Fundraising will take a brutal toll on your mental health.

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There's no way around it but there are ways to minimize the toll and make it to the other side.

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First let's acknowledge that fundraising is going to knock you down, it's going to make you feel like a failure, and it's going to make you want to quit.

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The good news is that you aren't alone.This happens in every single fundraise I've seen with founders. Hearing no over and over again is rough. Having your vision questioned is rough. Getting ghosted is rough. So how do you minimizing the toll?

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These are some of the strategies I share with the founders I work with to help them get through it. And realize that every founder is different so take what works and discard what doesn't.

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To start with you need to be mentally and physically prepared before the fundraise starts. For mental preparation: Use visioning and breathwork to prepare yourself. See the success before it happens.

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Build out a small group of people who can support you through the fundraising rollercoaster.

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Find those prior successful moments (announcing your last round raised, awards you've won, big contracts signed, etc.) and relive them. This way you're primed because you know you've succeeded before. If you did it before you can do it again.

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For physical preparation: Eat right, drink water, cut down on any bad foods, workout, and sleep 7ish hours. Yes these are simple but when you're healthy physically it's easier to deal with the mental stress.

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Now how do you deal with the fundraise during the high stress periods?

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Use music to help create the right mood. Create playlists of your favorite videos that pick you up, motivate you, or ground you.

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Meditate.

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Work with a therapist.

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Journal.

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Prioritize hitting the gym, a run, yoga, spin, or whatever physical activity you can do to create some endorphins and release stress.

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And finally one that seems counterintuitive...Take the weekend off. No work.

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Sometimes you just need to decompress and get out into nature. Go to the mountain, beach, lake, forest, and enjoy the life you live. Gratitude goes a long ways.

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These are just some of the ways to deal with the mental stress and maintain your mental health during the fundraising process.

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You can do it. You will make it through.

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Prepare and then execute.

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The light at the end of the tunnel is real.

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It's worth it.