The Loneliness Epidemic: Overcoming Loneliness as an Entrepreneur in a Highly Connected Era

Becoming an entrepreneur takes courage and risk. Leaving behind what you know - employment, financial security, certainty - to build a path less taken by others doesn’t come without its obstacles, and yet, while having the opportunity to build on something extraordinary, entrepreneurs struggle with an epidemic of loneliness.

Even with the rise of the Internet of Things and the digitalization of our communication efforts, more people are experiencing high levels of loneliness.

One study by Gallup found that seventeen percent of American adults report feeling loneliness “a lot of the day yesterday.” While the figure has declined since 2020 and early 2021, that 17% represents close to 44 million adults that are currently struggling with significant loneliness.

Among this group is a large number of entrepreneurs that are currently struggling with the same problems of feeling isolated, lonely, and disconnected.

Yet, many entrepreneurs are told “fake it until you make it” often leaving them to undermine their efforts, as they struggle to let people see the real realities of what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

The Loneliness of Being an Entrepreneur

Being in business can be lonely, and it’s often a topic that has been dismissed and rarely discussed by many.

One study suggested that more than thirty years ago, around sixty percent of small to medium enterprise (SME) owners and managers worked above 50 hours per week, and another twenty-five percent worked more than 60 hours.

More recently, different research noted that roughly sixty percent of owner-managers took at least three weeks of vacation or less per year. More worrisome, around ten percent never took a vacation at all.

Extended working hours and minimal time off have led to higher rates of burnout among entrepreneurs, and further being fueled by economic uncertainty.

One recent survey by Capital One notes that 42% of American small business owners have experienced burnout in the past month - another twenty-four percent of them are currently feeling or experiencing high levels of burnout.

Rising costs largely driven on by inflation have further added fuel to the fire, leaving many small business owners feeling more uncertain about the future of their business prospects.

Starting a growing business isn't only a risky undertaking, but it turns out it can be extremely lonely.

Entrepreneurs are told to “face the music” and “take the risk” however, it’s become difficult for entrepreneurs to share these experiences, as they are conflicted with the feeling of not being successful or looking like a failure.

Isolation has become an active component in the day-to-day life of entrepreneurs. Connectedness and the feeling of communication are key ingredients to our human well-being and personal growth.

However, several contributing forces have left many entrepreneurs feeling isolated from the outside world.

Making Big Decisions

Within the business structure, employees and managers often rely on one another to make critical decisions. This creates the opportunity for them to work together to identify problems, find solutions and apply their efforts based on their connected understanding.

However, for entrepreneurs, big and hairy decisions are left for them to decide on. They are often pressured with making critical choices that could not only impact the direction in which their business is growing but could impact their employees and their livelihoods.

Having another dependent on you and your business creates an air of added pressure.

Entrepreneurs often feel conflicted about their decisions and whether or not they have made the right choice.

Working Alone

In the beginning, entrepreneurs are faced with having to undertake a number of challenges by themselves. From building a brand, understanding market trends, and rapidly adapting to any changes that they may experience.

More than this, entrepreneurs are driven by the idolization of having to succeed, leaving them to constantly work, increasing the number of hours they work per week, and further increasing their risk of burnout.

Shifting from the mindset of having to work in a team or office to completely being alone becomes harder as time passes as more business challenges become a reality, and entrepreneurs are left to face these by themselves instead of having a team to rely on.

Long Working Hours

Becoming an entrepreneur requires owners to work overtime every week. Some startup business owners typically work between 50 to 60 hours per week, and there are even instances where some may work 60 to 100 hours per week.

Extremely long working hours have been shown to directly impact a person's well-being and overall health. This can lead to increased levels of burnout, which in turn, can result in lower levels of productivity and creativity.

Tiring working hours isn’t the only thing entrepreneurs have to constantly stress over. Having to wait months, even a year perhaps before becoming profitable only increases the feeling of being stressed, leaving a toll on entrepreneurs and their families as they constantly feel worried about the financial repercussions of their decisions.

While there are cases where some entrepreneurs may have teams to rely on, in the beginning, most of the responsibilities rest on entrepreneurs and having to face the hard realities of business on their own.

Entrepreneurial Mindset

During the last several years, social media have played a big role in the portrayal of entrepreneurs through the content published and shared on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

Often, these short glimpses into the lives of entrepreneurs portray them as being creative thinkers, hard-working individuals, that have enough flexibility in their schedules to balance being both a startup business owner and still having enough personal time to undertake social gatherings or work on their skills.

While this may be true to some extent, there’s an entrepreneurial mindset that has further contributed to the overarching loneliness some entrepreneurs may experience throughout their careers.

Often, outsiders are conflicted with entrepreneurs’ decisions and their reasoning, leaving many of them feeling uncertain about their decisions. People don’t often condone their decisions, and this creates a feeling that they are doing the wrong thing or not properly evaluating their options.

Instead, entrepreneurs retreat, leaving them to make critical decisions themselves, instead of relying on their team members, if any, or communicating their efforts with their close friends and family.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy, and it’s not something everyone will understand, so it can be hard for outsiders to fully grasp the feeling of being an entrepreneur, which only creates a bigger divide between entrepreneurs and those on the outside.

Four Ways To Overcome Loneliness As An Entrepreneur

Overcoming loneliness requires entrepreneurs to break away from their social isolation, but what solutions can they look for to overcome these personal dilemmas?

Build Connections

Entrepreneurs often rely solely on their skills and experience to overcome challenges. However, building connections with like-minded individuals can help them find new ways of approaching a problem or understanding what they are currently facing.

While it’s possible to build connections with friends and family, entrepreneurs are encouraged to be more open-minded to talk to like-minded people experiencing a similar challenge or problem.

Where do you find these connections? In today’s highly connected digital age, they’re everywhere. Specific online forums and chat rooms exist solely for entrepreneurs, where they can discuss ideas, share inspiration and creativity and further build their connections.

However, connections will be hard to establish if entrepreneurs are not open to the idea of sharing their experiences with others or talking about their current issues and how they can potentially overcome them.

The mindset that every person is out to get you or steal your ideas will be the fuel that lights up your feelings of isolation.

Practice Mindfulness

The quality or state of mind of being aware and conscious is a valuable trait for any entrepreneur that struggles to set boundaries with themselves and their work.

Being mindful is not only about being aware of the business-related challenges you might have to overcome; it becomes a way to realize when you need to take a break or separate yourself from a problem and revisit it at a later stage.

Becoming more aware of your health and wellness is one of the most important things an entrepreneur can do during their journey. It will encourage them to take occasional breaks, help them to reset, and unwind.

Taking time for yourself means that you are actively working towards improving your mental health, and physical health.

Allowing yourself time to learn new skills, or undertake different tasks, will help you become more connected with yourself and also encourage you to find connections with other people.

Keep Track of Your Health

Although we’ve already spoken about occasionally resting or taking a break when needed, another key ingredient to overcoming loneliness is keeping track of your health.

Think about the last time you’ve had time to exercise, whether it’s going to the gym or even taking a walk around your neighborhood. The same can be said about the food we consume regularly.

Ample studies have found that fast food or “junk food” tends to contain high levels of unhealthy substances such as salts, sugars, and saturated fats.

More than this, another scientific study showed that consuming too much fast food regularly can impact both short and long-term physical and mental health.

This often leads to people experiencing spikes in high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar content, weakened immunity, inflammation, heart disease, and memory problems.

Excessive smoking is another factor that can influence personal health, as there is already countless research on the long-term effects smoking can have on a person’s well-being.

While business development requires continuous attention, as an entrepreneur, taking breaks, getting enough quality sleep, exercising, and monitoring personal health are just as important.

Keeping track of physical activity can encourage entrepreneurs to be more active, but also prioritize their health when it’s necessary.

Become Part of a Community

There are plenty of online and in-person communities that entrepreneurs can join to help them overcome the feeling of being lonely or isolated.

These communities are a way for them to interact and connect with like-minded individuals, sharing ideas and creativity but also building connections that can lead to increased awareness and problem-solving skills.

Being focused on making a connection with other entrepreneurs or individuals that can provide insightful perspectives can further help entrepreneurs realize that they are not the only people struggling with a certain problem, and that there may be other business owners that may be having a hard time overcoming certain challenges.

Dozens of digital spaces and communities exist aiming at helping entrepreneurs connect with fellow business owners and also establish a foundation on which they can voice their opinions and concerns.

Additionally, this can help connect entrepreneurs to different opportunities, such as online courses whereby they can apply their skills and knowledge in a different environment outside the business ecosystem.

Finally, entrepreneurs that struggle to find the right community can take it a step further and build the community they are looking for.

This might require additional effort and resources, but it ensures entrepreneurs have an appropriate outlet to voice their opinions and connect with like-minded people.

Finishing Thoughts

While being an entrepreneur has its share of risks and rewards, overcoming a feeling of isolation and loneliness is often considered to be one of the hardest obstacles novice entrepreneurs have to face.

Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be a lonesome endeavor, and there are proven ways to help mitigate feelings of being disconnected from those around you and like-minded individuals that might experience similar problems.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged to interact with their fellow peers, whether it’s employees, friends, or family. Voicing concerns and sharing ideas can help fast-track the probability of finding solutions to current issues, but also helps to understand a problem from a completely different point of view.