Prioritize Your Mental Health Part 4: Common Signs of Mental Health Concerns

Work/Life Balance|January 29, 2025

Reading Time 2 minutes

Your own health can find itself at the bottom of your to-do list, but for a successful business and a happy life, it has to work its way up to something you prioritize.

By Jennifer Paulson

Keep track of how you’re feeling, how you react to situations, and any concerns with your mental health by doing regular check-ins with yourself. Never be anxious about asking for help. Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash

It’s no secret that being an NRHA Professional can be a 24/7 job. High-level performance horses require constant attention. Customers of all budgets expect your expert care for their animals. Staying at the top of your competitive game doesn’t happen without extra effort. And let’s not forget the time required to maintain a property and market yourself to acquire new customers. All of these factors can lead you to feeling burnt out. But more than that, they can take a toll on your physical and mental health, which can test your personal relationships and your ability to perform at your chosen career.

Carving out time to care for yourself and meet your own needs might seem impossible in your current framework, but you’re not alone. Small business owners and operators from all sectors face the same challenges. We did some digging outside the horse industry to find insights and tips that you can apply in your own business to help you care for your health and help your relationships prosper, even under the stress of being a successful NRHA Professional.

Here we’ll arm you with strategies to create time to focus on your own well-being, even if just for five minutes at a time. As you start to create these short segments focusing on yourself, you’ll see results and learn that taking care of yourself is just as important as finding the next customer or winning a big event.

Part 1: Find Exercise…That Isn’t Horse-Related

Part 2: Create Boundaries

Part 3: Ditch ‘Comparisonitis’ & Limit Social Media Exposure

Part 4: Common Signs of Mental Health Concerns

Common Signs of Mental Health Concerns

Recognize these signs—or an increase in these feelings—to identify when you might not be taking care of your mental well-being.