AFR I LABS
KUBATANA MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2022
ARE WE LOSING OUR MINDS? THE STARTUP
fully managed, often charac- terized by low energy, exhaus- tion, cynicism, mental distance from one’s job, and reduced productivity . The never-ending deadlines, the targets to reach, projec- tions that fail to meet up, and of course, living through a pandemic. This translates into diminished productivity, low- ered life satisfaction, poor habits, relationships getting affected, and a potential loss of interest in the work that we do. We also stand the risk of having anxiety, depression, im- poster syndrome, and other stress-related mental disor- ders. Making our mental well-be- ing top priority is an invest- ment necessary in the startup space and not just the bigger corporations. Here are some tested and trusted mecha- nisms you can explore to man- age stress and cope better
with the work that comes with being a part of a start-up: • Adopt a healthy lifestyle and be very intentional about it. This includes es- tablishing a healthy sleep- ing routine, diet, exercise, and reducing alcohol and smoking.
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Have an employee assis- tance wellness plan. This can cover therapy for team members when they need it. Group workshops on relevant topics like stress management, con- flict resolution, work-life balance, and emotional in- telligence. This will build skills in team members on ways to better identify and cope with stress.
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Make your workplace mentally aware and healthy. Many workplaces fail to recognise the role of mental well-being in em- ployee life satisfaction and productivity. An invest- ment in employee mental health is an investment in the growth of the company. Engage in routine activ- ities that enhance the mental well-being of all employees. Team bond- ing days, fun activities in groups, and celebrating staff birthdays, can en- hance the mental wellbe-
COMMUNITY AND STRESS BY AISHA BUBAH Founder of The Sunshine Series
Overall, being intentional about every team member’s mental well-being will produce a mass desirable outcome that can make running a start-up less draining and more sat- isfying. After all, humans are driving your growth, not ma- chines. And, we all have men- tal health, and protecting our sanity should be non-negotia- ble.
I start my workday with a cup of coffee or tea. I make a to-do list for tasks to accomplish, check my cal- endar for meetings for the day and read my emails. This sounds like I have my day sorted and definite- ly sounds like a fulfilling weekday. That is, if unplanned activities don’t come up. And they always do. This is the perfect recipe for “losing
your mind” to stress and burnout. Stress is how we react when we feel under pressure, especial- ly in situations we feel we can- not manage or control . And burn- out, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a syndrome re- sulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been success-
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