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I recently came across a job ad from a boutique U.S. agency that read:
“If you prefer a clock-in, clock-out mentality, we’re not a good fit,” and
“Specific work hours don’t matter when you’re hungry to grow.”
I’ve been around the block enough to know what that really means: long hours, weekend emails and a blurred line between work and everything else.
We like to believe we’ve moved past hustle culture and into the era of workplace wellness. But job postings like this prove many employers are still selling burnout, just wrapped in the language of “ambition.”
I’ve lived both versions of the founder journey: the always-on grind and the wellness-first rebuild. I know exactly what the hustle takes from you — and how small, intentional changes can help you feel better, lead better and build a business that doesn’t burn you out.
Related: Don’t Underestimate The Importance of Employee Well-being. Your Business Will Suffer The Most
When hustle becomes your identity
And why is that a problem?
Startup culture glorifies the idea that more hours equals more achievement. And sure, early wins feel good — that dopamine hit keeps us grinding. Until one day, the hustle is your identity.
In the early days of my company, I lived by this mantra: “If you’re heading home and your competitor’s lights are still on — turn around.” It worked. We scaled from three scrappy founders to a global team of 500. But eventually, I realized: if I didn’t put my team’s wellbeing first, we wouldn’t last. Playing the long game takes more than stamina — it takes sustainability.
The data backs this up. In a recent survey of 138 startup founders, over half reported experiencing burnout in the past year. Two-thirds had seriously considered walking away from the very companies they built. That’s not grit — it’s a system failure.
Even high-profile success stories aren’t immune. Take Loom co-founder Vinay Hiremath. After helping scale the company to a near-billion-dollar exit, he admitted: “I am rich and I have no idea what to do with my life.” His solution? Jump back into hustle culture — because it’s the only thing he knows.
Burnout is a silent epidemic. The World Health Organization formally recognized it as an “occupational phenomenon” in 2019. It rarely makes headlines, but it robs us of focus, clear decisions, and, ultimately, the longevity of the businesses we’re building.
Related: 5 Leadership Strategies That Actually Prevent Employee Burnout
What I did to break the cycle
Health fuels performance — and it starts with you.
When leaders are well-rested and engaged, everything works better: decision-making, team morale, product velocity. And it’s not just a feel-good theory. A 2024 Gallup study of 183,000 businesses across 90 countries found that prioritizing employee wellbeing is a business advantage. Here’s what they found:
- 78% less absenteeism
- Up to 51% lower employee turnover
- 32% fewer errors and defects
- Up to 20% higher productivity
- 23% greater profitability
These results aren’t magic — they’re the compounding effect of cultural choices. And those choices start at the top.
For me, the turning point was simple: I got tired of being tired. I shifted from obsessing over hustle to building a rhythm that supported performance and wellbeing.
Here’s how that looked:
- I set hard boundaries on work hours. I used to wear 14–16 hour days like a badge of honor. But after 8 p.m., I’d spend twice as long on basic tasks. Now, I aim to wrap by 6:30 p.m., which forces better focus— and leaves energy for life outside work.
- I prioritized consistency over hacks. No detoxes or cold plunges. Just a steady rhythm of short breaks between meetings to stretch, breathe, and reset. It keeps mental fatigue from building.
- I moved my body instead of chugging coffee. Short workouts replaced endless caffeine. Even a five-minute break helps reset my energy and cognition. Trying new sports also improved my mental flexibility in surprising ways.
- I let my mind wander on purpose. Some of my best ideas show up when I’m doing nothing—walking, meditating, or scribbling thoughts in a notebook.
- I protected my attention like it was my most valuable resource. Two hours of deep focus every day—no meetings, no multitasking — lets me explore ideas, shape strategy, and think long-term without working late.
And it wasn’t just about me. I brought wellness into our team culture with walking meetings, breathwork breaks and light-hearted wellness challenges. Because a business is only as healthy as the people building it — not just the founder.
Related: Why Being ‘Always On’ Is Killing Your Innovation, and How to Truly Disconnect
If you do just one thing — do this
Give yourself permission to fully disconnect. When you log off, really log off.
No weekend emails. No late-night Slack messages. Don’t say you have “limited access” in your out-of-office message. Say you’re offline — and mean it. That’s how you build a culture where rest is respected, not resented.
The truth is, I still struggle to fully clock out sometimes. When you’re building something you care about, it’s hard to let go. But if you want what you’re building to last, you have to protect the person building it — you. Wellness isn’t a retreat. It’s not a reward. It’s your foundation.
And if we want a new era of work, it starts with building companies where people thrive, not just survive.
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Victoria Repa