Boost your Personal Brand with these 4 Mental Health Tips
There is a subtle danger in personal brand building.
The rise of social media has shifted Brand Marketing culture to emphasize “authenticity”, which in and of itself, is beneficial. But as rising leaders and executives continue to maximize opportunities through personal branding, there must be more intentional opportunities to find the harmony between our inner selves and our ideal public presentation. In this way, we channel authenticity as a guide, not a marketing strategy!
As a Brand Consulting Agency, we believe nourishing your inner self and caring for your mental health is essential to overall business and personal success and brand authenticity. We stress to our clients that a truly sustainable brand comes down to “branding from the inside out.” Let’s get into what that means.
Brand Alignment & Mental Wellness
Although it’s not always obvious, mental health and professional advancement go hand in hand. Personal branding is about who you are, your values, and how you communicate both. Like a company demonstrates its value and unique proposition to consumers through its brand, a personal brand does the same, helping to share your identity and value with potential employers, clients, or partners.
A strong and authentic personal brand can push you to new heights. We encourage our clients to prioritize both professional goals and mental health by leveraging our "inside out" strategy, where we spotlight your inner self and develop a personal brand identity unique to your values and vision.
More and more professionals are indeed making career transitions at a rapid rate in recent years. This article provides some of the basic steps we use to help professionals at all levels align, or re-align, their external presence with their inner self.
1: Identify Your Core Values
Your core values are not just attractive language that makes up your bio! They are called core values because they’re meant to spring from who you are at your core: what you believe in, what motivates you, and what shapes your worldview. One of the greatest benefits of identifying your core values is limiting connecting with people and organizations that don’t align with you. This simple activity can help prevent the anxiety and stress of trying to force relationships that don’t align with who you are.
To start articulating these ideas, write down your ‘why’.
Why did you start on the path you’re on?
Why are you offering this particular type of skill or talent?
Why are you starting now?
The answers to questions like these will likely spell out what your core values are, and strengthen your sense of self!
A personal brand will evolve as your professional aspirations evolve, so don’t worry about limiting yourself here. Our life experiences dictate our personal brand evolution. The best strategy is acknowledging, exploring and remaining in tune with yourself. Our client and founder of Calm Mind Counseling Center, Dr. Suzanne Muirheid, shares the importance of checking in with yourself:
“Sense of self or self-concept is essentially the state of feeling attuned to your own personal experiences, desires and how that shapes how you choose to interact with the world. This can include small experiences such as assessing what you feel hungry for to larger life altering decisions such as the type of work you find fulfilling or deciding which community feels aligned to your personal values.
Everyone is unique in their personal interests and values, so it is essential that you check in with yourself on a regular basis rather than make decisions based on what is popular or what you think is expected of you.
Having a strong sense of self is essential, but it takes a great deal of personal work and consistency in self exploration. To be successful in this process, you must be curious, flexible and patient with yourself. The process is not an easy one and is a lifelong journey, but the more aligned you are the more fulfilling your life will be.”
2: Put your Purpose into Practice
Studies show that any act of “giving back”, a selfless act for others, is connected to positive mental effects. According to the Cleveland Clinic this includes lower blood pressure, increased self-esteem, less incidence of depression, lower stress levels, and even longer life.
We can easily get lost in our brand identity's ‘me’ aspect. To strike a balance, take time to identify how your brand can impact the lives of others, what causes align with that vision, and how you will measure your impact.
Some of our favorite ways to create impact are volunteering, joining a board, mentoring, or using our connections to spread awareness. It doesn’t always have to be a large donation! Look to social impact to keep you mentally grounded as your platform continues to grow. Giving without expectation is the greatest reward.
As an aside, it should go without saying that jumping on the bandwagon to stay relevant is the opposite of authenticity. While plenty of worthy causes exist in the world, not every matter is your matter, and that’s OK!
3: Feed Your Creativity
60% of leaders feel “used up” by the end
of the workday…
So it goes without saying that we could all use a little more unwind time. Ask yourself: when was the last time you engaged in something simply because it brought you joy?
Find an outlet where your creativity can flow without expectation; really let your imagination roam free! Is there a hobby you used to find interest in that you could pick back up? Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but never made time for it because it didn’t directly impact your goals? Creative outlets can be helpful even when they don’t have an endgame or explicitly push professional growth because they train our minds to be open. Similar to spending time with people who uplift you and remind you of your value outside of your ‘official’ work duties.
When you allow time for creativity, you discover what really matters to you, your soul care. That’s when you are able to see your brand journey for what it really is: a creative love story. And, like any good love story, the work you put in will maximize your joy and make you feel fulfilled, even when it’s not easy!
4: Take a Break from Digital Technology
Digital technology has offered incredible new ways to engage with people and promote our brands. Overall we believe it's a positive advancement in human experiences. Yet, studies show that the overuse of technology can lead to depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and eyestrain. Are you wondering why your vision is a little blurry? Perhaps you should check your screen time usage on your phone right after you make that appointment with the optometrist. The American Optometric Association recommends the 20 20 Rule. To help alleviate digital eyestrain, take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.
Mental Stability = Brand Stability
Prioritizing mental health is vital for your business or career. As leaders at all levels (because we believe everyone is a leader in their own space), we often overthink, juggle many things, fight feelings of overwhelm, and constantly put ourselves into the public eye. But ultimately, a successful and sustainable personal brand is only as good as the person or people behind it. Leverage these tips and save this article as a reminder to be kind to your mind!
Are you at a stage in your brand development where you feel you struggle to get to the next level mentally and professionally? Set up a call with us here, and let’s get started aligning your authentic self with your brand vision!