Entrepreneurs & founders

Startup culture often celebrates sleepless nights. But the CDC notes that enough sleep helps with attention, memory, stress and mood, all things a founder needs to make good decisions.

The CDC recommends 7 or more hours of sleep a night for adults. Busy, driven people often sleep far less.

You do not have to share every fear with your staff. But having a few places where you can be fully honest, like a mentor, peer group or counselor, protects you and your business.

From the outside, a busy shop or a big funding round can hide a lot. Even very successful founders can feel empty, anxious or alone. Struggling is not a sign that you are failing. It is a sign that you are human.

• Comfort with risk and challenge
• Creativity and problem-solving
• Drive and the ability to keep going
• Learning fast from what does not work
• Seeing possibilities others miss

Founders often feel they must look confident for employees, customers and investors. Over time, keeping worries hidden can feel heavy and lonely.

What can help

• Find a mentor who has been through it
• Have one person you can be fully honest with
• Join a peer group of other founders or business owners
• Keep friendships that have nothing to do with your business

Long hours, money worries and constant phone checking can leave partners and kids feeling second place. Families may also share the money risk without having a say.

What can help

• Agree on phone-free family time
• Share the big picture honestly with your partner, not every detail
• Make big money decisions together
• Plan regular time that is just for family

Disagreements about money, roles or direction can be painful, especially between friends or family. Unspoken tension can wear down both people.

What can help

• Write down roles and how decisions get made
• Hold regular honest check-ins, not only about numbers
• Bring in a neutral advisor or mediator early if things get stuck

Ideas

• Work from a coworking space or café sometimes
• Set up a weekly call with another freelancer
• Join a local business association or online community
• Plan social time outside work into your calendar

What can help

• Keep separate bank accounts for business and home
• Pay yourself a set amount, even if small
• Decide ahead of time how much risk you and your family can handle
• Get advice from an accountant or a free small-business advisor

Knowing that employees and their families depend on you can be motivating, and also heavy. Many owners lose sleep over layoffs or late paychecks, even when the cause is outside their control.

What can help

• Be honest with staff early when times are hard
• Get advice before making painful decisions alone
• Remember that you are responsible for doing your best, not for controlling the economy

SCORE (score.org) is a nonprofit partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Its volunteer mentors offer free, confidential business mentoring in person, by phone or by video.

The SBA also works with Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and Veterans Business Outreach Centers, which offer training and counseling. You can find local help at sba.gov.

What can help

• Write down tomorrow’s money tasks before bed, then close the laptop
• Pick one set time each day to check the numbers
• Talk worries through with someone during the day, not at 2 a.m.

What can help

• Celebrate small wins along the way
• Define success in your own words, not only in money or growth
• Remember that most businesses face setbacks and change direction
• See a business setback as information, not as proof of who you are

Founders make constant decisions: hiring, pricing, products, problems, emails. Many people notice that after a long day of choices, it gets harder to think clearly, and they become more impulsive or put things off.

What can help

• Create simple routines and rules for small choices
• Hand off decisions to trusted team members
• Make your biggest decisions earlier in the day
• Sleep on big decisions when you can
• Take real breaks away from screens

Funding announcements and success posts rarely show the debt, doubt and failed attempts behind them. Comparing your messy middle with someone else’s big moment can make you feel behind.

What can help

• Limit time on business social media
• Measure progress against your own goals
• Talk with founders who share the hard parts honestly

Most founders are learning on the job. Feeling unsure is normal when you are doing something new. It does not mean you do not belong.

What can help

• List problems you have already solved
• Ask for help early. Experts expect questions.
• Talk about the feeling with peers. Most will recognize it.

People may feel sadness, anger, relief, shame or numbness after closing a business, sometimes all in one day. These are normal reactions to a real loss.

Many founders worry about telling family, staff or investors. Shame can make people hide away just when they most need support.

What can help

• Tell the story in simple words: “It didn’t work out, and I learned a lot”
• Lean on people who care about you, not your business
• Remember that many founders try more than once

Questions to ask

• What was outside my control?
• What would I do differently next time?
• What did I do well?
• What do I want my next chapter to look like?

Some people start again quickly. Others take a job, rest or change direction. There is no right timeline. Taking time to recover can help you choose well.

Many founders work evenings, weekends and holidays, always on call for problems. Without rest, exhaustion builds.

Signs to notice

• Constant tiredness
• Cynicism about the business or customers
• Health problems or getting sick more often
• Losing interest in work you used to love
• Strained relationships

What can help

• Set “off” hours and tell your team
• Turn off work notifications at night
• Name a backup person for emergencies
• Keep one day a week mostly free from work

What can help

• Plan for the business to run without you for a few days
• Write simple guides so others can handle common tasks
• Start small: one long weekend, then a full week
• Get support from a counselor or coach before you hit empty

• Eat regular meals and drink enough water
• Make sleep a priority, with a steady schedule and less screen time before bed
• Move: just 30 minutes of walking a day can help lift mood, and shorter bouts add up
• Set priorities, and say no to new tasks when you are stretched too thin
• Stay connected with people who can give emotional or practical support

CDC sleep tips

• Go to bed and wake up at the same times
• Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, relaxing and cool
• Limit caffeine later in the day, and avoid alcohol and big meals near bedtime
• Put screens away at least 30 minutes before bed

When your entire identity rests on your business, every setback can feel like a threat to who you are. Building other parts of life gives you balance and a soft place to land.

Try this

• Keep one hobby that has nothing to do with work
• List five things you are besides a founder, like friend, parent, cook, reader
• Spend time with people who knew you before the business

Where to find them

• Chambers of commerce and local business associations
• Coworking spaces and startup meetups
• Industry groups for your field
• Online communities for founders and freelancers

SCORE mentoring is free, no matter how many times you meet. Mentors are volunteers with real business experience, and conversations are confidential.

The SBA works with Women’s Business Centers for women entrepreneurs and Veterans Business Outreach Centers for veterans who own or want to start a business.

Many communities also have business groups for immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ+ owners and people with disabilities.

SAMHSA suggests talking when and where the person feels safe, speaking plainly, and watching how they react, slowing down if they seem upset.

Openers adapted from SAMHSA

• “I’ve been worried about you. Can we talk about what you’re going through?”
• “I care, and I want to listen. What do you want me to know about how you’re feeling?”
• “It seems like a hard time. How can I help you find support?”

Founder-specific openers

• “How are you holding up, not the business, you?”
• “What would help you rest this week?”

• “I told you it was too risky.”
• “Must be nice to be your own boss.”
• Comparing them with a more successful founder
• Treating a failed launch or closure as proof of who they are

SAMHSA encourages treating people with mental health problems with respect, compassion and empathy, and reminding them that help is available.

• Celebrate effort and character, not only sales
• Cook a meal or handle an errand during a crunch
• Help them find a mentor, peer group or counselor
• Keep inviting them to plans, even if they often say no
• Protect their rest: plan low-key time away from work

SAMHSA suggests offering help with everyday tasks and continuing to include people in your plans without being overbearing.

A business failure, big debt or a falling-out with a partner can hit very hard. NIMH lists warning signs such as talking about wanting to die or being a burden, feeling hopeless or trapped, withdrawing, giving things away, taking dangerous risks, and drinking or using drugs more.

The 5 action steps (988 Lifeline)

1. Ask directly: “Are you thinking about suicide?” Research shows asking does not increase risk.
2. Be there, in person or by phone.
3. Help keep them safe by putting time and distance between them and dangerous items.
4. Help them connect to 988, a clinical provider or other ongoing support.
5. Follow up with a call or text in the days after.

Living with a founder means living with the highs and lows of the business. Keep your own life, friendships and rest going.

• Get your own counseling if you need it
• Say clearly how much money risk you are comfortable with
• Talk with other partners of business owners

Talking therapies help people understand their thoughts and feelings and build new ways to cope. Some counselors specialize in business owners and leaders.

Common approaches

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): living by your values even when feelings are hard
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): noticing and changing unhelpful thought patterns
• Mindfulness-based approaches: staying present instead of stuck in worry

1. Talk to your clinical provider.
2. Look for a therapist who works with business owners. Many offer evening or online sessions.
3. For business worries, get free mentoring from SCORE or a local Small Business Development Center.
4. Tell one person you trust how you are really doing.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) lists free, confidential crisis helplines around the world. You can search by country and topic.

Many countries also have free government or nonprofit advice services for small businesses.