Earlier this month, coinciding with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s annual Mental Health Week, BetaKit teamed up with IPFS for an important #BKchats on startups and mental health.
The response to our call for participants was overwhelming, as was the heartfelt conversation – we’ve captured some of the best tweets and insights below. With 72% of entrepreneurs reporting being affected by mental health conditions, it’s important to keep the conversation going.
Why the conversation matters
A1. Because it's something most entrepreneurs can relate to @BetaKit & we can better support each other if there's a conversation #BKchats
— Think_Lyndon (@THINK_Lyndon) May 5, 2016
Q1A1 We react to mental illness, but if we proactively focus on mental health, it can help prevent illness. #bkchats https://t.co/1gVTHP7XfS
— Jennifer Moss (@JenLeighMoss) May 5, 2016
A1: When a friend took his own life, I saw first hand how not dealing with mental health can impact a family. #BKChats
— Chris Gory (@IPFS_Chris) May 5, 2016
Because I run a startup (@BetaKit) and suffer from issues with mental health: https://t.co/Gvo95MwVFc #BKchats https://t.co/ubk3holS1I
— Douglas Tr0n Soltys (@tron) May 5, 2016
A1. Because many people in startups disregard mental health as something not deserving enough attention #bkchats
— Nik Poplavsky (@nikpoplavsky) May 5, 2016
@BetaKit Q1-A1: That's how you move a cause/issue from stigmatized to normalized. #BKchats
— Yves Boudreau (@BoudreauYves) May 5, 2016
Breaking down the numbers
A2. I think 72% is a conservative estimate @BetaKit
Starting a business & trying to change the world is brutal #BKchats— Think_Lyndon (@THINK_Lyndon) May 5, 2016
@letkma @BetaKit For all Canadians, 1 in 5 struggle with mental illness.
— Chris Gory (@IPFS_Chris) May 5, 2016
A1 @BetaKit #BKchats many startup founders are not neurotypical -their brains fire in different ways to create companies & misfire sometimes
— Alison Gibbins (@alivey) May 5, 2016
A1 part 2 @BetaKit #BKchats startup stress and lifestyle (lack of sleep, good food, exercise) increases the chance of mental health issues
— Alison Gibbins (@alivey) May 5, 2016
Q2A1 Isolation, no sleep, financial instability. Brains like predictability of which startups have none. #Bkchats https://t.co/ijCiz0tQdo
— Jennifer Moss (@JenLeighMoss) May 5, 2016
A6: 82% of employees who reported struggling with mental health said it impacts their work. #BKChats
— Chris Gory (@IPFS_Chris) May 5, 2016
A2: the pressure to succeed is incredible & the responsibility net is cast SO wide – for them + their team #BKchats https://t.co/xvCQ26EAdk
— Danielle Smith (@DaniMcSmith) May 5, 2016
Q2:A2 Building a career to support yourself is stressful. Building a business to support many families is even more so@ #BKchats @BetaKit
— Chris Snoyer (@ChrisSnoyer) May 5, 2016
#BKchats @BetaKit A2 founder mental health is shaky bc of how we naturally skew towards obfuscating "how things really are" I think
— Jonathan Holtby (@JonathanHoltby) May 5, 2016
On the stigma…
A3: We can't talk about mental health w/o discussing #stigma. #bkchats #mhw2016 https://t.co/l6BHAR111z
— Chakameh Shafii (@ChakamehShafii) May 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/TanMcG/status/728260323334082561
Q6: Is there a need for startups to recognize 'mental health days’ the same way they recognize ‘sick days’? #BKchats
— BetaKit (@BetaKit) May 5, 2016
A6: But mental health days & sick days are the same. #SickNotWeak #bkchats https://t.co/1G8SwXdbDa
— Chakameh Shafii (@ChakamehShafii) May 5, 2016
Q6A1 Again, we should make a distinction between mental health and mental illness. They have separate definitions in psychology. #bkchats
— Jennifer Moss (@JenLeighMoss) May 5, 2016
Q6A3 If we recognize that mental illness is harming us physically, we will treat it like a sick day. Why being proactive is key. #Bkchats
— Jennifer Moss (@JenLeighMoss) May 5, 2016
Recognizing the warning signs
A7 the main indicator is a change in the behaviour of your employees. #BKchats
— Saeed Zeinali (@saeed_zeinali) May 5, 2016
A7 withdrawal, irrational outbursts, high/low fluctuations, loss of interest in key activities…#BKchats https://t.co/30rAmKEw7D
— Danielle Smith (@DaniMcSmith) May 5, 2016
A7: Drastic change in behaviour, hypersensitivity, anger and concentration problems. #bkchats https://t.co/mrr1pYWpM8
— Chakameh Shafii (@ChakamehShafii) May 5, 2016
A7: Confused thinking. Prolonged depression. Extreme highs & lows. Social withdrawal. Delusions. Hallucinations. #BKChats
— Chris Gory (@IPFS_Chris) May 5, 2016
A7: Sometimes there are physical symptoms too! Like headaches or abdominal pain. #bkchats https://t.co/sGF23h8Ksj
— HumanaCare (@HumanaCareOrg) May 5, 2016
How founders can set the right example
A5. By making it part of the conversation and creating an environment where it's safe to talk about it #BKchats
— Think_Lyndon (@THINK_Lyndon) May 5, 2016
Q5A1 To be honest and open themselves and provide them with the tools to manage their mental health at work and at home. #bkchats
— Jennifer Moss (@JenLeighMoss) May 5, 2016
A5: Create an environment where others feel comfortable being volunerable. #bkchats https://t.co/13EkktRIF5
— Chakameh Shafii (@chakameh90) May 5, 2016
A5: Admit that you’re struggling. Implement a workplace mental health strategy. Only 39% of Cdn companies have a strategy in place. #BKChats
— Chris Gory (@IPFS_Chris) May 5, 2016
A5: Keep a sleep tracking board for your team in the office to see if we're all getting enough sleep. #BKchats
— TranQool (@TranQool) May 5, 2016
Q5 @BetaKit founders should include mental health resources in benefits and have backup plans for all employees to take time out #BKchats
— Alison Gibbins (@alivey) May 5, 2016
Other good tips
Q4A1. It is hugely important to build psychological fitness. We are all going to confront mental illness > we should be prepared. #bkchats
— Jennifer Moss (@JenLeighMoss) May 5, 2016
Mentors too. Often mentors provide business advice but could provide advice on mental wellness too #BKchats https://t.co/waPW30mv5z
— LYNDON [THINK DIFFERENTLY] JOHNSON (@THINK_Lyndon) May 5, 2016
I'm a high performing entrepreneur & marketing director who was hospitalized last year for acute depression and got help from CAMH #BKChats
— Alison Gibbins (@alivey) May 5, 2016
3 months program at CAMH taught me new skills to address mental health & were invaluable in the workplace – made me better manager #BKchats
— Alison Gibbins (@alivey) May 5, 2016
Q4A4-Very, we take care of our bodies by working out, eating well. Mental health often gets overlooked #BKchats
— Mike Van (@iammikevan) May 5, 2016
A8: De-empathize the 60-80 hour work week. Implement team building events outside the office. #BKChats
— Chris Gory (@IPFS_Chris) May 5, 2016
A8-Offer support, help build a support system or ways to do it. Respect privacy, and help them find professional help if needed. #BKchats
— Mike Van (@iammikevan) May 5, 2016
Q8A1 Allow for anonymous communication to be in place as early as possible for prevention. Ask questions early to see the signs. #bkchats
— Jennifer Moss (@JenLeighMoss) May 5, 2016
A8: Ignoring the problem is the biggest mistake people make. Reach out and talk to them w/o being intrusive #bkchats https://t.co/39Il8VjPbu
— HumanaCare (@HumanaCareOrg) May 5, 2016
A7. Perhaps we should assume that every entrepreneur needs mental wellness support at some time – turn the conversation on its head #BKchats
— LYNDON [THINK DIFFERENTLY] JOHNSON (@THINK_Lyndon) May 5, 2016
A few resources
A9 @BetaKit this open source guide to mental health #BKchats https://t.co/nrfEW8UgWu
— Alison Gibbins (@alivey) May 5, 2016
A9: Therapy. When Brad Feld was struggling with mental health, it was his wife and going to therapy that helped most. #BKChats
— Chris Gory (@IPFS_Chris) May 5, 2016
A9: Think about culture, language, communications and external resources (benefits or s.th like @TranQool ) #bkchats https://t.co/BMr8FtgwDW
— Chakameh Shafii (@ChakamehShafii) May 5, 2016
@BetaKit We developed https://t.co/NzTcvsztqr specifically to ID mental health issues and connect to care providers.#BKchats
— Rafi (@RafiChaudhury) May 5, 2016
A9: If you have an employee assistance program (EAP) , encourage your staff to use the EAP – covers many areas that contribute. #BKChats
— Chris Gory (@IPFS_Chris) May 5, 2016
Related: Why entrepreneurs need to make mental health a priority
Related: CanCon Podcast Ep. 15: Let’s talk startups and mental health