Interview: Mental Health & Small Business

I was privileged to take part in an interview on BBC’s national radio show Wake up to Money in January 2020 on mental health in the workplace. This was directly following a Deloitte report that highlighted the £40 billion cost to business per year. The programme also interviewed Lloyds Bank CEO Antonio Horta-Osorio who has shared his own mental health struggles in his call to the business world to start paying closer attention to the well-being of employees. I was asked on the show to present the small business perspective.

The cost of poor mental health is enormous not just on the person suffering and their loved ones but also for our economy. In their analysis, Deloitte claim the cost to employers has risen dramatically over the last two years by 20%. Horta-Osorio talks about the change of approach Lloyds Bank adopted following his stress and exhaustion in 2011. 

As both a small business owner and someone who has continually struggled with my own mental well-being over the last 20 years, I enjoy talking about this topic more than any other. In my world, balancing the chemicals in my brain is a constant challenge. Sometimes there is an overwhelming temptation to hit the quick fixes like alcohol and I always have to remain vigilant to the threat of dark holes that my mind risks falling into.  I enjoying talking about it because I hope by being open about my struggles and the effects (both positive and negative) that it will help others process and understand their own difficulties.

I also spoke about my past experience struggling to get help and support from my previous employer and wanting to ensure I created a more open and approachable culture when I became an employer myself. I was always clear I wanted to build a business where we could speak about mental health with no stigma attached. I think in a small business it is probably easier to have real honesty and also to be able to make the changes needed.

I agree with Horta-Osorio that our mental health is on par with our physical health and the two go together. I try to deal with my depression and anxiety with running as it helps me change focus; but when you are in a dark place, the motivation to get out can be incredibly difficult.  At this time it is crucial for me to remember how important it is as a step to recovery. I also find it helps to talk whether its about how you are feeling at the time or how you have dealt with your experiences to help others. I am also now Mental Health First Aid trained to offer my knowledge back to those who may need it.

It’s important for me to acknowledge that the effects of living with depression and anxiety do have huge benefits for my style of leadership. I am more empathetic and more approachable to my team. I am better able to listen and understand. I am more forgiving of others because I know I often seek forgiveness myself. I talk in my interview about leading by example and that means showing up even when I cannot put a ‘game face’ on. I have lost track of the amount of times I have apologised to those I work with (and even more to those I live with) for the more negative ways my struggles have manifested themselves. I am never afraid to admit wrong, say sorry, and mean it. That’s one of the things I am most grateful to my struggles for teaching me.

I’m not everyone’s ideal leader. I imagine I can be too ‘raw’ for many. But for those happy to talk and share the things that are most difficult for us all in life, I am here.

Read the original BBC article here

Listen to the full interview here: