
Mental health and wellbieng secrets for soloists
From Flying Solo by Flying Solo
March 19, 2026 · 34 min · Season 3 · Episode 6
About this episode
Graeme Cowan shares his journey through severe depression and offers strategies for mental health and resilience for solo business owners.
Graeme Cowan is a resilience expert, workplace mental health advocate, and founding director of R U OK. Graeme shares his personal journey through one of the most severe cases of depression his psychiatrists had ever seen, revealing the early warning signs he missed, the pressures that contributed to his burnout, and the steps he took to rebuild his life. Now, as the author of "Great Leaders Care," he’s on a mission to educate business owners on why mental health is not a luxury but an essential skill for high performance. Cec and Graeme explore practical strategies for building resilience, creating supportive connections, and leading by example, both for yourself and your team. This episode is packed with tangible advice to help you nurture your wellbeing and stay in the “green zone”—where productivity and creativity thrive. Key topics 1. Mental Health and Early Warning Signs · Graeme Cowan shares his personal experience with severe depression, including early signs like waking up at 3-4am with anxiety and ignoring them until they became overwhelming. · He emphasizes the importance of recognizing individual warning signs and taking corrective action, such as cutting back on…
People in this episode
Guest: Graeme Cowan
Topics covered
- Mental Health
- Resilience
- Workplace Wellbeing
- Self-Care
- Relationships
Keywords
- early warning signs
- burnout
- self-care
- supportive connections
- high performance
- Great Leaders Care
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Great Leaders Care
Books & works: Great Leaders Care, Self-Care for Solopreneurs, Are You Okay, Finding Your One Thing
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