Business and Personal Health, Wellbeing and Development

Written by: The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers

Small business owners experiencing mental health issues

Having a mentally healthy workplace is important. Everyday pressures, unexpected life circumstances, stress, depression or anxiety can have a negative impact on your quality of life and ability to run your business. This can affect the people who are involved with your business including employees, contractors, partners and clients.

Your mental health is important, so it’s good to learn how to recognise warning signs or ‘red flags’ that may suggest you need to reach out for support.

Common warning signs include:

finding it hard to concentrate
avoiding necessary day-to-day tasks and obligations
feeling irritable, stressed or teary
constantly thinking of work, even during personal time
being unable to sleep
disconnecting from friends and family
changing eating and/or drinking habits.

The ATO understand these circumstances can affect meeting your tax and super obligations. If you’re having difficulty paying your tax, the ATO encourage you to contact them as early as possible. You can speak with them directly, or ask someone to speak with them on your behalf.

The ATO want to work with you to solve the problem before the situation escalates; it’s never too late to speak with them.

Find out about help and support available:

Source: ATO – Small business owners experiencing mental health issues