Self-care and sabbaticals are concepts worth revisiting | Notes on Nonprofits
I talk with nonprofits EDs every day and I am always impressed with their work ethic, leadership skills, and passion for what they do. But I also hear the stress and exhaustion in their voices. I know they are working harder than ever and in ways they never imagined.
This week I am looking back at a column written by Kelly Otte about the importance of self-care for nonprofit staff and sharing resources about sabbaticals.
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Sabbaticals for Nonprofit leaders
A sabbatical is an extended period of leave from the job to rest and recharge and return rejuvenated and ready to lead. Some of the benefits of sabbaticals include:
Increases retention of nonprofit leaders;
improves collaboration between EDs and boards of directors;
helps to build the board’s capacity and a better understanding of the organization and role of the ED;
provides leadership opportunities that increase the effectiveness of interim leaders; and
often results in healthy changes in organization culture around work/life balance.
The Durfee Foundation is a leading proponent of this practice and has awarded over 100 sabbaticals to outstanding nonprofit leaders. As a result, they have developed sample sabbatical policies that nonprofits can adopt and a funder’s guide to creating a sabbatical program. Visit www.durfee.org for more information.
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Importance of self-care
Working in nonprofits is hard work. There is always 10 times the demand for your time than you could ever meet. There are never enough resources. People are in crisis. Funders want reports. The board wants attention. Colleagues call in sick. It is like working with your finger in the proverbial dike while running on a treadmill and juggling with your free hand.
It is a problem when your family is surprised to see you come home before dark. Or when your kids stop asking if you will be home when they get home from school and instead ask if you will be home before they go to bed. Or when someone cuts you off while driving and you suddenly understand what road rage means. All good indications that your stress level is too high.
Keep reminding yourself your job is not your entire life. Yes, people are sleeping in fields and you are trying to help them. Animals are starving and need to be rescued. People want access to your museum 24/7, the ozone is burning up, people are losing their homes, going into debt, not able to afford healthcare, and being victimized. But you aren’t going to be able to help anyone if you are so stressed out and burnt out you aren’t as effective as you could be.
Say yes to taking time off
Pick up your hobbies or find a new one. Take a minimum of two consecutive weeks off every year. One-week is not enough when you’re burning out. Just about the time you stop thinking about work you start thinking about going back. Stay at home and shut down but tell them you are in Mongolia and can’t make or take calls.
Remember your family and friends come first. Always. Think about who will be there with you in the darkest and most joyous days of your life. Put as much energy into being wholly present with your family and friends as you do for the people you work with or serve.
Hang out with people who have no idea what you are talking about when you talk about work. If it takes too much time to catch them up to speed with the trauma and drama of your job you won’t do it. Which means you’ll have to talk about something else.
Limit the number of events you do in the evening and weekends. There are volunteers and board members that would love the chance to make presentations, pick up checks, attend fundraisers, etc. It’s nice when they want you, but it’s not realistic for you to do everything by yourself.
A nonprofit professional’s biggest downfall is not knowing how to appropriately pronounce the word NO. Repeat after me. NO. NO. NO. Recognize key words that should immediately bring up the NO word for you. Will you…? NO. Can you….? NO. NO. NO. NO.
There is never going to be enough people to do the work in nonprofits. Remember that working yourself into the ground does not get more work done; it creates more for everyone else. Like doctors, ice cream scoopers, bartenders, and mental health facilities.
Kelly Otte, MPA is the founder of Notes on Nonprofits which is produced by Alyce Lee Stansbury, CFRE, President of Stansbury Consulting. Send your feedback and questions to notesonnonprofits@gmail.com.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Self-care and sabbaticals are concepts worth revisiting for nonprofits
