Mental Health & Mentoring: How Becoming a Mentor Online Could Help You

Holding down a career while also struggling with your mental health is a really difficult thing to do. For some it’s a daily inconvenience that affects every aspect of their work life while for others it can hold back their career or even prevent them from finding employment altogether.

That being said, traditional employment isn’t the only way to earn a living, especially not in 2024. At Career Navig8r, we know that anyone with experience of a job role can become a Mentor online, putting their skills and knowledge to work and becoming their own boss. By doing so you can take control of your career which, in turn, will take you one step closer to mastering your mental health.

The Advantages of Self-Employment

Mental health is always a complicated issue and everyone’s experience is different. If there’s one commonality, however, it’s that sometimes we all need the chance to take a step back and get our heads into gear. Unfortunately, traditional workplaces are not always well suited to this, especially if the problem is recurring and the solution is unclear. 

The result is that many of those who struggle with mental health issues experience anxiety around finding and starting a new job. They worry about finding a sympathetic employer who’ll be willing to give them the flexible hours they need. Of course, one way to bypass this is to skip the employer altogether.

When you become a Mentor online, you also step into the driver’s seat. You get to call the shots, to set your own hours, to decide how much you charge, and to build a work/life balance that suits your needs.

Furthermore, because you’re working remotely, your hours will be flexible. Meetings can easily be rescheduled and life can be switched around.

Teaching Others can be Good for You

Managing your mental health often means a lot of introspection. It’s about learning to recognise patterns of thought that can be unhealthy and to push yourself towards a better mindset.

Believe it or not, mentoring also requires a lot of introspection. If you want to teach someone how to do what you do and achieve what you’ve achieved then you have to start by really learning to understand yourself and where you’ve come from. If you want to understand someone else well enough to teach them then you have to learn as much about your differences as about your commonalities.

Furthermore, teaching can be excellent for your confidence. It reminds you that, no matter how you might feel from time to time, you’re the expert in what you do. After all, there’s a reason your Mentee chose you.

You Get To Choose Who You Work With

It’s also worth noting that Mentors get to choose who they work with and that can make a major difference. Whether it’s your manager or your peers, the people you work with have a huge effect on your day-to-day well-being and being able to exercise some influence over that can be an incredible benefit.

But, you might be wondering, how much influence can a Mentor really have? How picky can you afford to be?

When going into any area of freelance employment, many people feel that they have to ‘take what they can get’ so to speak’. While it’s true that necessity will always have an influence on the clients you work with, becoming a Mentor gives you far more control over this than other jobs.

In fact, when meeting a potential Mentee for the first time, you should always consider whether or not they’re someone you want to work with. After all, each Mentee you take on will be a long-term commitment and ultimately, if you can afford to, it’s almost always better to hold out for clients you’re happier working with.

You Can Have A Positive Influence

The stigma around mental health is slowly disappearing as more people come to understand how important it is to look after your well-being. That being said, there’s still a long way to go before employers on-mass find better ways to handle mental health and until then it’s important to keep having the right kind of conversations.

As a Mentor, you’ll be teaching your Mentee all about the job role but you’ll also have the chance to be their role model. By watching out for their well-being and encouraging a more mindful workplace culture, you can help them to develop a healthier attitude towards work, creating the change you want to see.

Looking to become a Mentor online and start your self-employed career? Why not join Career Navig8r today and share your experience and knowledge with the people who’ll benefit from it the most?