Unusual tips to ensure a founder’s mental well-being
The pandemic has not just been stressful for employees – start-up founders often bear the brunt of financial, emotional and mental stress.
With COVID-19 dragging on for nearly two years, the compounded stress has taken a toll on mental health. Seven in 10 employees reported experiencing stress over a six-month period, according to a survey by Employment Hero. Many are so stressed that they are resigning without a job.
Employee support has become a big topic today, and rightfully so. However, one group that is too often neglected is start-up founders who, unlike employees, cannot simply walk away from work stress and call time-out.
“It takes a terrible toll on your mental health because you are always thinking about some problem that needs to get solved,”
- Suresh V Shankar, founder and CEO of Crayon Data.
Founders Face Immense Pressure
“A typical founder faces a great deal of stress in his or her daily life. From investors, the team, clients and practically all stakeholders. It takes a terrible toll on your mental health because you are always thinking about some problem that needs to get solved,” says Suresh V Shankar, founder and CEO of Crayon Data.
Yi Sung Yong, founder of Grain and Atlas adds: “As an employee, you don't feel the existential pressures that the founder feels having to consider product-market fit, runway and long-term meaning. As a founder, the buck really stops with you,” Sung says.
Moreover, in the COVID-stricken economy today, small and medium sized businesses in most sectors have been significantly hit. With the multiple waves of infection, founders also find themselves having to grapple with the added pressure of adapting to ever-changing rules and restrictions.
“The past 12 to 18 months have definitely been the most stressful period. B2B, that was a substantial part of business, evaporated overnight so we had to pivot the business,” shares Sung. “It was a fundraising nuclear winter. I also went through a breakup with a long-term partner,” Sung adds.
The wellness of entrepreneurs however is often overlooked, even by themselves, as they tirelessly support the team and prioritise business goals. Pandemic fatigue is also amplified for founders, especially when it comes to the lack of work-life balance when working from home.
“As an employee, when you complete an assigned task, you are done. For entrepreneurs, the work is endless because of long-term goals. Any time and any day can be work-time,” says Caitlyn Lim, founder of inclusive fashion brand Twistrek Sunglasses. Caitlyn herself worked for more than a year from 6am till midnight without off-days.
“I was so drained that I just did not feel like talking to people even though I am usually super extroverted. There was also a lot of mental strain and self-doubt. I found myself wondering: Am I doing anything? Is this good enough? Is it worth it?” she adds.
“As an employee, when you complete an assigned task,
you are done.
For entrepreneurs,
the work is endless because of long-term goals. Any time and any day can be work-time,”
- Caitlyn Lim, founder of inclusive fashion brand Twistrek Sunglasses
Dealing With Burnout
One day in July 2021, when Caitlyn found herself single-handedly running a social media campaign, developing her product and revamping the website, she finally experienced burnout.
“I woke up feeling terrible and cried. I did not have the motivation to do anything, and had this overwhelming feeling of wanting to give up. I didn’t really know why I was feeling this way, because I was feeling fine the day before,” she shares.
“When I shared my feelings with my mentor, I started to have a panic attack and was hyperventilating,” she adds. These intense emotional distress lasted for two weeks.
Because business building is a marathon, it is paramount for entrepreneurs to prioritise their mental health and well-being. Suresh, Sung and Caitlyn share six tips that will help other start-up founders find holistic balance and go the distance.
#1 Get A Dog
“I got Eden five months ago. She helps me stay present, reminds me that happiness is in life’s simple things, and makes me feel loved all the time. She also serves as a good forcing function to have a daily morning and evening routine for walks and feeding,” says Sung.
Suresh agrees: “Your dog has a habit of loving you no matter what happens. You may have a bad meeting with an investor, had a client walk away, lose a key team member, you may just have had a really busy day... But when you go back home, your dog is just happy to see you. And those 15 minutes of unconditional love can be the best stress-buster that an entrepreneur can have. Your dog will turn out to be your most steadfast friend and your best guarantee of mental health for the rigours of a start-up.”
#2 Find Work-Life Harmony
“I have made the conscious choice to have "work-life harmony", instead of “work-life balance”, which implies a 50-50 balance (that may not be possible). I believe that besides sacrificing sleep, downtime and maybe short-term cash, it is important to prioritise my family, friends, other loved ones and health,” says Sung.
#3 Try Mindfulness Martial Arts
“I have a weekly mindfulness practice combined with martial arts training. Known as Five Ancestors Fist, this martial arts training is very slow, so I have to focus on each part of my body, my breath, and being in the here and now. Of course, mindfulness does not have to involve martial arts. It can also be a mindful walking practice – feeling each step and movement, focusing on your breathing, and re-focusing your mind,” says Caitlyn
#4 Join A Network Of Founders
Start-up loneliness can contribute to burnout. “I joined the Southeast Founders (SEA Founders) started by Peng from Monk’s Hill Ventures, and meet them and a set of entrepreneur friends monthly. I can speak freely with them, and find support among this close community,” says Sung.
#5 Invest In Therapy
“When I was not feeling very good mentally, I found it very hard to share with people I was working with because I felt that acting this way was not going to be very good for the company,” says Caitlyn, who shares that many of her entrepreneur friends go for regular therapy even if they are not burnt out simply to have a listening ear. An additional benefit of therapy is deeper self-understanding, which can boost work performance.
#6 Try CEO Coaching
Via one-on-one sessions with a coach, this can help founders and leaders better understand themselves and how they are perceived often via a combination of self-review and feedback. It supports founders’ mental well-being and resilience by boosting self-awareness, continual growth and holistic leadership development. “Reboot and Torch are very good resources – we send our management team for this,” says Sung.