How Founders Impact Team’s Mental Health

Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

Preface - On the Way Down

In 2016-2017, I experienced burnout, leading to a mental breakdown and a dark period in my personal, professional, and creative life. To cope, I resorted to bad habits, overslept, and avoided confronting my issues. This experience inspired me to prioritize my well-being, and when I founded BeCurious, I knew that creating a space that prioritized quality of life was essential. Growing up in NYC's hustle and bustle culture, I felt pressure to constantly pursue perfection and productivity, which was toxic AF. I was unable to take a day off or recover from illness without fearing replacement. As a founder, I aim to establish a healthy and productive workplace, acknowledging the impact of stress and burnout on employees' performance and health.

Now, I Got Your Back

We, as founders, play a critical role in creating a culture that supports employee wellbeing. We are the front-line leaders responsible for creating and nurturing a work environment that promotes mental health. Founders are the ones who can identify early warning signs of stress, burnout, or other mental health issues and intervene before they become a severe problem.

Research shows that employees who perceive their founders as supportive experience lower levels of stress and burnout. Furthermore, supportive founders can help their employees build resilience and cope with the challenges of the workplace. They can create a work environment that promotes work-life balance, encourages healthy habits, and fosters a sense of community and belonging.

Our Strategies for Founders to Support Employee Mental Health

Creating a supportive workplace culture requires founders, such as myself, to implement strategies that foster mental wellbeing. Here are some strategies that founders can use to support employee mental health, that I found helpful in our studio:

1. Create Hard, Rest Harder, Work Freely

Encouraging work-life balance can help prevent burnout and reduce stress levels among employees. Founders can support their employees by being flexible with schedules and offering remote work options. They can also promote the use of vacation days and encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day.

2. We Are a Team

Founders can create a sense of community and belonging by promoting team-building activities and encouraging social interactions. Building a positive work culture can help employees feel more connected to their work and colleagues.

3. Encourage Healthy Habits

Encouraging healthy habits such as regular exercise and healthy eating can help prevent mental health issues. Founders can provide resources and support for employees to engage in healthy habits, such as offering gym memberships or healthy snack options in the workplace.

4. Offer Mental Health Support

Providing mental health support can help employees cope with the challenges of the workplace. Founders can offer resources such as employee assistance programs or access to mental health professionals. They can also create a safe and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable seeking help.

5. Weekly Chats

Arrange weekly meetings with each member of the team to check in on their well-being and assess how their current workload is impacting their performance and overall well-being. If you notice that your team is working excessively hard, consider reducing their workload to prevent burnout. As founders, it's easy to prioritize productivity, but it's important to remember that distracted, stressed, or burned-out employees can significantly affect output. Instead of pushing your team too hard, consider taking a slower approach to avoid burnout and achieve sustainable productivity.

It Takes a Village

We play a critical role in creating a workplace that supports employee mental health. By implementing strategies to promote work-life balance, foster a sense of community, encourage healthy habits, and offer mental health support, founders can help prevent stress and burnout among their employees. Organizations that prioritize employee mental health are more likely to have a healthy and productive workforce, which can lead to improved business outcomes.