Taking time off: how to avoid the startup guilt

Small teams, big objectives and a long-hours culture can have startup workers thinking twice about taking time off. So are there ways to beat the taboo around taking vacation? And what are the health risks for those who don’t?

Startups are notoriously intense places to work. For all the advertisements of office ping pong tables, free beers and relaxation rooms, the daily pressures are high. In the US, around 20% of new businesses fail within 12 months and only around half make it to the five-year mark.

Startups that do succeed beyond this point might operate in fiercely competitive fields and be forced to figure out problems as they grow — all with limited resources. In 2019, the average US startup had only 3.3 employees, compared to 15.3 in businesses of all categories.

This is the case for Shanna Watkins, 26, the co-founder of an athleisure brand and wellness community based in Dallas, Texas. The company has four employees, and Watkins is responsible for all PR and communications. “It’s honestly really hard to take a full break, because if I do that, things won’t get done,” she says. “So, I just have to keep my foot on the gas and keep going.”

Flic Taylor had a similar experience working as a content strategist for a mental health startup. “When you’re one of the first five at the table, it’s like a family,” says the 44-year-old, based in Ottawa, Canada. The company ethos was that everyone should be willing to pitch in and do whatever it took to get the business off the ground. “I found my boundaries got really hazy because I just wanted to throw myself in. I wanted to support the people I was working with.”

“When you’re one of the first five at the table, it’s like a family. I found my boundaries got really hazy because I just wanted to throw myself in.”

“I could be doing more”

It’s no secret that working for a startup often entails long hours; in fact, founders often clock up 80-hour weeks, following the logic that more hours means more growth. Watkins currently works a full-time job and dedicates weekends and evenings to her startup. In the early days of the business, she couldn’t sleep because her mind was racing with thoughts about work. Now, she still struggles to disconnect completely. “In my guest bedroom we have tons of inventory that needs to be sold. Walking by and seeing that there, there’s such a feeling of guilt. I could be doing more.”

Her drive to keep working comes partly from her passion for the company mission of creating a wellness community. “I go to bed dreaming about it,” she says. “You just fall in love with your work.” Studies have shown that such dedication to a work cause can be contagious; startup founders who bring passion to the workplace can inspire a similar attitude in their employees. In turn, this intensifies all workers’ commitment to the company.

The belief that the startup she worked for was force for good also a spurred Taylor to work harder, but as the brand grew, so did the demands of her job. As the workload increased, Watkins had less time to exercise and eat healthily. Eventually, she cut her nightly sleep down to less than four hours in order to complete her tasks. “My way to deal with it was to do more work, just to try and keep my head above water,” she says.

The risks of overwork

The threat posed by overwork is not just psychological. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that working long hours — meaning 55 or more per week — increases the risk of stroke and heart disease, causing hundreds of thousands of global deaths each year.

While countless studies have proved the mental and physical benefits of taking time off, others have questioned whether working long hours is truly productive: A study from Stanford found that productivity actually declines when workers put in more than 50 hours a week, with a sharp drop-off around the 55-hour mark.

Indeed, in startups where taking time off is seen as taboo, changing the culture, rather than the system, may be the most challenging part. Employees run the risk of marking themselves as less committed, burdening colleagues with their absence, or even bringing work to a halt.

So how can they avoid the guilt around taking time off and restore some work-life balance? Here are solutions some workers have found:

Schedule time off in advance

“If you want to have some time off, you need to schedule it as early as possible,” says Samantha Moss, editor and content ambassador for an online magazine in Washington state. Doing so leaves more time to complete essential tasks in advance, hand over tasks to colleagues (if possible), and to draw a firm boundary so colleagues are aware that you will not be available. “This may not completely give a lighter workload when you come back to the office but it will surely lessen it,” Moss says.

Take little breaks often

“In startups that I have been a part of, we made it clear that everyone has to take at least one day off a month,” says Jessica Vine, founder of a lifestyle brand based in Tennessee. On these days there would be more work for other members of the team, but as all employees also got time off, she says no one minded. “Businesses are give and take so you need to be ok with helping another employee, but you also need to be ok with another employee helping you.”

Prioritise your health

Watkins works a lot, but she also integrates healthcare into her routine. “I think you have to be ruthless with your prioritisation for yourself just as much as you are with the work you do,” she says. “At least two days out of my week I go work out, and I still take pockets of my day where I go on a walk and get in nature.” She also meditates regularly. It helps that she’s the co-founder of the business, which gives her more control over the workload. “There’s something about it being yours, that means you’re able to control your flow,” she says.

Question your boundaries

Taylor experienced an unhealthy work culture at her startup, but also questions her own role in this dynamic. “There was a strong sense of imposter syndrome I was experiencing,” she says. “From day one, I felt I had to prove myself, even though I knew I was doing good work.” This made it harder to draw healthy boundaries and say no when she was asked to take on too much work. “I look back and think, why didn’t I just say, ‘well, that’s not humanly possible?’ I didn’t put those boundaries in.”

“From day one, I felt I had to prove myself, even though I knew I was doing good work. I look back and think, why didn’t I just say, well, that’s not humanly possible?”

Depend on others

Some managers may have to learn to delegate tasks. “Originally, I felt that it was dangerous to trust employees in certain areas of my business because I felt that no one could do it better than me,” says Chad Price, who runs a consulting firm in San Francisco with five employees. “To manage my workload, I’ve had to learn to depend on others. If you continue to burn yourself out, your work quality will suffer and you may make irreversible mistakes.”

Learn to manage the guilt

The feeling that you could be doing more may not be easy to quash, but it can be managed. “You just learn to cope with the guilt and eventually you have to silence the guilt,” says Watkins. While she still works hard, she’s aware that her efforts alone will not make or break the company. “I can’t feel guilty and feel good at the same time, so I have to choose one. And I’m going to choose feeling good, and just let the guilt go.”

“I can’t feel guilty and feel good at the same time, so I have to choose one. And I’m going to choose feeling good, and just let the guilt go.”

Know when to make an exit

Two years into her job at a startup, Taylor’s doctor intervened. “She just sat me down and said, ‘you cannot go on. I really fear for your health.’” By this time, Taylor was feeling physically unwell, anxious and completely lacking in confidence. More conversations with a friend helped her realize how burned out she was. “I used to be really ambitious and positive and I just thought, what happened? That’s when I put in my notice,” she says.

Ultimately, she knew the company culture was not going to change, and it wasn’t worth sacrificing her health. Eighteen months later, she hasn’t been tempted back to the startup world. Instead, after taking some time to recover, she started working as a freelance writer and now hosts a podcast interviewing other women who have survived professional burnout. “I just want people to know they’re not alone,” she says. “We tend to think everyone else is managing life, but we’re all human. And we have to look after ourselves.”

“I used to be really ambitious and positive and I just thought, what happened? That’s when I put in my notice. I just want people to know they’re not alone. We tend to think everyone else is managing life, but we’re all human.”

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle

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