Startup Fatigue Is Real and Here Are Some Ways to Combat It
There are many terms that get thrown around that relate to the emotional and physical toll that comes along with working at a startup.
Burnout. Exhaustion. Stress.
However, I’m going to focus on the day-to-day wear and tear associated with the stress of the startup experience. Burnout may require different (and possibly more extreme) actions to remedy.
Startup fatigue can happen to anyone at any time. It could be your first week, fourth month, or sixth year. It can happen at highly successful startups and startups struggling to gain traction. It doesn’t matter if you work at an Uber or out of your mom’s garage, it can still happen (don’t worry, there’s a ‘but’ coming). It can even happen at a startup that you’re passionate about.
BUT.. the good news is that there are ways to remedy startup fatigue. Here are a few that I’ve tried and found to be successful:
1. Don’t feel guilty about experiencing startup fatigue
If you take anything away from this post, let it be this. Startup fatigue is nothing to feel guilty about. It happens to a lot of people and many big names (like Brad Feld) actively take measures to avoid the fatigue associated with the startup world. Acknowledge it’s happening and implement changes to fix it.
2. Talk about it with your colleagues
You are all going through a similar experience. Chances are they are feeling or have felt exactly what you are feeling. Sometimes just letting it out is therapeutic. If that’s not enough, discuss what changes can be made in the workplace to prevent it.
3. Exercise
I can’t stress this one enough. Startup employees often have crazy schedules that aren’t very conducive to preparing fresh, healthy meals or finding an hour or two for the gym every day. But I assure you it’s worth it. Even just a half hour running or walking will double your productivity for the next few hours. If nothing else, it gives you some time to clear your head.
4. Start a side project
Obviously, don’t let this interfere with your everyday work schedule, but find something that you’re interested in and, more importantly, learn something new. In fact, my suggestion would be to do something completely unrelated to your work. For example, I work at a med device startup and know nothing about coding so I’m going to learn Swift and create an iOS app.
5. Talk with customers
To be honest, I could see this going either way so I would try some of the other techniques before, but assuming you’re doing something totally awesome (because why wouldn't you be?), talking with customers provides the validation that what you’re doing is worthwhile and meaningful.
6. Schedule a vacation or road trip
I’ve always been very against the whole “working for the weekend” mentality, but it is sometimes helpful to have a vacation to look forward to and plan. Also, during the trip, I know it may be impossible to not check emails, but try to limit yourself to either once or twice per day. Brad Feld has lots of suggestions on how to go about doing this.
7. Make time for family and friends
Set aside a weekly family game night or a romantic evening with your significant other. This is critical to realize that you have a life outside your startup.
Finally, make sure you’re passionate about what you’re doing. If you don’t get that giddy, excited feeling when you’re working at your startup even just occasionally, you may want to reconsider what you’re working on.