Tune In: Find Peace of Mind With These Top Mental Health Podcasts

We all need to focus on wellbeing from time to time, but taking care of your mental health as a business owner is vital. Being responsible for the success of an organisation and a team of employees can take its toll, but there are plenty of resources out there to help you maintain positivity. Here are some of the top mental health podcasts for overcoming stress as an entrepreneur.

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According to recent studies, four in five small business owners suffer with poor mental health multiple times a year. More specifically, 24 percent have panic attacks, 37 percent experience symptoms of depression and around two thirds lose sleep, feel anxious and/or cannot focus (Iwoca).

Experts believe business owners are more likely than other people to experience poor mental health, which makes it all the more important to look after your wellbeing as an entrepreneur. We’ve rounded up some of the best podcasts for overcoming stress and uncertainty in the business world to help bosses unlock their full potential.

We have made so much progress as a society in promoting the importance of good mental health. But, despite the acute and specific challenges small business owners face, we have not seen the same attention paid to their specific needs. —James Dear, Iwoca co-founder

Top mental health podcasts

Business-related podcasts

• Bouncing Back - This six-part series gives small business owners a platform to share their own experiences as entrepreneurs. You’ll learn how people like you have overcome imposter syndrome, financial struggles and other stresses related to running a business.

• WorkWell - Deloitte’s US Chief Wellbeing Officer, Jen Fisher, hosts this podcast offering tips to improve your work/life balance while creating a healthy culture in your business. Each episode focuses on a different topic and features an expert to provide key insights.

• Wellbeing in the Workplace - Workplace wellbeing specialists The Mind Solution uses techniques from HR and psychotherapy to help business owners nurture healthy and happy employees. Previous podcasts have focused on the power of vulnerability and building healthy work habits.

• The Struggle Bus - This podcast discusses common workplace problems. While some of the topics are relevant for employees, it could give business owners inspiration when it comes to resolving staff concerns and improving culture. There are almost 200 episodes, so you’ll have plenty of information to digest as you work your way through.

• The People Project - Jonathan Richards, CEO of HR software provider Breathe, hosts this podcast, which aims to help people improve wellbeing in their businesses by managing staff effectively. Topics include building a company culture, putting people first and ‘agile working’.

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Non-business-related podcasts

• How Do You Cope? ...With Elis and John - Comedians Elis James and John Robins launched this BBC podcast to find out how successful people have overcome obstacles in their lives. You’ll hear Chris Packham on autism, Simon Thomas on grief, Alex Brooker on disability and George Ezra on anxiety and OCD - to mention just a few episodes.

• Happy Place - Hosted by presenter Fearne Cotton, Happy Place is one of the most well-known podcasts for mental health and has now been downloaded more than 40 million times. Famous figures share their own personal struggles and reveal how they overcame issues such as stress and depression. Other topics include motherhood, body positivity and recovery.

• Therapy For Black Girls - Since 2017, US psychologist Dr Joy Harden Bradford has hosted this podcast to support women in the black community by providing both personal and professional advice. It covers everything from mental health conditions like ADHD and PTSD to more lighthearted subjects such as dating, and topical concerns like the US inauguration day.

• WTF with Marc Maron - In this podcast, the LA-based comedian teams up with Hollywood A-listers and other notable guests to explore the mental health issues many of us face today. So far this year, Marc Maron has spoken to Nicole Kidman, Stanley Tucci, Salma Hayek and Jodie Foster - among many other impressive guests.

• The Happiness Lab - Providing real scientific data, Dr Laurie Santos from Yale University takes recent research to track the link between human behaviour and emotion. Through interesting and inspiring stories, Laurie sets out to change the way you perceive happiness.

• Diverse Minds - For a comprehensive exploration of mental health in the current climate, try this informative podcast. It’s hosted by Leyla Okhai, CEO of Diverse Minds UK and former head of Imperial College London’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre, with insights from industry leaders. There are discussions about everything from dyslexia and addiction to self-esteem, to name just a few topics.

Entrepreneurs are twice as likely to suffer from depression or burnout as the general population – they need to look after themselves. What gets you up in the morning apart from work? Reflect, recharge, go for a walk, think about your nutrition – and get enough sleep! —Scott Draper, KPMG Director, Management Consulting

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Coronavirus-related podcasts

• Here For You - Doree Shafrir and Kate Spencer, who host the self-care podcast Forever35, turned their attention to the coronavirus pandemic to launch this reassuring series. It’s an informal chat about surviving lockdown at home, with contributions from listeners who share their own struggles.

• Ten Percent Happier - In this regular podcast, Dan Harris talks to different people in an effort to reveal the secrets to become happier. He offers insights into everything from parenting and perfectionism to addiction and being wrong - and, of course, the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Mad World - This podcast from The Telegraph was launched in 2017 with a half-hour conversation with Prince Harry. Since then, it has gone on to welcome lots of high-profile guests and, more recently, discuss challenges arising from the coronavirus pandemic and its lockdown restrictions.

Taking care of your mental health when running your own business

You can find more resources here at Point Franchise. We’ve created guides on taking time off (without stressing) and using clever tricks to protect your mental health as a franchisee. And if you’re a franchisor, learn how you can support your franchisees’ mental health by tweaking your investment package.

You can discover even more useful articles by using the search box.