Mental Health Matters: Balancing Mind and Business

Navigating the startup ecosystem and trying to balance work and personal life can create mental health challenges for entrepreneurs. Based on a 2023 global survey of 400 startups by startup ecosystem-focused data-sharing platform Startup Snapshot, 72 percent of startup founders said that being an entrepreneur had impacted their mental health and 81 percent said they were reluctant to share work-related fears with co-founders, especially their investors.

Vadia Rai, senior director at FTI Consulting in Dubai and certified Mental Health First Aider, says that entrepreneurship can take a heavy toll on the mental health of small business owners. “Anxiety, stress, or burnout can turn even simple tasks into major obstacles, making it difficult to focus and leaving us feeling constantly drained. It’s like trying to run a marathon with heavy weights tied to our ankles; everything becomes slower and harder,” Rai tells us. 

Vadia Rai, senior director, FTI Consulting. Courtesy of Vadia Rai. 

Misha Akbar, founder of Sama Health, a culturally relevant online therapy application based in Abu Dhabi, tells us that running a business can be overwhelming, particularly for first-time female founders. "The journey is highly overwhelming. You go through many phases of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and decision fatigue. You are wearing many different hats simultaneously, professionally and personally, and you go through immense pressure to succeed,” she says. 

Akbar highlights the importance of safeguarding mental health issues in the workplace between employees to foster success and create a more comfortable work environment. “As a founder, I need to emulate the behavior I want to see in my team. We work with different cultures, personalities, and perspectives; therefore, I frequently communicate with the team, check workload levels, and encourage them to contact me if they struggle,” she says.

Here are some tips that can help entrepreneurs deal with mental health challenges on their journey. 

Lean on Your Tribe 

Akbar and Rai agree that having the right support structure in place can help entrepreneurs navigate tough times. This can include friends, family, and building a supportive community that can listen and guide you, when needed.  

Misha Akbar, founder of Sama Health. Courtesy of Misha Akbar.

“Talking to someone I trusted made a huge difference. I learned that isolating myself only made things harder. Reaching out to friends, family, or even a professional counselor allowed me to express what I was feeling and get the support I needed,” Rai tells us. 

Rai adds that creating a supportive environment at work has helped her as well. “I find that having open conversations with my colleagues helps create a sense of connection and support, which makes tackling challenges much easier,” she says. 

Rai and Akbar tell us that connecting with like-minded people and entrepreneurs with similar experiences has helped them expand their professional networks and provided them with a space to be vulnerable and open up about mental health challenges.  

“Building a network of other female founders, both first-time and experienced, has also helped me stay grounded and motivated,” Akbar says. 

A Daily Practice 

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with work and overlook your own needs. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to carve out time for yourself. Engage in activities you enjoy outside of work, like reading, exercising, or spending time with friends and family.  

“Mindfulness helped me stay present and not get caught up in anxious thoughts. Cycling was another lifeline — it allowed me to get outside, clear my head, and release stress physically, which always made me feel a bit lighter afterward,” Rai says. 

Being constantly “on and ready” to meet deadlines and perform can be overwhelming. Taking frequent breaks from your desk or days off are ways to disconnect and avoid burning out. 

“I have also had to change how I work – ensuring that I give myself enough breaks, setting professional and personal boundaries, and consistently prioritizing doing the things I enjoy at least once a week,” Akbar says. 

Rai similarly expresses the need to prioritize mental health by staying organized. She tells us that keeping tasks prioritized and not overloading herself, helps her avoid the overwhelming feeling that comes from juggling too much at once.  

Akbar includes flexible working hours, regular check-ins, workload discussions, and having open conversations on a daily basis with her teams to maintain an efficient and overall healthy environment." I make it clear that their mental health and well-being are my top priorities,” she says. 

Seek professional help  

Akbar, whose online community sessions offer culturally sensitive therapy, says that finding the right tools to address challenges when they arise is key to safeguarding mental health. She tells us that, from her experience, social stigma and cultural sensitivity stop many people from seeking therapy. According to her, therapy is not a one-size-fits-all. Alternatives like culturally sensitive therapy go beyond just looking at the individual and focus on their cultural context by addressing factors like cultural conditioning.  

“As a South Asian, I was very aware of the stigma attached to mental health. Depression was discussed, if at all, in hushed tones and seen as a reflection of family weakness,” she says. 

Therapy can help you manage your mental well-being through different coping strategies and improve your decision-making processes. Beyond just verbalizing your feelings for the first time, therapists help you acknowledge, validate, and work through your experiences. 

“Ultimately, when we take care of our mental well-being, we’re not only more efficient and effective, but we also create a more positive atmosphere that benefits both our individual performance and the team as a whole. It’s about finding that balance where we feel supported, can bring our best selves to work, and have the space to grow and contribute meaningfully,” Rai tells us.