The last year and a half has been difficult. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, a divisive political landscape, and more, sometimes it can be difficult to believe we\u2019re actually approaching 2022. The stress of the last year and a half has impacted everyone in different ways, and we\u2019ve seen heightened fatigue among fundraising and nonprofit professionals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you feel stuck, like your donors shouldn\u2019t be bothered with your organization\u2019s needs right now, or you just have less energy for work-related tasks, you\u2019re probably experiencing nonprofit burnout and\/or compassion fatigue. Burnout is a type of work-related stress\u2014it\u2019s a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Compassion fatigue stems from helping others\u2014you want to keep helping, but you\u2019re overwhelmed from being exposed to the trauma of others. As the pandemic continues and the 24-hour news cycle brings nonstop trauma to our attention, we\u2019re all at risk of compassion fatigue, especially those of us whose job it is to help others! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, in order to help others effectively, we first need to focus on helping ourselves<\/em>. Keep reading to discover 5 ways to reduce compassion fatigue and nonprofit burnout! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mindfulness is simply being fully present and engaged in the moment. According to the guided meditation app, Headspace<\/a>, \u201cMindfulness allows us to connect with ourselves, so we can recognize our thoughts and feelings head-on in order to address them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n To create lasting change that will protect you from nonprofit burnout, it\u2019s important to first acknowledge what you\u2019re feeling and when. Can you identify when you\u2019re most stressed or tired? Pause throughout the work day and check in on yourself. How do you feel in one particular moment? Are you tired? Is your heart rate high? Do you feel angry, sad, or unmotivated? Are there particular events that are contributing to these feelings such as scrolling through social media, or receiving work notifications after hours? <\/p>\n\n\n\n To walk you through a mindfulness exercise, our very own Product Content Specialist, Kimber Wiggs, has created a guided meditation especially for fundraisers! Check it out below. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPractice Mindfulness<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n