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Education

Time to monitor your mental health

Let's face it: our industry is mind-numbingly stressful.
As competition increases, profit margins shrink,
operational costs rise, markets and solutions become
more complex, and compliance with regulations
becomes more burdensome; a merchant level
salesperson's (MLS's) job intensifies. If you are an MLS
who also has a family to support, the stress further
amasses as you try to juggle increasingly complex
commercial and personal objectives.

Even if you have been juggling a lot of these aspects for
an extended period of time and feel okay, it's time to
monitor the state of your mental health.

Find a trusted, experienced mental health counselor
in your area. Set up an appointment to assess your
condition and confirm that you are okay. If you do
have a mental health condition, it might not require
hospitalization; psychotherapy or peer/support groups
could provide the requisite aid.

When mass shootings occur, the media typically
interviews people who were close to the perpetrator(s).
They talk about how the individual(s) displayed signs
of a mental health problem. However, none of these
people mention actions they took to warn officials, get
the individual help or improve the situation, having
instead often mocked, teased or roasted the soon-to-be
perpetrator.

This is a fundamental flaw of many communities
today; we don't seem to care about our neighbors,
family members or friends anymore until after a major
sickness, mental breakdown or death occurs.

Your mental health is a serious issue. Just as many of
you complete routine physical health exams every year,
it's time to put as much emphasis on routine mental
health exams as well.
We are in a highly competitive, stressful industry.
Thus, your career may have already taken a serious toll
on your mental health without you even being aware
of it. You could be on the verge of a mental breakdown.
I would not want that to happen to you now or in the
future. So mind your mental health because doing so is
an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle.

John Tucker has over 10 years of professional experience in com-
mercial finance and business development. He is also an M.B.A.
graduate and holder of three bachelor's degrees in accounting,
business management and journalism. To connect with John, please
send him a connection invite via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/
johntucker99 or email him at tucker@1stcapitalloans.com.

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