O guia definitivo de autocuidado para fundadores de startups
Ser um fundador de uma startup traz uma infinidade de desafios e dores de cabeça.
Long work days, company growing pains, lack of time for a social life, meetings with investors and much more can lead to added startup stress in your day-to-day life. 😰
It doesn’t help that this era of “hustle porn,” as Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian describes it, gives off “the idea that unless you are suffering, grinding, working every hour of every day, you’re not working hard enough … this is one of the most toxic, dangerous things in tech right now.”
But you’re not alone. There has been a sharp increase in stress levels over the last few years, and it seems to continue to get worse and worse. 👎
Níveis elevados de estresse inicial podem ter consequências de curto e longo prazo para sua saúde e bem-estar geral.
And yes, while some people “relax” by working, that doesn’t mean it’s safe or healthy to work 24/7 and it still results in raised stress levels over time.
Thankfully, this emergence of increased stress has led to a movement combating the stress in healthy, sustainable ways: self-care. 🧘♀️
O autocuidado é, essencialmente, qualquer atividade que fazemos deliberadamente para cuidar de nossa saúde mental, emocional e física. Pense: meditação, ioga, leitura, entre outras atividades.
And while self-care has become more and more popular with the Insta-influencer crowd over the years, self-care is for everyone – including startup founders. 😎
Starting and building a company is stressful, yes, but it also needs to be sustainable. The last thing a company needs is a founder who gets so sick or burned out that she/he can’t work anymore.
Besides, there’s a difference between a bit of healthy stress and conflict that empowers you to charge forward with your company and the kind of stress and conflict that prevents you from being a functional human being.
So, let’s explore self-care and how startup founders can implement it into their daily lives! 👊
I have work to do, I don’t have time to take a long bath or meditate for three hours.
There’s a common misconception with self-care in that it only encompasses spa-like activities: face masks, yoga retreats, taking a long bath, etc.
But it’s much, much more than that (and in many instances, none of those things at all).
As I mentioned in the beginning, it’s the deliberate act of doing something that helps our mental, emotional and physical health. That means self-care can be as simple as drinking enough water during the day or taking your prescribed medications on time.
Self-care can include a long walk around your favorite park, re-reading your favorite book and, yes, if you’d like, some meditation in the morning. 📚
That’s the beauty of it: there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to perform self-care. Every self is different, meaning the care can vary.
Então, por que eu deveria me preocupar com o autocuidado?
Startup stress is a very real thing, and it can have dramatic consequences in the long-term. 🙅♀️
Os sintomas físicos do estresse incluem dores de cabeça, dores musculares, problemas de sono, dores no peito, fadiga e, de acordo com a Mayo Clinic, podem contribuir para muitos problemas de saúde, como pressão alta, doenças cardíacas, obesidade e diabetes.
Além disso, o estresse pode fazer com que você se sinta ansioso, sobrecarregado, irritado e pode agravar a depressão.
And while startup founders have a lot of added stress, this can trickle down to your team and change the dynamic among your colleagues – not good.
Ter uma equipe estressada e esgotada pode levar a uma maior rotatividade de funcionários, aumentar a tensão no escritório e, bem, dar à sua empresa uma má reputação como um lugar a ser evitado a todo custo pelos talentos.
No one wants that. 😐
Self-care is not only something that startup founders need to embrace personally, but it’s also something they need to encourage among their teams.
O que devo fazer? Como posso começar?
Fortunately, self-care in itself is quite simple. The trick is to make sure you’re realistic and disciplined enough about your goals (and to avoid any judgement or shame if you forget to do something).
If you’re someone who works too much and never has time to exercise or see friends, for example, start small and work your way toward a more balanced life. ⚖️
Comprometa-se a sair do trabalho no horário e encontre-se com um amigo uma vez por semana. Levante-se 30 minutos mais cedo pela manhã e saia para correr (melhor ainda se você correr com amigos ou com seu parceiro). Pequenos passos podem resultar em grandes mudanças e diminuir astronomicamente seus níveis de estresse.
O autocuidado pode ser realizado de várias formas, portanto, descubra o que faz você se sentir feliz e energizado e concentre-se nessas coisas.
E isso vale também para seus funcionários. Se você deseja um compromisso de longo prazo com sua empresa, precisa torná-la um local de trabalho divertido, produtivo e equilibrado.
Does your company have a culture of expecting everyone to always stay late? That needs to change. 😳
It’s about working smarter, not harder. Yes, the occasional deadline or launch will call for a late night in the office, but this should be the exception, not the rule.
If Slack can pull it off, I’m pretty sure your company can, too. 😉
Alguns recursos adicionais
There are some awesome resources out there focused on self-care – many of which have sprung from the tech community. 📱
In terms of apps, there are plenty of fitness apps out there, so if exercise and meal planning is something you’re wanting to work on, just pick a favorite app and go from there (I’m neutral on this one because the apps you use also greatly depend on which wearable tech you’re using/not using, so this is entirely a personal preference thing)!
Para meditação e atenção plena, Headspace é um dos melhores aplicativos disponíveis. Há também aplicativos como Calm, 7Mind e Meditation Studio, bem como muitas rotinas on-line de ioga e respiração profunda que você pode encontrar.
Para o autocuidado geral, os usuários do iPhone podem usar o Aloe Bud, que é um aplicativo dedicado ao autocuidado e a mantê-lo no caminho certo com suas rotinas.
For more in-depth care processes, You feel like shit is an online flowchart that helps you get through routines and ensures that you’re taking care of yourself.
But just downloading an app doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking care of yourself.
It’s a commitment, it’s a frame of mind. And while that sounds a bit cult-y, just remember that this can be the difference between a long, fulfilling, healthy life and a life of stress, irritability, anxiety and resentment.
Personally, I’d take the former over the latter any day. 🤷♀️
With that said, self-care comes in many forms, so find what makes sense for your life. If it’s as simple as eating less junk food and moisturizing every day to make you feel less stressed and healthier overall – go for it!
Just make sure that the life and the company you are building are sustainable – mentally, physically and emotionally, just as much as they are financially.
We need to end the “hustle porn” epidemic – it’s toxic and unproductive in the long-term, both personally and professionally.
Instead, we need to pave the way for self-care to drive how we lead our lives and our businesses, however that may look for you. 🚀
This would lead to healthier, happier startup founders as well as healthier, happier startup employees. It’s a win-win for everyone.
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