How to run a startup
without losing your mind
By Eva Schweber, Chief Cat Herder
at CubeSpace

Running a business is like parenting—it is a 24/7 occupation.
And parents can be pretty darn miserable if they never have an opportunity to
be adults in their own right.

So here are some hard-earned thoughts on
forcing a separation
between
work
and
life
when there is no end to your work day.

Take a day off.
This means a 12 hour period where you do not answer business calls, respond
to business emails or surf websites related to your line of work.

Yes, it will be hard at first,
but believe me, it is worth it.

Create a physical separation between work space and home
space.
If you work from home, that means setting work hours and putting
your office in a room that is used for nothing else with a door that
closes.
Or, find a workspace outside of your home. Portland has lots of
options.

You will find that you will work more effectively if you have
designated work times and designated personal/family time.

This will also alleviate the guilt of giving partial attention to your work, kids, pets
and/or long-suffering partner.

Reward yourself for doing icky things. We all have things that we must do
that we detest with a passion.
Figure out what motivates you (this can be almost anything, but the
important thing is that you consider it a reward).

Do the icky thing, then give yourself a pellet. It will make you feel better.

Your friends may not understand how
you are feeling
So find another startup owner who can feel your pain

And try to find time to commiserate together

Remember that you are a person first.
There are some days when you try and try and try and try and nothing works.

Take that as a sign, from whatever deity you believe in, that it is a day to play hooky.

It will all be better later and you will feel human again.

Many of us are capable of working till we drop, and then starting all over again the next day.
Take time to wind-down before bed.

Make it a practice to stop working 30 minutes before you are likely to be
rendered incapable of coherent thought and take that time to do something
relaxing.
Drink chamomile tea,
read a novel,
knit, or take a bath.
It doesn’t matter.

This will help reduce (there is no way to eliminate) those last lingering “oh,
I meant to…” thoughts before going to bed.

This may all seem glaringly obvious

But, it can be easy to lose
And if you aren’t careful, you
will end up losing your mind