Burned out in 2019. Burned out again in 2023. Both times I thought I was fine until I wasn’t.

Here’s what I wish I’d noticed earlier.

The Warning Signs

Cynicism About Everything

Early stage: Excited about customer conversations, product ideas, even problems.

Warning sign: Every customer request feels annoying. Every new feature feels pointless. Everything seems stupid.

I dismissed this as “being realistic.” It was burnout talking.

Dreading Work You Used to Love

I used to love product work. Strategy sessions. Building things.

Warning sign: Calendar anxiety. Sunday night dread. Relief when meetings cancel.

Work didn’t change. My relationship to it did.

Constant Exhaustion

Not tired from hard work. Tired all the time, regardless of sleep.

Warning sign: Eight hours of sleep, still exhausted. Coffee stops working. Weekends don’t recharge.

Physical exhaustion from mental burnout is real.

Isolation

Stopped talking to other founders. Stopped seeing friends. Just work, sleep, repeat.

Warning sign: Turning down social invitations. Not returning calls. “Too busy” for everything.

Isolation feels protective. It’s actually fuel for the fire.

Performance Degradation

Tasks that took an hour now take four. Simple decisions feel impossible.

Warning sign: Declining output despite more hours. Mistakes on things you used to do automatically.

Working more but accomplishing less is a clear signal.

Health Neglect

Exercise stopped. Eating poorly. Alcohol crept up.

Warning sign: “I’ll work out when things calm down” (they never calm down). Physical self-care disappearing.

Why Founders Miss It

We’re Supposed to Work Hard

Startup culture glorifies overwork. “I’m just hustling” covers a lot of dysfunction.

It Comes On Slowly

Burnout isn’t sudden. It’s gradual dimming. Hard to notice when you’re in it.

Admitting It Feels Like Failure

“I can’t handle this” feels like weakness. So we don’t say it.

Our Identity Is Our Company

When work is who you are, stepping back feels existential.

What Actually Helped

Acknowledging It

Saying out loud “I’m burned out” was step one. Harder than it sounds.

Not “tired” or “stressed” but burned out. The real word.

Time Off (Real Time Off)

Not working-from-beach time off. Actually disconnected time off.

Two weeks felt impossible. Took one week. Company survived. World didn’t end.

Professional Help

Talked to a therapist. Should have done it earlier. Founder-specific issues benefit from founder-aware support.

Not a sign of weakness. A sign of taking the problem seriously.

Exercise and Sleep

Boring advice. Actually works. Non-negotiable time for physical health.

30 minutes of exercise does more for productivity than 30 minutes of work when you’re burned out.

Delegation

I was doing too much. Some of it because I had to. Much of it because I wanted control.

Hiring help—even fractional or part-time—changed everything.

Boundaries

Stopped working past 7 PM. No email on weekends. Phone notifications off.

The urgency I felt was mostly imagined. Real emergencies are rare.

The Recovery Timeline

Month 1: Still exhausted. Taking time off feels wrong. Push through it.

Month 2: Starting to feel human again. Enjoy some non-work things.

Month 3: Work feels possible again. Energy returning.

Month 6: Full recovery, but different. Better boundaries. Different relationship to work.

It takes longer than you think. Don’t rush it.

What I Do Differently Now

Weekly Check-Ins With Myself

Every Friday: How am I actually feeling? Energy level? Motivation? Cynicism creeping in?

Written answers. Honest ones.

Protected Non-Work Time

Two days per week minimum with no work. Actually enforced.

Regular Breaks

Quarterly week off. Annual two-week break. Non-negotiable.

Support Network

Other founders I talk to honestly. Not just networking. Real talk about hard stuff.

Lower Expectations

The company doesn’t need me burned out. Good enough is often good enough.

Physical Health as Priority

Sleep, exercise, nutrition. Not “when I have time.” First priority.

For the Founders Reading This

If you recognized yourself in the warning signs: You’re not weak. You’re human.

The startup will survive you taking care of yourself. It won’t survive you completely broken.

Talk to someone. Take time off. Get help.

Your mental health isn’t a luxury. It’s infrastructure.