Why Your Mental Health Matters as an Entrepreneur
Introduction: The Hidden Side of Hustle Entrepreneurship is often romanticized as freedom — freedom to create, to lead, to innovate. But what’s rarely talked about is the emotional weight of being the one who holds the vision, the payroll, and the pressure to “keep it all together.” For many African women entrepreneurs, the hustle culture is real — juggling business, family, finances, and expectations. Yet behind every success story, there’s often a silent battle with stress, anxiety, and burnout. Your mental health is not a luxury or a side project. It’s the engine that drives your creativity, leadership, and long-term sustainability. The Connection Between Mental Health and Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship isn’t just a career; it’s a lifestyle that can blur the lines between personal well-being and business demands. Studies show that entrepreneurs are twice as likely to experience depression and three times more likely to struggle with addiction than traditional employees. Why? Because founders often carry the emotional weight of: When your mind is overwhelmed, your productivity, innovation, and resilience all take a hit. Why Prioritizing Mental Health Boosts Productivity Many entrepreneurs think rest is a reward for success — but in truth, it’s the fuel for it.Here’s how a healthy mind makes you a stronger business leader: The Burnout Cycle (and How to Break It) Burnout often creeps in quietly — late nights, skipped meals, canceled social plans — until suddenly you’re running on empty. Signs of burnout include: To break the cycle: Practical Self-Care Tips for African Women Entrepreneurs The Bigger Picture: Redefining Strength As African women leaders, we’re often taught that strength means endurance — keep going no matter what. But true strength is in awareness, balance, and sustainability. Your business is an extension of you. If you thrive, it thrives.Investing in your mental health is one of the most powerful business decisions you can make. Let’s shift the narrative. Success isn’t about how much you hustle — it’s about how well you honor your humanity while building your dreams. So, the next time you feel guilty for resting, remember: you are the most important asset your business has. Protect your peace, nurture your joy, and watch your impact multiply.
2020 World Economic Forum Davos: 4 things you need to know
Global leaders from the public sector, private sector, civil society and academia met this week in Davos, Switzerland for the 50th Anniversary of the World Economic Forum. The theme this year was “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World”. Africa.com has curated hundreds of keynote speeches, panel discussions, focused spotlight talks, exhibits, and sideline events to give Motherland Moguls the scoop on what happened. 1. A Zambian teen is changing the women’s health game Natasha Mwansa, a Zambian teen got the world’s attention when she talked about her work in Africa. The 18-year old runs her own foundation and is the most compelling advocate and activist for girls and women’s reproductive rights. She has used her voice to address the underfunding of maternal health and forced marriages of young girls. Mwansa explained that young people want more than to simply speak at conferences or become spokespersons for meaningful causes: they want to become partners in political change. Intergenerational partnerships are necessary to help translate youth mobilization into political change. 2. Climate change is #REALAF in Africa For the world’s most vulnerable, climate change is not a distant existential threat: it is killing people right now. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, gave a powerful reality check. ‘In my region, people are dying because of climate change’ Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim at WEF Davos In the video below, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim explains what it’s like to live in a place where the effects of climate change are #realaf. 3. The Motsepe Foundation is supporting Social Entrepreneurship Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the newly elected Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, hosted several events showcasing the success of her work through the Motsepe Foundation. Through a partnership with the Schwab Foundation, the Motsepe Foundation sponsors an Executive Education program for African students at Harvard Kennedy School. 4. This woman is leading education reform with Ethiopia’s Sesame Street Originally a primary school teacher in Addis Ababa, Bruktawit Tigabu Tadesse developed the Whiz Kids Workshop, a multimedia enterprise that makes shows like “Tsehai Loves Learning”, the first educational pre-school TV show in Ethiopia. Bruktawit founded the company in 2015 with her husband while looking to make high-quality education accessible to children on a mass scale. Working from their living room, they used sock puppets, computer graphics, and their own voices to produce Tsehai Loves Learning. The most important take away from WEF Davos is that we all need to play our part to create a peaceful and sustainable world – no matter how small. How are you changing your communities? SPONSORED POST.
FACEBOOK LIVE: GIRL TALK WITH DR. FEYI AND SHE LEADS AFRICA (NOV 28)
What’s it like being a girl? There are a whole bunch of things women go through, our emotional and physical kit bags are always filled up and frankly, we all need a sister to talk to. It’s funny how we live in the century of the millennials where almost everyone is very open-minded but women are still embarrassed to talk about specific topics regarding their bodies, their sexuality and the female nature overall. Got some woman issues bottled up inside? Lighten up! We’re bringing you an opportunity to get all your questions answered. [bctt tweet=”Join our girls exclusive Facebook LIVE with Dr. Feyi on Wed, 28th Nov @ 5pm WAT. It’s a deep-dive into everything!” via=”no”] Dr. Feyishara Kuku is an OB/GYN and marriage therapist who has several years of experience in dealing with women’s health and family therapy. Join us on Wednesday, 28th November, as we host a Facebook Live Chat with Dr. Feyisara Kuku, themed Girl talk with Dr. Feyi. It’s going to be a deep dive to all the things you’re probably shy to talk about. Some of the topics we’ll cover What you need to know about Breast Cancer How to tackle Clinical & Social Depression Let’s talk about Sex and STI’s Before you say “I do”… Girl, listen Register below to access this opportunity and submit questions that you would like Dr. Feyi to answer. Facebook Live Details: Date: Wednesday, November 28th Time: GA, USA 12pm // Lagos 6pm // Johannesburg 7pm Where: facebook.com/sheleadsafrica/ [ninja_forms id=204] About Feyishara Feyishara Kuku is an OB/GYN, a marriage and family therapist and the Co-Founder of Sarthelpline. She’s also a mom and a Peace Activist. In her journey as a therapist, she has had the opportunity to work with high- achieving men, CEOs, baby boomers, college students, and affluent clients who are looking for a counseling experience that is tailored to their unique needs. She specializes in clinical issues as addictions, crisis, betrayal, trauma, faith-based issues, leadership development, stress management, maximizing productivity, divorce, finances, and career counseling.