No Real Rest for the Founder: When Breakdowns Come at the Worst Time

The fourth mistake I made was not taking time off. Not time off for the business, time off for me, as a person.

I'm Not Talking About an Employee's Vacation

I don't mean the kind of vacation where you switch off your phone at five and forget about work completely. As a business owner, it's natural for your mind to stay on work: at home, in the car, even while sitting with family. That was never the problem.

The Real Mistake: No Time for Calm

The mistake was that I left no time at all for calm. Time away from all the pressure: no calls, no numbers, no problems.

The result? Moments when I would simply break down. And they never came at a quiet time. They came exactly when the business needed me most.

Rest is just like sleep, except you're awake and fully conscious.

Not a Fixed Day, but Rest After Every Effort

What I needed wasn't a fixed day off or a set hour each day. What I needed was for every big effort to be followed by real rest:

• Work hard, then rest.
• Get through a high-pressure stretch, then slow down.
• Deliver a big project, then give yourself space before the next one.

That way, when the business truly needs me, I'm there, not burned out.

Signs You Need to Pause

• It has been a long time since you had a genuinely calm moment.
• Small problems drain far more energy than they should.
• You keep postponing rest until "things calm down", and they never do.

The Bottom Line

If you've been working for a long time without giving yourself a moment of calm, be careful: burnout doesn't ask for permission, and it arrives at the worst possible time. By the way, the original video for this episode was published on a Friday, the weekend. Clearly I'm still learning this lesson.

Learn more about Alaa Samir, founder of Darory, or send us a message.