(Read Part 1 and Part 2 first.)
One of the toughest parts of burnout was losing running, right when I needed it most. Burnout robbed my energy whilst depression cleaved away my motivation.
Moving my body was a key aspect in getting through burnout. I walked every morning and spent long periods walking through nearby woods. I took up tai chi, lifted weights again and started rucking.
I started hiking and wild camping more frequently, culminating in a 5-day hike along the Beacons Way.
It’s 8am on Monday, and I’m in my office at my standing desk with the Sun streaming through the window.
I’m kicking off the day with a frenzied triage of email, meeting prep and multiple to-do lists. Yesterday was bad enough that a second to-do list was created to manage the first one.
Slack is lit up with messages from Indian developers who were busy working while I was sleeping. They need my input on how to proceed.
I scan my calendar to see what breathing room I have today. Not much.
I feel the physical fatigue aching in my body. But there’s too much on today—questions to answer, engineers to unblock and meetings to attend.
So I make more coffee. I’ll reward myself by numbing out later. And I lock in.
This was a familiar feeling during the burnout phase of being a founder. It happened day after day, week after week.