How to Stay Sane While Starting a Company

You’re trying to fall asleep before the start of the work week, but suddenly it’s like the little google calendar inside your brain explodes and you freak out about all the responsibilities you have to handle tomorrow… sound familiar?

If this is you, here are some steps to make a mental breakdown seem less imminent and more like a distant possibility while you’re starting a company, broken down into three steps: self care, organization, and good people.

So, first up — Self care, or healthy habits.

a) You really do need to sleep… and preferably regularly. It’s hard to prioritize sleep when you’re starting a company, but studies have shown that decrease in productivity correlates with a lack of sleep.

b) Eat enough. Seriously. Skipping meals often leads to overeating later in the day. Make sure you eat all three main meals, as well as small snacks in between of nutritional value.

c) Don’t overdose on the coffee — it’s better to be well rested than jittery and anxious in an important meeting.

Step two, organization —

a) Have a planner. Whether it’s on your phone or an old school paper agenda, you should definitely be keeping track of your responsibilities and meetings.

b) Organize your inbox into folders, and try to keep your actual inbox empty or close to empty. That way, you always understand what needs to be done.

c) If you’re a self starter, it’s doubtful you have a shortage of motivation. Use that to your advantage by staying on schedule and prioritizing your tasks.

Finally, surround yourself with good people —

a) Have a good team surrounding you; the office culture and team culture determines the overall company culture. If drama or frequent fighting is commonplace in your team, you need to prioritize those interpersonal issues in order to eliminate them.

b) Keep your personal relationships low conflict. This one is pretty self explanatory, because it’s obvious that having strained relationships with loved ones can negatively affect your happiness and health.

c) Make an active effort to get rid of what is causing you additional stress (other than starting a company).

And always try to remember that building a company from scratch is about progress, not perfection. It’s hard not to get all in your head about the possible future successes or failures of your current venture, but it’s absolutely necessary to take active steps towards clarity and calm, especially at this crucial time.