Welcome to the Staying Stable Series
Women entrepreneurs share their secrets for staying stable as they ride the emotional roller coaster of running a business.
My name is Sachkia Barnes. I’m in transition at the moment, shifting careers, so I often say to people, when introducing myself, I’m a former PR politico turned sustainable lifestyle brand owner (WKND Mood), a wife and mother to a prince. I reside in the Virgin Islands (British), and I’m utterly devoted to the Caribbean and the advancement of its people.
My mental health story: why does mental health/wellness matter to me?
In general, mental health means more to me now as I am getting older than it did some years ago.
I would say I always knew life wasn’t meant to go by speedily, but starting in my early 30s, I recognised that I wanted a shift in my life but wasn’t sure what that feeling meant. Eventually, it meant terminating clients and downsizing my agency because I was working really hard on things and people that didn’t align with my values and who I wanted to be.
I didn’t like the fog it placed me in. I didn’t like the suppressing of thoughts that represented my authentic self for the sake of going with the flow.
Ultimately I figured that I would take my chances living life outside of the fog and started to take care of myself a bit more, sought therapy to explore my feelings on a variety of personal and professional feelings.Daily, I am working on being present and generating and providing good energy.
How I define mental health for myself
Mental health is having the soundness of mind to explore your feelings. To engage with your thoughts and how you relate to others. To truly have the opportunity to be present in those moments of interaction.
How I care for my mental health/wellness today
It’s still a work in progress. I don’t think it ever ends. I am learning to be more selfish with my time so that I can have moments of quiet, which I need so that I can centre myself and recharge.
As I am getting older, I am valuing opportunities to take care of myself, build better relationships with the people around me, feel all the feelings, and still have the courage to work through them with empathy for myself and show empathy towards others.
The main mental wellness tip I have found useful I can be high strung. I am working on unwinding more. I am learning to extend grace to myself and others. We are all figuring things out in one way or the other.
The one thing I want to share about mental wellness with women entrepreneurs
Particularly for women entrepreneurs and younger women, I would say embrace the fact that you are a woman blessed with unique talents, skills and perspectives.
Do not try to be that woman trying to be like a man or do business like men. It’s a prison and a burden to maintain.
The world treats us differently; we go through many changes, our lives evolve differently than men, embrace that and prepare yourself and your business to evolve with you.
Somehow try to unburden yourself of other people’s idea of what your business is supposed to look like to others and develop a company that is in line with your values. There is lots of joy in that, and that type of business will call you to live a more balanced and healthy life overall. And don’t be afraid to be a “difficult” woman. I find that people use that as code for a woman that asks intelligent questions and is on purpose about her life and business.
