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Global·67d ago
Startup Guides
Free
Founder Mental Health Checklist
What you'll learn The 10-item weekly checklist used by 200+ Indian founders to maintain mental health through the startup roller-coaster. Why it matters Founder burnout kills more startups than bad products. Mental health is a business asset, not a luxury. The playbook 1) Sleep 7+ hours — non-negotiable, more valuable than 2 hours of 'hustle'. 2) Exercise 3x/week — 30 min minimum. Cardio > lifting for founder brain. 3) 1 tech-free day/week — usually Sunday. No Slack, no email. Marriage/family/self time. 4) See 1 non-founder friend/week — perspective from outside the bubble. 5) Journal 5 min/day — top 3 wins, top 3 worries, gratitude. Prevents rumination. 6) Therapy monthly — YourDost / Amaha / MindPeers. ₹1,500/session. Prevents crisis; catches early. 7) Delete Twitter/LinkedIn for a week/quarter — comparison detox. 8) 1 hobby unrelated to startup — cooking, chess, music. Guards your identity beyond founder. 9) Alcohol under 2 units/week — self-medication accelerates burnout. 10) Annual break — 7 consecutive days off, once/year, no laptop. Your team survives; you rebuild. Common mistakes Waiting until burnout to invest in mental health (too late). Believing therapy is weak (it's data-driven optimisation). Hiding struggles from cofounder. Next action Rate yourself 0-10 on each of the 10 items today. Pick the lowest 3 and fix them this week.