I love being an entrepreneur. It is something have I aspired to be since I was a child and I enjoy doing it every single day.
But that is not to say that I didn’t go through dark days, when I didn’t see how things would get any better.
One of my favourite phases of entrepreneurship is the initial planning phase, when I am thinking about my business’s concept and its differentiating factor(s). The next phase is execution, where I develop my business.
Years ago, I started developing one of my ventures and, as excited as I was about the idea, the development phase took a huge mental toll on me.
I worked more than 18 hours a day and stopped having a social life.
My days consisted of waking up, having breakfast at my work desk and working until the late hours of the night.
The only “fun” thing I did was working out with my trainer for 45 minutes a day, five times a week. I was so immersed in my work that I didn’t notice how unhealthy my life was becoming.
This went on for months. I missed out on major social events and I wasn’t happy.
All I could think about was work.
My friends and colleagues thought I was happy because I was developing an exciting venture.
They believed that I was having as much fun as my cool venture seemed to reflect to our customers.
The strange thing is that I was leading a life that wasn’t authentic to who I was.
I am a people person and love meeting new people. I never missed out on social events and loved to travel, explore new things and live my life to the fullest.
In a span of months, I had transformed into somebody I no longer recognised.
Throughout this time, I didn’t think about talking to someone about the stress I was dealing with, the fear of uncertainty that I felt, or how tired I was.
I didn’t think about it because it wasn’t something that my entrepreneur friends did.
We would seek out each other’s advice when a challenge arose but that was where it ended.
Watch: A new generation of Emirati entrepreneurs
We didn’t talk about our feelings or how our entrepreneurship journey was negatively affecting our social lives.
After I suffered from extreme burnout, a family member suggested that I speak to someone, a mentor or an expert who specialises in the challenges that entrepreneurs go through and who can offer guidance.
That is when I knew I wasn’t alone, more so after discovering that 72 per cent of entrepreneurs are affected by mental health issues directly or indirectly, compared with only 48 per cent of non-entrepreneurs, according to a 2020 study by the US-based National Institute of Mental Health.
I met the expert who was also an entrepreneur. I discussed my progress, the challenges I had experienced and he offered guidance on how to better manage my business and personal life.
We need more mental health experts who specialise in the stress and challenges that entrepreneurs face
Manar Al Hinai
Since then, I have been able to turn my life around. I found my way back to my old self, where I dedicated equal time and attention to my business and personal life.
We need more mental health experts who specialise in the stress and challenges that entrepreneurs face.
We need hotlines for entrepreneurs and to have that mental health help available through different cohorts and entrepreneurship centres — and for it to be given as much emphasis as business development advisory services.
We can’t expect a business to run smoothly if its founder is going through stressful times. I know this from my own experience.
Seeking help when needed is a sign of strength, not weakness. I am no longer worried about facing stress or challenges, because I know that talking to the right person can ease rough times and help us to see things more clearly.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
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Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
