Managing mental health is your startup’s secret weapon
Dr. Angela Lim, Founder and CEO of Clearhead, knows this firsthand.
Startups move fast. But if you’re not looking after your team’s mental health, you’re building on shaky ground. Dr. Angela Lim, Founder and CEO of Clearhead, knows this firsthand. Clearhead provides Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to businesses of all sizes - making mental health support accessible to teams under pressure is their bread and butter.
She’s seen the data - startup life takes a toll. We spoke to her about why startup teams often struggle with mental health, her own experience of what helps Founders and teams to cope better and what her team is doing to right-size the cost of mental help support for startups.
Why do startup teams struggle with mental health?
ANGELA: The numbers don’t lie. A Mental Health at Work study found 72% of startup founders struggle with mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety and depression. And a University of California study found entrepreneurs are 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. That’s a crisis.
Startups demand long hours, high stakes and wearing multiple hats. The pressure to raise capital, find product-market fit and generate revenue can feel relentless. And it’s not just work - personal relationships suffer. Ironically, strong personal connections are one of the best predictors of good health, yet founders often sacrifice them.
How has founding Clearhead impacted your mental health?
ANGELA: Bootstrapping was tough, but capital raising took things to another level. I was working around the clock; juggling investor meetings while running day-to-day operations. Every rejection felt personal. I’d take the feedback, change my pitch and try again - over and over. It became exhausting - both mentally and physically.
I believed in Clearhead, but I wasn’t immune to the stress. My co-founder Michael and I worked insane hours, covering gaps because we couldn’t afford to hire. We pushed ourselves to give our team a great work-life balance, but at the cost of our own. Eventually, the stress started affecting my health and I wasn’t always the empathetic leader I wanted to be.
What helped you manage stress?
ANGELA: Three things:
Let go of what you can’t control. I used to spend hours replying to emails at night because it felt like ‘doing something.’ But sleep is what actually moves the needle. When you’re rested, you make better decisions.
Track stress triggers. Using Clearhead’s mood tracker, I spotted patterns and built better habits - meditation, running, journaling and making time for friends and family.
Ask for help. Founders often feel like they have to do it all, but leadership isn’t about going solo. When I reached out for support, it gave my team permission to do the same.
Why should startups prioritise mental health?
ANGELA: Because healthy teams perform better. I’ve seen it firsthand - when we invest in mental health, we retain great people, build stronger cultures and make smarter decisions. Startups are a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to go the distance, resilience is non-negotiable.
What’s the best way for startups to support mental health?
ANGELA: The easiest, most effective way is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). These programs give employees confidential access to mental health professionals, self-help tools and 24/7 support. And they’re not just for big corporations anymore - Clearhead, in partnership with Employment Hero, has worked hard to make EAPs affordable for startups.
If it’s so easy, why don’t more startups have an EAP?
ANGELA: Cost is often the biggest barrier. When budgets are tight, mental health support can feel like a ‘nice to have’ - but the reality is, startups can’t afford not to invest in their team’s well-being.
The ROI is clear: EAPs reduce turnover, improve productivity and create a more resilient workforce. That’s why we partnered with Employment Hero to make EAPs more accessible for small businesses and startups. Through their Employment Unlimited Service, SMEs can now access Clearhead’s EAP support at no additional cost. (This service is a cost saver in itself, bundling together essential HR functions like contracts, payroll, recruitment and now - EAP too.) Thanks to this partnership, smaller teams can finally access professional mental health support when they need it most. (Caffeine covered this last year.)
As a founder, knowing your team has confidential support can make all the difference - whether it’s diffusing stress, managing performance dips, or helping someone through a tough time. We shouldn’t have to shoulder all of that responsibility ourselves.
The bottom line is - don’t wait until burnout hits. Mental health is a startup’s superpower - invest in it, and you’ll build a company that lasts.