To fully explain my analogy, I’m going to borrow a few nuggets from What Does Your Check Engine Light Mean?, a helpful article from the Edmunds website. All these portions are in italics:
When your car’s check engine light illuminates on your dashboard, it’s usually accompanied by a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. The light could be a minor issue, such as a faulty gas cap, or it could mean something more serious, such as a misfiring engine.
Whether a sign of a serious problem or not, an illuminated check engine light is a helpful sign that something deserves deeper investigation. Yet, most of us are not continuously monitoring our own status and able to predict when minor challenges—or running at the redline too long—will morph into major issues. Are you being driven and tenacious, or are you pushing your mind and body beyond its limits? You might not see the early warning signs and keep pressing until more significant issues arise.
So… what’s your mental health check engine light?
I’d like to suggest that someone close to you—another human being—needs to serve this function, and that you need to invite them to do so.
This role could be served by your spouse or partner… by your business partner or close colleague… or by a good friend. You might even have three or four people who you invite to say something if they ever sense that something is amiss. As a coach, I sometimes perform this role.
Let’s be real, business is hard and typically nothing worthwhile comes easily. My intention isn’t to suggest you coddle yourself or start to second guess every time you break a sweat. But you should also not ignore warning signs…
Steve Mazor, retired chief automotive engineer for the Auto Club of Southern California, says that some people freak out when they see the check engine light. “They just put a piece of black tape over the dashboard light and keep driving,” he said.
Don’t put a piece of black tape over your mental health. Enlist the help of those close to you to be your active supporters, help bring attention to when you may need to take better care of yourself or seek help, and at the same time, perform a similar function for them.