Working in the impact space is often a paradox. On the one hand, knowing you’re making a difference is tremendously satisfying. On the other hand, the long hours can be physically exhausting, and the work itself can be emotionally draining. Learning to take care of ourselves is such an important part of any nonprofit professional’s journey. 

I reached out to four impact professionals to get their views on self-care. Each one had a first-hand burnout experience stemming from a complex interplay of factors—intense passion for their cause, toxic work cultures, struggles with perfectionism, trying to find an impact job in the middle of a pandemic, and the challenge of defining their identity beyond their professional roles. 

Despite this, they were all able to take time to self-reflect and realize where they had the power to make changes, find support, and take steps to put their well-being first. Several insights emerged from these really thoughtful chats:

It’s not your fault if you’re struggling with self-care

“I’ve been hesitant to set up boundaries related to the workplace. I’m still early in my career, and for that reason I feel I need to be available 24/7 so I’m viewed as a good employee. I feel like I have to prove myself, and being busy is what our culture celebrates.” – Alexis Zygan 

If you’re struggling with self-care, know that there is NOTHING wrong with you. You’re not failing. We’re just living in a culture that promotes speed, productivity, efficiency, and cost-cutting. Taking time for yourself goes completely against what our society values. Self-care also takes resources (emotional, physical, financial, knowledge, relationships, etc.). The more access to resources you have, the easier it is to practice. Yet, these resources are not distributed equally. It’s often people of colour, women, LGBTQ2S+, low-income individuals, and other marginalized groups that lack access to this support.

Real self-care can’t happen in toxic work cultures

“One of my former workplaces stood out in that they invested a lot of time in getting to know me. They showed me there was an element of care to their culture. If I was stressed about something, I always got a ton of support and reassurance from my manager on how to rearrange priorities or help me take something off my plate.” – Aman Vellani

Yes, practicing self-care comes with inner work. But it’s just as much about how supportive your workplace culture is (or isn’t) to your needs. Our struggles with self-care are a direct result of systems that promote productivity, individualism, and extraction. Nonprofits can be just as entangled in these systems as big corporations. In these cases, you have the power to either remove yourself from that culture or work to change it from the inside. Aman took her power back by leaving a job that drained her. This led her to an organization that values and invests time in its employees and nurtures a supportive atmosphere.

Learn who you are outside of your activism

“All my identities are little pieces that make up me as a whole. No one identity defines me. No one identity represents all of who I am.” – Rebecca Babcock

Self-care also means understanding who you are as a whole person. Rebecca had her entire identity wrapped in climate work, which clouded her view of who she was outside of her activist role. “I still believe you should love what you do, but I took it too far. I believed that work was the only piece to who I was.” Drawing an identity pie helped Rebecca re-acquaint herself with who she really is, and realized that her environmental identity was actually a much smaller chunk than she’d imagined. Knowing who you are as a whole person can support you to see that, regardless of your work situation, there are other areas of your life you can count on to bring you joy and nourish you.

Boundaries are uncomfortable but super important

“I am an introverted person and need time alone to recharge. So, if I am supposed to meet a friend but feel I need to rest instead, I may gently let them know I need an afternoon to decompress and reschedule. It’s a part of honouring myself, and trusting that my friends aren’t going to judge me for creating the boundary. I know I’d do the same for them too.” – Sarah P.

Once you understand your needs and limits, you can better advocate for them through boundary setting. According to Dr. Pooja Lakshimi, “A boundary is taking the space to stop, think, feel, and understand what you need and what you want. And then you have three choices. You can say yes, you can say no, or you can negotiate.” Ultimately, boundaries are about having honest communication with your work and personal relationships, so that you can honour your needs while respecting the needs of those around you. This sounds simple, but it’s one of the hardest things to do. It’s normal if it takes a while to get comfortable with it. One helpful question to ask yourself as you practice boundary setting is: “By saying no to this, what am I saying yes to?”

On seeking professional support

Another common theme is that most people had the support of a mental health practitioner like a therapist in supporting them to work through these challenges. Often our struggle with self-care has deep roots that can be tricky to untangle on our own. This is when a mental health practitioner can be very supportive. Some therapists offer sliding scale options to help accommodate those with lower incomes. If therapy isn’t accessible, you may also consider looking into community counselling programs or peer-support groups for support. 

Further reflection

If you’re looking for further reflection, I recommend listening to this podcast featuring Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, psychiatrist and author of “Real Self-Care.” I fell in love with the way she talked about self-care as a systemic problem and the four elements of “real self-care”: Setting Boundaries, Practicing Self-compassion, Aligning Values, and Exercising Your Power.

Thank you to Aman Vellani, Rebecca Babcock, Alexis Zygan, and Sarah Pollock for offering your insights and making this article possible!

Amy Castator is a long-time climate activist and community builder. She is the co-founder and President of Carbon Conversations TO, and for 8 years, worked at WWF-Canada managing the award-winning Living Planet @ Work program. Amy has supported thousands of employees from workplaces across the country to take action for nature. Amy is now the Founder of Amy Castator Coaching, a life coaching practice that helps people create and move toward a vision for a life they love that integrates purpose, care for our planet, and care for themselves.