1. Introduction
Now more than ever, whether you’re looking to start a business and work for yourself full time, or start a small side hustle, if there is one thing you take away from this webpage, it’s to take care of yourself.
Did you know according to the Princes Trust 2019 Youth Index Report, over half of young people think they put too much pressure on themselves to succeed. And nearly two thirds of young people “always” or “often” feel stressed.
The introduction of the lockdown may have heightened some of your pressures.
You might be juggling a lot of different roles in life, maybe you are holding down a job, studying or have home responsibilities too on top of starting or running a new business. Have a look at some of the information and resources below, and if you think we can be doing anything more to support young entrepreneurs, please let us know.
2. Share things that are bothering you
It really is true that a problem shared is a problem halved. If you’ve got things on your mind that are keeping you up at night, or taking over whilst you’re trying to work, speak to someone. Try to catch up with another young entrepreneur, perhaps someone you met at a workshop or someone from school – chances are they’re struggling with the same problems. If you find this difficult, why not start by writing your thoughts down in a diary or journal, or typing them out. You could then take this with you to start a conversation with someone. If you don’t feel you can share with a colleague, friend or relative, why not think about speaking to your GP or a trusted person in college, university or at home. Remember, if these aren’t an option there are always people on the other end of the phone.
3. Get a regular sleep pattern
It’s too easy for us nowadays to be on our phones, tablets, laptops until the early hours of the morning, we’ve all been there – whether it’s getting sucked into an essay, your business plan or even just YouTube. Before you know it, you’re counting the limited hours left until your alarm goes off. Sleep is so important! Don’t underestimate it. Try and get a good routine to ensure you’re energised and refreshed for the day ahead. If you need help before you sleep, try out a digital detox. This article from the BBC is a few years old, but has all the info you need to try it out. Don’t forget to try turning off the blue light on your devices and decreasing the brightness, this can reduce eye strain and help you sleep easier after using devices at night.
4. Take steps to improve your self esteem
Self-esteem is how you think of yourself. If you have low self-esteem, it means the thoughts you have about yourself are negative. This can have a real impact on your life. Try and focus on positives every day and surround yourself with a good network of people. Young Minds has some practical advice about how to improve your outlook.
Something to try: First thing in the morning, try and establish a positive mantra; time it takes – 30 seconds!
A mantra can be used as a daily affirmation to motivate yourself and to bring positivity into your day. It can be as simple as repeating a positive statement or reminding yourself what you’re grateful for, for example, “I have the power to create change”. Whatever it is you want to achieve, tell yourself each morning. By telling yourself these statements each morning it sets a positive tone for your day and helps you re-wire your brain to think positively. One of our role models Sean Molino has a quote which is “positivity breeds positivity” and we think this is spot on. It may feel silly to you at first but trust us you’ll never look back when you start to feel the benefits.
5. Keep active and eat well
We always get told this, but food really can affect your mood. If you need a reminder about what good food looks like, or some recipes and tips, take a look at the NHS Eat Well Pages. Making yourself a meal plan for each week and only shopping for what you need can help you save time and money and most importantly, eat better. There are plenty of guides on how to meal prep if you wish to google them. More time and money on your hands means more time and money you can put into business activities and innovations.
Staying active is also really important. Again, when we’re working on laptops sometimes hours can go by without us moving around, this can lead to us feeling a bit sluggish. It’s true what they say – you might not be in the mood to get active, but you will never feel worse after doing some exercise – always better! Getting up from your computer and doing 20 star jumps is a start. It takes less than a minute to get your heart rate up and feel more alert. Aim to take a walk outside every day. Join a local fitness class (online or when the gyms open again get going!) – you can even get out on your bike! Don’t forget, getting outside can help to refuel your creativity even if it is just once a day. If you’ve got any suggestions of how you keep fit and active at home, or whilst trying to hold down a job or studies whilst starting a business, let us know via socials @BigIdeasWales and we can share them with the network.
6. Resources and further information
Learn more about mental health and what it means for you by reading this info from the Mental Health Foundation
Find out about how to improve your wellbeing, and access resources and contact details from Young Minds
Never tried mindfulness? Now’s your chance. The Mental Health Foundation’s page on mindfulness is a great place to start.
If you are in crisis and don’t know where to turn, the Samaritans are always there for you. They will never judge you, or tell you what to do, they will just listen.
These links are external links that we think you will find useful, but they aren’t associated with Big Ideas Wales or the Welsh Government. For privacy information please view the privacy policies on the individual websites.