WE’RE halfway through 2025, and it’s a good time to ask: How’s business? More importantly — how are you doing?

This time of year, most entrepreneurs are either recalibrating their goals or trying to justify why they’ve fallen off track. But what if the real reason we’re struggling has nothing to do with strategy, and everything to do with what’s happening in our minds?

In a recent conversation with high-performance psychologist and mental fitness coach Chelsea Cree, we dug into the connection between mental health and business performance — and why mental fitness might be the most overlooked tool in our success toolkit.

What Is Mental Fitness?

Chelsea defines mental fitness as the practice of training your brain and body to function at their highest capacity.

“Mental fitness is a mind-body approach to training your brain to think, feel, and perform at your highest level,” she explained. “It’s about rewiring the psychological barriers that come from survival mode so you can unlock your full potential.”

This isn’t therapy. It’s not just meditation. And it’s not something you do once and check off a list. “It’s like the gym,” she said. “You don’t go once and expect to be strong forever. It’s a consistent, daily practice.”

We’re Still in Survival Mode

During our conversation, I reflected on something I’d said in a group recently:

“How do you expect solutions to be implemented when everyone is still trying to survive?”

That idea sparked a deeper conversation with Chelsea — because this is exactly what she sees in her work. Too many people in business are trying to build growth from a foundation of stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion.

“We’ve normalised suffering,” she said. “So many of us are disconnected from our bodies and our emotions. We don’t even realise how burnt out we are because that has always been our baseline.”

This survival state shows up in subtle but dangerous ways — overthinking, self-doubt, impulsive decisions, lack of clarity, and, eventually, shutdown. And in leadership? It can get worse.

Burnout in a Business Suit

Chelsea works with high performers — executives, founders, and creators — and the patterns are consistent.

“When leaders don’t prioritise their mental fitness, you get emotional volatility, poor decision-making, and reactive leadership,” she explained. “You might look the part on the outside, but your nervous system is fried.”

The consequences? Workplaces that feel tense, uninspiring, or even unsafe. Teams that are disconnected. Business owners who appear successful but feel hollow. She calls it “chasing empty success”— something many of us in the Caribbean know all too well.

Practical Tools to Build Mental Fitness

Fortunately, mental fitness isn’t reserved for CEOs or elite athletes. Chelsea shared a few tools that anyone can start with, no matter where they are:

1) Regulate Your Nervous System

You can’t think clearly if your body is in a constant state of fight or flight.

“Your nervous system governs how you respond to stress, people, and business challenges,” Chelsea said. “Breathwork and physical movement are two of the best tools for regulation.”

She recommends treating your body like part of your business infrastructure — because it is.

2) Leverage AI to Support Reflection

Not everyone has access to therapy or coaching, but tools like ChatGPT can still help.

“If you can describe what you’re feeling, you can ask AI for techniques or frameworks to help you process it,” she said. “It’s not a replacement, but it’s a great start for people who want to strengthen their mind on their own time.”

3) Redefine What Success Looks Like

Many of us grew up tying self-worth to performance. That’s a recipe for burnout.

“Real success feels as good as it looks,” Chelsea said. “If your version of success is draining you, it’s time to rewire that model. You can build a life that nourishes you, not just pays you.”

Why the Caribbean Needs This Shift

Chelsea and I both agreed — mental fitness isn’t just a personal tool. It’s a cultural imperative. Across the Caribbean, we see resistance to innovation, leadership clashes between generations, and a reluctance to do anything unfamiliar.

And often, it’s not because we’re incapable — it’s because we’re emotionally and mentally exhausted.

“We live in systems that reward performance, but neglect the person,” Chelsea said. “Many people are walking around disconnected from themselves. We can’t build a better business culture until we build stronger minds.”

This shift won’t happen overnight. But it starts with each of us deciding that how we feel is just as important as what we do.

Final Thought: You Are Worth the Work

One of the most powerful takeaways from our conversation came in Chelsea’s closing words:

“You’re worth it. All this effort to retrain your mind and take care of yourself — you are worth it. You don’t have to be perfect. Just be a supportive friend to yourself. That’s where mental fitness starts.”

As I’ve simplified my own life over the past year — choosing fewer clients, prioritising peace, and living more intentionally — I’ve come to understand what she means. Business is important. But you are the asset.

Before you chase the second half of 2025, take a moment to check in with yourself. Not your calendar. Not your KPIs.

Your mind.

Because no matter how brilliant your ideas are, they can’t thrive if you’re falling apart on the inside.