It’s also one of the least-discussed issues. The day-to-day of running a company is oftentimes so demanding that entrepreneurs rarely even give themselves the time to acknowledge how they’re feeling. There’s always another problem to solve, another fire to put out. Meanwhile, they’re postponing checking in with themselves and taking a moment to pause and reflect. The impact on relationships, family and other areas of life are often considerable.

It’s easy to slip into the work harder for longer, sleep less, do more mentality.

And it takes discipline to try and bring balance to your life, for ultimately a better outcome all round.

Most founders don’t even realize it when they’re working too hard. They ignore the subtle signs, they deprive themselves of sleep, and they treat every single day as a sprint — instead of a marathon. And as a result, they actually become less productive, less effective, unhappy, burned out, the list goes on.

I learned this first-hand when I started competing in triathlons

Although I’ve never done a full Ironman, I have competed in eight Half Ironman races — also known as an “Ironman 70.3.” The number refers to how many miles are covered by the athlete, including a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. It’s grueling, to say the least.

In 2012 we moved our family from Melbourne to San Francisco. It was winter. I was fat! We had just moved an eight-month-old and a two-year-old to the other side of the world into a brand new city. It was a stressful time — but I had to do something. So, I signed up for a local boot camp as a way to get some time to myself and try and lose some weight

My trainer happened to also be a professional triathlon coach.

As I started getting into the training, and the multidisciplinary aspect of the sport (swimming, biking, running), I fell in love with the process. It was challenging, but it was also a lot of fun. And more than that, it gave me a way to separate “work” from time where I was only focused on myself.

Here’s what I mean:

1. Training (ironically) helped me avoid burnout as an entrepreneur