Leading a SaaS team means making calls while the ground keeps moving. Priorities shift mid-quarter. Budgets tighten. Features ship too late or too soon, and the roadmap races to catch up. Through all of it, your team looks to you to be the steady one.

Without support, that steadiness has a cost. A 2025 Tech.co survey of over 1,000 business leaders found that 43% felt burned out in some capacity.

It often starts small. The blank stare at dinner. The quick inbox check on Sunday morning. The "one more thing" that becomes your third late night in a row. Over time, the pace you once thrived on turns into a hamster wheel that's hard to step off.

That's why self-care matters, especially for SaaS leaders. Here are three practices that are easy to start, and sustain.

1) Micro self-care

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear introduces the Two-Minute Rule: "When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do."

Micro self-care is built on a similar principle: small, restorative habits that usually take five minutes or less and slot into the schedule you already have. A good starting point is to aim for at least one of these four areas:

  • Body: Stand up and stretch every now and then. Add mint or a slice of lemon to your water. Take your lunch break outside.
  • Heart: Check in with yourself at the start and end of your day. Jot down what made you smile this week. Send one thank-you message a day—to the designer who fast-tracked a launch asset, the coworker who credited you in the all-hands, the direct report who filled you in while you were away.
  • Mind: Set an intention before your first task. Protect deep work with Do Not Disturb or time blocking. Practice two minutes of mindfulness.
  • Spirit: Write your 'why' on a sticky note and put it up where you can see it. Read one good-news story during your commute. Do a quick grounding exercise between meetings.

Micro self-care can also look like swapping out existing habits for new ones. Scrolling on your phone becomes listening to your favourite playlist. Three cups of coffee becomes a pot of green tea. Eating at your desk becomes lunch with a coworker or friend. The little things that drain you become the little things that energise you.

Start simple, stay consistent, and build from there. You won't always have 30 minutes, but sometimes 30 seconds is all you need.

Recommended: Forbes' 25 micro-acts of self-care.

2) Care plan

When you're running on empty, decision-making is the first thing to go. A care plan helps you spot the warning signs and decide what to do ahead of time, while you're thinking clearly.

Start by identifying what wellbeing looks like to you. You can use a simple framework, like the traffic light system, to guide you:

  • Green: This is when you feel your best. You're sleeping well, feeling focused, and meeting your targets while still clocking off before 6.
  • Orange: This is when your mood starts to dip. Notice what changes. You might be skipping breaks, snapping over small things, or replaying conversations more than usual.
  • Red: This is when you need urgent support. You're persistently exhausted, dreading work, feeling numb, or lying awake at 3am running through your to-do list.

Write out what each "light" looks like for you and build a plan of action around them:

  • Green is about maintenance. List the habits that keep you in good spirits, whether it's a morning run, an iced coffee from your favourite cafe, or quality time with your family. The goal isn't to do more. It's to protect what's already working.
  • Orange is about rebalancing. What is causing the drop in energy, and how can you get back to baseline? Run your to-do list through a quick EAD audit: what can you eliminate, automate, or delegate? Give your manager a heads up or vent to a friend. Take the steps to protect your mental health now, before it gets worse.
  • Red is about recovery. Here the plan is support: take your leave, ask for a reduced workload, book a doctor or therapist, lean on the people around you. Write down the names and numbers of people you can rely on.

Be specific, and share your plan with at least one other person you trust. You wouldn't launch a product without a rollback plan. Your wellbeing deserves one too.

3) Intentional connection

Burnout and isolation often feed each other: the more you work, the more exhausted you become, and the less motivation you have to see or reach out to people. For leaders especially, it can get lonely at the top.

But it doesn't have to be.

Managing a team comes with real responsibilities and challenges, but it also comes with the opportunity to build meaningful relationships, foster fun and camaraderie, and celebrate wins together.

And the more you give, the more you get. A team that respects and enjoys working with you is less likely to coast through or leave, and more likely to rise to the occasion, especially when you need to delegate, problem-solve, or step back.

When you hit a roadblock your direct reports can't help with, reach out to your peers. A standing monthly coffee or private channel for fellow leaders can turn a lonely problem into a shared solution. Beyond that, communities outside of work, like Slack groups or local meet-ups, can connect you with people facing the same trade-offs, without the workplace dynamics.

You can't pour from an empty cup. It's okay to lean on others when yours is running dry.

It's okay to be human

You don’t have to be perfect or superhuman.

You're allowed to have a week where you make mistakes. You're allowed to say no to a project, and to ask for help. Your team doesn't need a flawless leader. They need one who's reliable, self-aware, and still standing six months from now.

Self-care isn't another item on the to-do list you'll get to later. It's what makes everything else on that list doable.