If you suffer from a long-term mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, your level of confidence in your ability to successfully start and run your own business may have eroded over time. Your efforts in the past may have left you feeling like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, both in your business activities and on the path of traditional employment.
If not approached correctly, starting a business can be dangerous for a person with bipolar disorder, adding more fuel to the fire of mania and depression. People with bipolar disorder may be subject to manic delusions of grandeur, pursuing unrealistic business ideas, as well as having grandiose and unrealistic expectations of themselves. After the mania period passes, the depressed mindset is likely to set in, and with it, a realistic view of the unrealistic business they had been so excited about. They can feel foolish and like a failure, and they may have also hurt and disappointed many people who believed in them.
This cycle of feelings of greatness followed by feelings of failure is detrimental to the health and stability of the person with bipolar disorder and can cause them to give up completely. After many of those disappointments and disappointments, many people with bipolar disorder who have great potential end up with a disability or depend on others for their survival.
If you have bipolar disorder, starting your own business can be one of the best things you can do for yourself and your health, as long as you approach it in the right way. It is important that you gain perspective and understanding to master the possibility of poor judgment based on manic impulses. You can get this information by recognizing your past patterns and mistakes in business, or if you are lucky enough to have made none, by being aware of the potential dangers of both mania and depression in your business.
Ideally, you can find a trusted friend and advisor to help you achieve your goals for self-employment success. This person should be a logical, informed, and rational critical thinker who understands bipolar disorder. He or she can be the sounding board for your plans, and you will need to rely on this person to help you and alert you when your ideas or judgment are poor. Your advisor can also help motivate you when your mood is down.
You will need to train your mind to approach your business in the right way, rather than the incredible excitement, creativity, and grandeur that may have fueled your past endeavors. Be realistic and know your weaknesses. You want to keep your stress levels low, so be careful not to overdo it. If you start working unstoppably from 12 to 16 hours a day, it’s time for you to force yourself to stop. Consult with your counselor to inform them that you need to take a break and do whatever is necessary to take care of your elevated mood, such as calling your psychiatrist and / or therapist.
Have realistic expectations and set small goals. This will prevent you from setting yourself up for disappointment, failure, and depression. Don’t start with the dream of becoming a millionaire overnight, just start with small steps. Make sure you find a good accountant – many small businesses can start out making just a hundred or a few hundred dollars a month. By maximizing your tax deductions, you can offset this.
A good type of business for someone with bipolar disorder is a small home business. A home business is something that you can start small and build slowly, you won’t need a lot of money to get started. You can set your own hours and limits, assuming only what you are capable of without overstressing yourself. With a home business, you have the flexibility you need to deal with this disorder. You will still be able to find time for all the various tasks you already have during the week, such as doctor appointments, support groups, exercise, therapy, filling prescriptions, etc.
There are an incredible number of benefits for a person with bipolar disorder starting a business from home. You will find something that uses your talents and abilities, and your confidence will increase dramatically. Having a regular responsibility that you enjoy will help you to be healthier and more stable. Your business will keep your mind active, and if you’ve been disabled, you probably appreciate having something to do.
As your income increases and you take advantage of your tax deductions, you can get better insurance, pay for your medications more easily, and enjoy your overall increasing quality of life. As you take control of your income, you can begin to relieve yourself of the main stressors of poverty and financial need. Your self-esteem will increase as you become more independent and less dependent. You can start paying your debts. And, by working on your own, you have created your own job security.
There are many more benefits to running your own home business if you have a mental illness. Finding a home-based business that fits and tackling it in the right way is one of the best things a person with bipolar disorder can do for their financial, mental, and emotional health.