Three wellness habits Sid Jawahar of Swiftarc Ventures swears by

Venture Capital can be stressful… especially in this economy. But Sid Jawahar, founder and managing partner of Swiftarc Ventures, knows how to navigate this stressful industry by incorporating three key wellness habits into his routine. It is no secret that lowering stress levels can assist your physical and mental wellbeing. For Jawahar those aren’t the only benefits – these wellness habits he swears by help give him more clarity which leads him to become a better venture capitalist and leader.

Meditation
The first thing Jawahar does upon waking up every morning is meditating even if it’s just for five minutes. Jawhar was first introduced to meditation as a child growing up in India, “I was first introduced to meditation when I was in sixth grade in India. My school had a fairly intense academic environment where kids and, and students would take on a fair bit of stress without even realizing. There was one literature teacher of ours that would force us for five minutes to just sit there and do nothing. Early meditation at the age of twelve for me was sitting there and doing nothing,” he explained.

Jawahar’s literature teacher may have been on to something as studies show that fifteen minutes of meditation a day cultivates awareness and gives clarity which leads to people making smarter decisions.

Therapy
In addition to meditation Jawhar swears by therapy, “It’s a safe space being able to create a forum and actually discuss concerns, problems in areas, and beginning with the point of view that you’re not perfect.” Therapy and meditation can be an excellent combo for stress management. Bringing your clarities into a safe place to comfortably release your emotions can be a healthy way to find coping mechanisms .

Herbal Tea

This wellness habit Jawhar also picked back in his early days in India is drinking herbal teas, specifically ginger tea. “I drink a lot of herbal teas that have therapeutic effects. I often drink ginger tea with local honey which helps with my allergies. I probably drink a dozen cups a week- if that’s one addictive habit I have, I don’t mind it being ginger tea,” Jawahar chuckled.

Jawhar’s inspiration for taking care of his mental wellness stemmed from his grandmother. “I think just knowing that mental health is such an important component of one’s overall wellbeing was a lesson I learned early. My grandmother had a debilitating physical condition that she fought successfully for many years but she found a way to keep her spirits up. It was a sort of beautiful thing to watch because I don’t know if I have the capacity to do that. And so the mental resilience that she had shown through that journey was hugely impactful for me.”

The importance of mental health to Jawahar personally has developed into a key pillar in The Swiftarc Telehealth Fund, where it’s looking to invest in technologies and tools that advance solutions around mental health.