6 effective ways to deal with Founder anxiety:
founder's anxiety is a term used to describe the extreme sense of dread founders face while running their startups. it usually leads to indecisiveness, getting emotional, loss of focus, and hosts of other issues.
Almost every startup founder I know has gone through (or still goes through) the founder’s anxiety.
here are some hacks you can use to not let it overwhelm you:
1- Have a routine - unpopular opinion, the startup scene is not all about chilling with a beer and coding in your undies, If you manage your time efficiently, you know what to expect out of a day. (I do most of my deep work in the first half and meetings in the second)
2 - Journal your fear - what causes anxiety the most to me is the fear of the unknown. writing it down helps me see & manage it. I’ve set up a weekly reminder to jot down what I’m afraid of each week)
3 - Take a breather - high emotional states are not the best time to make decisions. take a step back whenever there’s an important decision to make. taking an hour or a day to organise your thoughts before deciding will help you make better decisions + be a better founder.
4 - Say NO more often - this goes without saying, but try to say no to all things that are not important, urgent, and of value. Saying yes to make yourself feel better will keep adding to your stress.
5 - Go for a walk - Taking a nice long walk is the most underrated action for your physical and mental health. Move your ass out of that tortured chair seat. Change some meetings into walking meetings.
6 - Have a conversation - talking to someone can work wonders when you have a lot of stress bundled up. I am used to asking a few close ones for their energy once in a while to hear me out. If things are getting too overwhelming talking to a therapist helps as well.
#founders #startups #foundersjournal
