Why Self-Care Is a Non-Negotiable Skill for Entrepreneurs

21 January 2026

Paul Francis

Want your article or story on our site? Contact us here

Entrepreneurs are builders, decision-makers, and problem solvers who often carry the full weight of their business on their shoulders. That constant pressure can quietly erode health, focus, and judgment if it’s left unchecked. Self-care, in this context, isn’t about indulgence; it’s about maintaining the physical and mental capacity required to run a company well.

"SELF CARE TIME in wooden letters on a teal background. Surrounding items: pumpkins, brush, cream jar, candle, leaf decor. Cozy mood."

The Short Version

Entrepreneurial performance declines when recovery is ignored. Regular movement, intentional relaxation, and smarter use of time and delegation protect energy, sharpen thinking, and reduce burnout risk. Self-care is less about doing more and more and more about creating space so you can operate at your best.

The Problem Most Founders Don’t See Coming

Long hours, irregular schedules, and persistent stress often feel “normal” in entrepreneurship. Over time, though, this lifestyle can lead to poor sleep, chronic fatigue, irritability, and diminished creativity. The result isn’t just personal discomfort; it shows up in slower decisions, strained relationships, and missed opportunities.

The solution isn’t a drastic lifestyle overhaul. It’s a set of practical habits that fit into real entrepreneurial lives.

Movement That Fits Real Schedules

Exercise is one of the most reliable ways to regulate stress hormones and improve mood and focus. The mistake many founders make is assuming workouts must be long or complex.

Simple, effective options include:

Going to the gym before work or during a long lunch break
Short home workouts using bodyweight or resistance bands
Brisk walks between meetings to reset your nervous system

Consistency matters more than intensity. Even 20–30 minutes a few times a week can significantly improve energy and resilience.

Stress Relief Beyond Exercise

Physical activity helps, but it isn’t the only tool. Entrepreneurs benefit from practices that actively calm the nervous system and create mental space.

Four Gentle Ways to Lower Daily Stress

There are several non-invasive approaches people use to unwind. Breathwork and guided meditation help slow racing thoughts and encourage mental clarity. Progressive muscle relaxation can release tension built up during long workdays. Some individuals also explore herbal supplements like ashwagandha, which is commonly associated with stress balance. Others look into hemp-derived options such as THCa, a non-intoxicating cannabinoid some people use as part of a relaxation routine. If you’re curious, you can check this out for more info.

(As with any supplement or wellness product, personal research and professional guidance are important.)

Time Is the Real Self-Care Currency

For entrepreneurs, stress often comes from overload rather than lack of willpower. One of the most effective self-care strategies is removing unnecessary friction from your schedule.

How to Reclaim Time Without Burning Out

Use this checklist to identify easy wins:

☐ Outsource bookkeeping, payroll, or basic admin tasks
☐ Hire freelancers for design, content, or technical work
☐ Automate scheduling, invoicing, and email follow-ups
☐ Batch similar tasks to reduce mental switching costs

Delegation isn’t a luxury; it’s a health strategy. Freeing even a few hours a week creates room for rest, exercise, or simply thinking without interruption.

What Self-Care Looks Like in Practice

Not all self-care activities deliver the same benefits. The table below shows how different habits support entrepreneurial performance.

Self-Care Habit	Primary Benefit	Business Impact
Regular workouts	Stress reduction, energy	Better focus, stamina
Relaxation techniques	Mental clarity	Improved decision-making
Outsourcing tasks	Reduced overload	Strategic thinking time
Consistent sleep	Emotional regulation	Fewer costly mistakes

A Useful Resource for Building Sustainable Habits

If you’re looking for science-backed guidance on forming routines that actually stick, Harvard Health Publishing offers accessible articles on stress management, exercise, and sleep. Their overview on stress reduction techniques is a solid starting point. This kind of evidence-based perspective can help entrepreneurs separate fads from habits that truly work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Isn’t self-care unrealistic during busy growth phases?

It may feel that way, but growth phases are when self-care matters most. Small, consistent habits prevent burnout that can derail momentum later.

How much time should entrepreneurs dedicate to self-care?

There’s no fixed number. Even 15–30 minutes a day of intentional recovery can make a measurable difference.

Does outsourcing really reduce stress?

Yes. Reducing cognitive load often has a bigger impact than working fewer hours, because it frees mental bandwidth.

A Final Word

Entrepreneurship is demanding by nature, but suffering isn’t a prerequisite for success. Self-care protects the very traits, focus, creativity, and resilience that make founders effective. When you treat your energy and health as strategic assets, both you and your business are better positioned to grow.

Current Most Read

A World Cup Under Pressure: How American Politics Could Shape FIFA 2026

Reeves’ pubs U-turn: how business rates sparked a revolt, and why ministers are now under fire

Elon Musk’s Bid to Acquire OpenAI: A Dangerous Power Grab?

Connor Banks
Feb 12, 2025
4 min read

Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, has made an audacious $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. This move, framed as a return to OpenAI’s non-profit origins, is widely seen as an attempt to consolidate even more power in the hands of Musk, whose growing influence within the U.S. government raises concerns about unchecked corporate control over artificial intelligence. Musk has long railed against OpenAI’s supposed deviation from its original mission, but in reality, this bid reeks of opportunism rather than altruistic desires.

Purple screen displaying "Introducing ChatGPT Plus" by OpenAI, with text about a pilot subscription for conversational AI. Green text and bars.

Elon Musk's Offer and OpenAI’s Response

Musk’s bid is backed by a consortium of investors, including Baron Capital Group, Valor Management, and Eight Partners VC. His stated goal is to bring OpenAI back to its original open-source, safety-focused AI development approach. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman swiftly rejected the offer, mocking Musk on social media and highlighting the hypocrisy of his sudden concern for OpenAI’s direction.

Altman responded with a direct statement: "No, thank you. But we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you’re interested." This sarcastic retort not only dismissed Musk’s bid but also referenced Musk’s own tumultuous acquisition of Twitter (now X), which has been widely criticised for its erratic management and steep decline in value since Musk took control.

The truth is, Musk’s involvement with OpenAI was never about philanthropy. After co-founding the organisation, he left in 2018 when his attempts to take over leadership were rebuffed. Since then, he has aggressively criticised OpenAI while working to build his own competing AI company, xAI. Now, his attempt to purchase OpenAI seems more like a desperate bid to maintain relevance in the AI race rather than any genuine concern for the ethical development of artificial intelligence.

Musk’s Government Role: A Clear Conflict of Interest

In January 2025, Musk was appointed as a special government employee, leading the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration. This position grants him the power to shape federal regulations and policies, including those governing artificial intelligence. If he successfully takes over OpenAI, Musk would be in the unprecedented position of both owning one of the most powerful AI companies in the world and shaping the very laws that regulate it.

This clear conflict of interest is nothing short of alarming. With his control over DOGE, Musk could weaken regulatory oversight on AI safety while advancing his own corporate interests. His past behaviour, such as gutting Twitter’s moderation policies and prioritising his personal business empire over public responsibility, suggests that he is unlikely to use such power responsibly.

Why Musk’s Takeover is Dangerous

Unchecked AI Monopoly: OpenAI is a leader in artificial intelligence research. If Musk acquires it, he could suppress competing AI innovations while monopolising the most advanced AI models for his own ventures. His history of aggressively eliminating competition suggests he would not hesitate to turn OpenAI into a weaponised asset for his empire.
Commercialisation Over Ethics: Musk frequently denounces OpenAI for prioritising profits, yet his own companies are aggressively profit-driven. His AI startup, xAI, is already integrating its technology into his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). A Musk-owned OpenAI would likely prioritise revenue streams over genuine AI safety, contradicting his supposed concerns about ethical AI development.
Manipulating AI Regulation: Musk’s dual roles in business and government would give him extraordinary leverage over AI policy. He could push for deregulation that benefits his businesses, weakening necessary safeguards designed to prevent AI abuse and exploitation. This represents a profound threat to democratic oversight and technological ethics.

Deterioration of AI Research Transparency

While Musk preaches about open-source AI, he has a history of keeping key developments within Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI tightly controlled. Under his ownership, OpenAI could become more secretive, reducing transparency in AI research and hindering global cooperation on AI safety.

Regulatory and Legal Challenges

Given the blatant conflict of interest between Musk’s government role and his corporate ambitions, regulators must intervene. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Justice should investigate whether Musk’s bid violates antitrust laws. There are also potential national security risks, given AI’s increasing role in cybersecurity, defence, and misinformation control.

If Musk is allowed to acquire OpenAI, the repercussions could be catastrophic. AI development would become even more concentrated in the hands of a single, unaccountable billionaire with a track record of erratic decision-making and self-serving business practices.

The Bigger Picture: The Musk Empire Expands

Musk already wields enormous influence across multiple industries, from electric vehicles to space exploration to social media. His attempt to control OpenAI is not about altruism—it is about dominance. If successful, he would have an iron grip over the future of artificial intelligence, steering it in ways that serve his personal vision while sidelining competitors and regulatory oversight.

This would not just impact AI development; it would shape how society interacts with AI on a fundamental level, from automation in industries to political discourse and national security. Musk has demonstrated time and again that he is willing to put personal power over public good, and there is no reason to believe this situation would be any different.

Stopping the Takeover Before It’s Too Late

Elon Musk’s bid to acquire OpenAI is not about returning it to its non-profit roots. It is a power play, designed to give him unprecedented control over the future of artificial intelligence while weakening regulatory checks that could hold him accountable. His history of self-interest, government manipulation, and anti-competitive behaviour suggests that such a takeover would be disastrous for AI ethics, innovation, and public trust.

Regulators, lawmakers, and industry leaders must take immediate action to block this acquisition and ensure that AI development remains in the hands of those committed to ethical progress, not a billionaire seeking yet another empire to control.