Approximately one half of entrepreneurs experience at least one mental health condition during their lifetimes.
The self-paced online course Mental Health and Wellbeing For Business Owners teaches all the basics for better understanding mental health and wellbeing. Using her own personal lived experience with depression and anxiety, Alison walks business owners through:
basic mental health awareness
understanding signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety
practical tools for how we can better support our own mental health as business owners
how we can be a good support to others in our personal or business lives who might be experiencing a decline in their mental wellbeing.
Reasons Why Mental Health & Wellbeing Should Be Priority For Business Owners:
1. Emotionally Draining - early years in business can be alienating, stressful, there is often a lack of support network and support resources.
2. Owners are "The Company" - higher stakes, pressure to have all the answers, pressure to make the right decisions.
3. Identity and self-worth are connected to the business or company outcomes.
4. Financial risk and stress
5. Less focus on self-care
6. Isolation - long hours, and often lack of understanding from family/friends.
7. Less Access To Healthcare Supports - Some entrepreneurs and business owners have less access to comprehensive healthcare plans or Employee Assistance programs that can provide mental health supports.
About Alison
Alison Butler has been an entrepreneur and business owner for the past 18 years. In 2017, Alison received a mental health diagnosis that turned her life upside down. She didn't understand her symptoms and didn't see the warning signs. This started an important journey that she feels needs to be talked about every day.
Today, Alison will tell you that her mental health diagnosis was one of the best things to ever happen to her both personally and at work. The WHY is the focus of this online course.
Alison decided that there were not enough working professionals, entrepreneurs and mothers talking about mental health. She started the process to expand her existing consulting business and in 2019 became a Certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer through the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Alison has a Bachelors degree in Marketing and Communications and a Masters degree in Employment Relations. She is very interested in employee wellness, health, safety and inclusion and is passionate about creating conversations around mental health and wellbeing.