This article highlights the intense pressure and emotional demands entrepreneurs face that can lead to burnout and health issues. The author reflects on advice from a mentor about pacing oneself in a high-stress environment. After years of neglecting personal health while building a startup, the author experiences a severe anxiety episode, realizing the necessity of prioritizing well-being. The narrative underscores the misconception that physical exercise alone is enough to combat the psychological toll of entrepreneurship, emphasizing the need for holistic health practices.
"Pace yourself. You don't want a nervous breakdown or burnout later down the road." Ten years into my career, I realized how true this advice was.
Building a startup places extraordinary emotional and psychological demands on your body - demands that a jog won't erase. The fractures accumulate and emotional stresses somatize into your body.
The pressure of scaling and debugging led to a storm inside my nervous system, manifesting in debilitating anxiety that took weeks to address.
At my breaking point, I was faced with shortness of breath and racing heart, which ultimately revealed the seriousness of ignoring my well-being.
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