There’s a strong correlation between inner wellbeing and the ability to drive transformative social change. Yet social entrepreneurs, particularly those working on politically or socially sensitive issues are at heightened risk of burnout due to workloads, anxiety and social pressure.
Behind the scenes, many agents of change across all organizational levels and in regions all over the world are struggling.
In fact, one in five human rights advocates meet the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), while 75% are concerned about burnout.
With our identity often tied up in the work we do, our sense of purpose and our sense of worth is often propelled by the feelings we get from our working tirelessly to accelerate the change we seek in the world.
We see our work as crucial to our wellbeing. It’s so much more than a 9 to 5 grind (literally!). While the lines between work and home life are often blurred (no more so than now!) – we don’t always see this as a bad thing…
So, when we’re warned about the potential for burnout - a warning that’s been increasingly sounded in the last few months – this perhaps doesn’t resonate immediately with all of us. Much of our work relies on our passion and dedication to the issues we care deeply about and the communities we support.
The work is never really done – so it can be hard to switch off, unwind and disconnect.
Yet research has shown that prioritising our own wellbeing has a positive ripple effect across socially focused organisations – improving innovation, collaboration, and social impact capacity. Addressing the personal challenges we face as changemakers is therefore important in and of itself, but also because of the way it enables and drives more effective social change.
An orientation towards nurturing our inner selves and attention to the role of wellbeing in driving social change is not new. In fact, it’s underpinned some of the most powerful movements of previous generations, as well as the thinking of great leaders like Gandhi, Ela Bhatt, Rosa Parks, and Desmond Tutu.
Leaders and groups within the women’s rights movement have emphasized the importance of inner well-being. Take writer and activist - Audre Lorde for example, who reflected an increasingly espoused theory of activism that regarded self-care as vital to the successes of the various movement’s she led and took part in.
She described self-care as “self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare”.
While we may not all be seeking political warfare, what we take from this is that in more ways than one - wellbeing inspires well-doing.
So, how can you as a changemaker stay healthy, happy and grounded while making a positive difference in the world?
We propose four things that work for us:
Connect with and learn to listen to and trust your body’s wisdom
The word burnout is quite deceptive. It feels like it implies that at a moment’s notice you’ll be bowled over by an avalanche of stress and overwhelm before combusting into a blinding flash of light and smoke.
In reality, burnout rolls in like a thick fog, slowly smothering you until it’s engulfed your mind, body, and soul. You’re left dazed, wondering if and how you’ll ever find your way through the fog.
Yet there are subtle ways our bodies try to warn us that this thick fog is rolling in. Our bodies are incredibly communicators – receiving and transmitting information that we sometimes ignore. They let us know if something is wrong.
Think of your body like a barometer for stress and burnout. The key here is to become attuned to changes that happen in your body when your stress levels are at a moderate level so you can catch yourself before things escalate into the burnout zone.
While this will look and feel different for everyone, tuning into common signs and symptoms including changes in appetite and abnormal sleeping patterns could be your body trying to communicate with you.
Pursue and nurture a co-passion
We get it. Your work is your passion, it’s your joy and it nourishes your soul. But you must have something to turn to when you’re tired of reviewing financials, writing grant applications, responding to emails or simply when you’re starting to feel a sense of compassion fatigue creeping up on you.
Remind yourself that simple pleasures are not indulgent. Find that activity that re-charges your mind and body, challenges you in a different way - but still fulfils you.
While pursuing a co-passion has been shown to increase productivity at work, it’s important to divest these activities from productivity. Their value lies in more than their relationship to work. They’re a way to meet new people and communities, develop new skills, discover or rediscover a creative outlet, and most importantly – to decompress.
Reflect on three things that have been part of your essence and your being since you were a kid. Was it helping your parents with gardening, baking fresh bread, finding an outlet for your competitive side through team sport? Why have you stopped? Are there opportunities to re-pursue this childhood passion?
The next step – finding the time.
If you’re a morning person and find you’re fired up to work on your passion before the sun’s up, that’s great. Or perhaps you’re someone who prefers to burn the midnight oil, in which case evenings may be a good time for passion pursuits. Find a time that works for you and make your co-passion a priority.
Remember, passionate pursuits take time to hone and develop, particularly if you relegate them to the back burner while tending to other, more ‘practical’ things. Understand that these pursuits will take time, focus and extra energy - particularly in the initial stages.
Establish boundaries and know your limits
If you’re serious about pursuing and nurturing that co-passion, establishing boundaries and setting realistic expectations for yourself becomes mission critical.
If you’re the type of person that tucks themselves into bed each night by checking emails and wakes up to the sterile glare of your iPhone rather than the sunlight – you may want to make this a priority.
While it may feel like the work never ends and being responsive at all hours of the day and week signals your commitment to your cause, this unsustainable work style (and mindset) can be detrimental to your wellbeing, motivation and productivity. It can also enable and reinforce unrealistic expectations of your workday among clients and colleagues - and encourage others to adopt similar practices.
Setting boundaries, particularly with our relationship to technology is no easy feat – it requires self-control and determination. It requires what can feel like a radical pushback on societal expectations.
Yet often the driving force behind these expectations is ourselves. Identifying this reality, is a good first-step in shifting your mindset.
You probably have an idea in your head of how much work you expect to get done in a day – some standard you hold yourself accountable to. It’s important to realise that if that standard is unrealistic, you’ll never truly feel accomplished at the end of the day. Even if you did get a lot done.
This can be both demoralizing and highly destructive to your productivity in the long run.
If you truly want to be kind to yourself and to others, speaking your truth and setting out your needs and expectations with clarity is important. Understanding your own core values and needs will help you to set and keep boundaries with yourself and with your relationships of all kinds.
Embrace new connections
Over the years working with individuals innovative small business, not-for-profits and social enterprises - we’ve come to firmly recognise the way that socially-driven work can at times be quite socially isolating. Ironic, right?
We find social-impact leaders are exhausted. They’re wearing multiple hats - and are being pulled in each and every direction, with limited avenues to connect with a community of people who know what that’s like.
It’s incredible how comforting and gratifying it can feel to have someone respond to a situation you’ve described or a feeling you’ve expressed with a single word - “Exactly!”.
While we’ve established ourselves as an agency that supports changemakers tap into vital funding to amplify their impact and scale their visions - through that process we’ve recognised the value of incorporating a strong focus on well-being into our services.
Our signature 28 Days to Nailing Your Grant Applications Bootcamp was developed not only to equip impact-driven businesses and organisations with the tools and knowledge they need to secure their dream funding, but also to provide a hub for new connections to form, alliances to be built and feelings to be shared about the struggles (and the triumphs) each of us face both personally and professionally - with the two more often than not closely intertwined.
While this was our intention - we of course had doubts about the willingness of others to embrace this aspect of the bootcamp. Yet over the course of 28 days, it was incredible to witness the impact a weekly Zoom session could have on the mindsets of our changemakers as they shared setbacks, successes and advice with a collective of social entrepreneurs.
If you’d like to know more about what we cover in the bootcamp head on over to our website. We will be launching a special summer school in the coming weeks so keep an eye out on how you can end the year strong!
Remember, by nurturing the extraordinary within you – you’ll be in a much better space to strengthen, deepen and inspire the practice of creating change.