Wellness, brainpower and sea swimming - how entrepreneurs can combat isolation and burnout

TECHNOLOGY IS EVER-CHANGING, and many entrepreneurs often become overwhelmed with the pressure to “keep up the pace” whilst trying to run their businesses, pay their staff and plan for future growth at the same time.

Maintaining a focus on the bigger picture, and having a community of similar minds to lean on for advice and guidance is critical to both personal and professional success.

Everyone has bad days, and being able to speak out and establish a life-work balance is essential to help people overcome those dark clouds.

A survey by Blind conducted from the 12 May to the 21 May 2018 found over 57% of tech workers felt burnt out.

With Ireland harnessing one of the highest rates of mental health illness in Europe, co-working spaces like Huckletree have realised the importance of embracing mindfulness and well-being.

Mental health issues are rampant among the most successful entrepreneurs, affecting people from all walks of life, regardless of age, sex, nationality or background.

I’ve seen first hand that people need spaces to gather and assemble because they crave community and a sense of belonging where they work.

Founders and their teams are faced with multiple decisions and thousands of data points every day. Long hours, high commitment, isolation and the pressures of running a business have made embracing good mental health supports in co-working spaces more important than ever before.

Practises like yoga and meditation, now part and parcel of some of the most successful co-working spaces, can help anyone working in technology (regardless of their role) summon the inner energy needed to deal with setbacks on both a physical and mental level.

We’ve noticed that people definitely need more than squash courts or table football matches to let off steam.

As a group of passionate sea swimmers, Huckletree decided to bring our focus on well-being to the beach last summer, and we’ll be doing it again this year – once the Irish sun decides to make an appearance.

The benefits of sea swimming for mental health are well documented. The ocean offers solace for those suffering from trauma, loss, anxiety and stress, and there’s nothing better than wild waters of the Irish coastline to provide that true escape.

CEOs and founders of companies carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. For them, the daily routine of entering a welcoming, exciting and fast-growth space that is inherently social (members drinks, communal coffee and breakfast events, breakout spaces, game rooms) provides them with their daily source of connection and in many cases, friendship. 

Aislinn Mahon is the general manager and yoga instructor at Huckletree Dublin

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