Another Day, Another Lesson: Prioritizing Mental Health

As startup founders, we love piling more and more onto our plates—new projects, new code repos, new team members, new pitch decks, new investor calls. The thrill of progress is addictive, even if that “progress” often means more work and longer hours. But in our quest to do, do, do, we frequently forget to make space for one of the most important ingredients for sustainable success: our own mental health.

I’ve been guilty of this more times than I can count. I regularly push myself to extreme limits trying to “move the needle.” But the human mind and body can only take so much before something gives. For me, it’s usually sleeping, exercise, healthy eating, or quality time with loved ones—you know, the “nice to haves” I can “get back to” once everything else is done (spoiler alert: it’s never done).

The irony is not lost on me. We start companies to build something meaningful and change the world, but we won’t make a dent if we run ourselves into the ground first. Poor mental health is like a tax on productivity and creativity. It makes everything harder and less fulfilling. Your team's morale and performance suffer too when the founder is constantly fatigued or frazzled.

So today, in honor of Mental Health Action Day, I’m reflecting again on the fact that my mental health deserves more than lip service or wishful thinking.  It requires dedication and practice, not unlike building a business. I’m renewing my commitment to stay socially connected to fellow founders, block off real downtime, limit email/social checking to work hours when possible, and doing small things each day to stay centered and grounded. No, I won't become a master of mindfulness overnight. But continuing progress on this front, however imperfect, will make me a better leader and allow me to bring more of myself to the work I care so deeply about.

Here’s to our mental health—may we learn to nurture it, one day and one deep breath at a time. Our startups will thank us, even if they don't know it yet. Keep up the good fight, fellow founders! We've got this.