Lonely at the Top: Protecting Your Mental Health as a Business Leader
As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to close with something deeply personal: your mental health as a CEO, entrepreneur, or business leader. The road to success is often paved with isolation, self-doubt, and relentless pressure. And yet, we don't talk about it nearly enough.
Success Is Lonely
No one warns you that achieving your goals can feel so isolating. As you climb higher, you start to lose the very support systems that once grounded you. Old friends don’t understand your world anymore. New connections often come with competition instead of camaraderie. Before you know it, you’re alone in a crowded room.
In my early days, I had a few close friends. As I advanced in my career, I found myself leaving them behind—not intentionally, but because life took us in different directions. And when I reached the C-suite, the isolation intensified. Few people understood what I was dealing with. Fewer still were safe to trust.
Find Your People
What saved me was community. I joined a professional group of women leaders who were in the same place I was. They became my lifeline. Over time, I built a tribe of trusted peers who could relate, collaborate, and lift me up when I needed it most.
If you feel alone right now, start building your own support system. Try local Chambers of Commerce, Facebook groups for business owners, networking meetups, or masterminds. Will you click with everyone? No. But keep showing up. Your people are out there.
You Don’t Have to Do It All
One of the greatest threats to your mental health is believing that you have to wear every hat in your business. You don't. If managing the team stresses you out, delegate it. If the finances give you anxiety, hire someone to help. You started your business to create freedom, not to chain yourself to tasks you hate. Your peace is worth the investment.
Care for Your Body to Care for Your Mind
Physical health and mental health are deeply connected. You don’t need a 6-hour morning routine with cold plunges and red light therapy (unless that brings you joy). But you do need to move your body, eat enough, and sleep. Did you know your brain literally needs a minimum amount of carbohydrates daily to function? It blew my mind when I learned that.
Control Is a Clue
If you find yourself rigidly controlling your schedule, workouts, or habits, take a step back. Sometimes we cling to control in one area because something else feels out of control. Ask yourself what you might be avoiding. Self-awareness is a superpower.
Safe Spaces Save Us
Whether it’s a therapist, coach, trusted friend, or journal, you need a place where you can speak freely. A space without judgment. If things feel especially heavy—you’re not sleeping, you’re joyless, or you’re acting in ways that don’t feel like you—talk to a professional. Therapy is like dating: it may take time to find the right fit, and that’s okay.
The Bottom Line
Being a business leader is demanding, and it’s okay to admit that it takes a toll. Acknowledging the stress, the loneliness, and the overwhelm doesn’t make you weak. It makes you real. And getting help? That makes you a leader.
So as this month ends, check in with yourself. Ask what you need. Take action to protect your mental health. And remember: you are not alone. Every room full of entrepreneurs is full of people feeling exactly like you.
Let’s talk about it. Let’s normalize it. And most importantly, let’s take care of ourselves—because you can’t grow a thriving business from an empty tank.
