Entrepreneurial Psychotherapist Laura Shook Guzman, LMFT, recently launched her mental health campaign, #Tools4Founders. Specifically, the campaign’s goal is to raise awareness and normalize the prioritization of mental health in the workplace. “We live in a culture that glorifies the grind,” says Shook Guzman. “Founders can feel like they can’t tell anyone what’s going on because they have to manage impressions.”
“Who’s taking care of you while you’re taking care of everyone else?”
Laura Shook Guzman
A campaign to increase consciousness
Shook Guzman specializes in mental health for founders and entrepreneurs. Her #Tools4Founders campaign chiefly aims to support entrepreneurs’ mental health and well-being, so she provides a comprehensive list of resources on her website for Mental Health Awareness Month. For instance, founders can find programs, podcasts and tips to support their mental health on the site. They can also contribute to the community by sharing their favorite resources and using the hashtag #Tools4Founders the entire month of May.
“Together, we can end the stigma surrounding entrepreneurial mental health.”
Laura Shook Guzman
Centering mental well-being
Significantly, 72 percent of entrepreneurs suffer from one or more mental health issues according to the research of Dr. Michael Freeman, founder of Econa, a global center for entrepreneurial wellness. This research also shows entrepreneurs are two times more likely to struggle with feelings of isolation, stress and exhaustion, three times more likely to to suffer from depression and substance abuse and 10 times more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder.
Mental health and success are certainly not mutually exclusive in the workplace. John Roa, Kristin Darga and Erik Severinghaus are all examples of highly successful founders that have written books emphasizing the importance of mental health.
“Healthy founders equal healthy returns. We believe there is a causal relationship between continuous founder self-improvement and the performance of their companies.”
Venture capital firm Alpha Bridge
The #Tools4Founders campaign is sponsored by Women Who Cowork. It gifts 30 days of founder support for womxn and nonbinary founders of the co-working movement all May. Founders can sign up at this link.
Laura Shook Guzman, LMFT, is a 23 year mental health professional, trauma therapist and serial entrepreneur. Founders can explore what mental health support would like with Laura Shook Guzman in a free fifteen minute consult with her: http://bit.ly/laurashookguzmanconsultation
In need of more self-care tips? Read another post about how entrepreneurs can prioritize their mental health and well-being.
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