weakness. They are forced to appear ‘normal’ or even ‘extraordinary’ in the public eye and to their families. Without even realizing that this pressure is killing them every moment. They want to cry, but they can’t. They want to break free, and they can’t. Everything they love, they can’t do. These are the people running the show on the frontlines. Most of them come with great business stories, but I’ve found in almost all cases that they have given too much of themselves to their work, taking away the rightful share from other elements of their life – their family, friends, health, passions, ‘themselves’ – ignoring everything else that matters. Given a chance, they would be happy to run a small enterprise that doesn’t take so much away from them – that doesn’t put them in the line of fire every minute of their daily life. But they cant follow through with it. In my observation, it’s not any external force that is responsible for their condition. They have created this pressure by themselves, not society, family or work. They believe that they must carry this mountain on their shoulder all the time, without giving themselves a break. Well, it only keeps on piling – month over month, year on year – only becoming impossible to let go of. It’s a never-ending cycle. They are under tremendous pressure and agony, and unfortunately, they have no one to share this with. I think it’s time we talk about these people, and not just the success stories that get told. It’s the human behind the jacket that matters and its time they come forward and share their dilemma like a human should. No dogma, no taboos, no stereotypes - just opening up conversations that matter. Together, we can share our stories and find ways to not only survive, but thrive. It’s time to Give Life To Living – not just in philosophy, but in our way of life! 

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