Mental health for tradespeople doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. You’re up before most people have opened their eyes, on site by seven, and answering messages from customers by eight!
Running a business often means doing the work, managing the diary and chasing invoices. It’s no wonder it feels tough to hold it all together. Most days you just get on with it, because that’s what you do. But that pressure adds up.
A report by On The Tools found that 93% of UK tradespeople have been affected by mental ill health in some way. Almost three-quarters said they are experiencing it now or have experienced it in the past. That’s nearly everyone, let that sink in for a minute…
In this article, we’re taking an honest look at what makes the job hard beyond the work itself.
When the work and money are up and down
One week, you’re flat out, turning jobs away. Next, you’re wondering how you’ll pay the subbies. That uncertainty lives inside your head and follows you home at the end of the day. When it’s slow, you spend the evening looking at what you’ve got in the account, what you owe and whether to drop your rate for a job just to secure it. When it’s busy, you’re stretched thin trying not to let anyone down.
Slow-paying customers make it worse. You’ve done the work, and now you’re waiting for payment. But your bills keep coming in regardless. Research found that finances are the single most common factor affecting a tradesperson’s mental health. A staggering 65% highlighting it as an issue.
When the day doesn’t really end
There’s no clocking-off time when it’s your business. The job might finish at five, but then you’ve got quotes to write, messages to reply to, and materials to order. This all eats into the time you’d rather be spending with family or your mates. And it’s not just the hours, it’s the fact that you never fully switch off. There’s always constant background noise in your head, and it’s exhausting.
When it’s all on you
As a sole trader or small business owner, when something goes wrong, there’s no manager to step in and take control. Every complaint, decision and risk weighs on you. Taking on staff, raising prices, and turning down a difficult customer. While most tradespeople are used to carrying that responsibility, doing so every day for years takes its toll.
When you’re working on your own
A lot of tradespeople spend most of their day alone, or in a small team where talking about anything beyond the job doesn’t really happen. When something’s bothering you, there’s nobody to say, “yeah, I know what you mean.” Problems stay in your head longer because there’s nowhere for them to go. Research by “On The Tools” found that more than 8 in 10 tradespeople who work alone experience mental ill health, mainly depression and anxiety.
Reaching out
While everything above is the reality for a huge number of tradespeople, you don’t have to just put up with it. Help is out there. For local tradespeople, West Sussex Mind is worth checking out; they provide one-to-one and group support across West Sussex. And Men Who Talk is a national organisation that offers free, peer-led online social groups, open to all men aged 18+ across the UK. If you’re a small business or employer of any kind, they also run workshops to help you look after your employees.
Another online support option is Qwell. Qwell is an NHS-funded service, offering people access to the help they need without having to worry about how to meet the cost. There’s no waiting list or referral needed; a simple sign-up process allows access to support.
Finally, if the financial side of running the business is part of what’s grinding you down, that’s something we’re always happy to talk about. Getting your books straight won’t solve everything, but it does take some pressure off your shoulders. Get in touch here.