{"id":1684,"date":"2019-01-14T03:04:18","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T03:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grantnews.com\/blog\/?p=560"},"modified":"2020-08-20T13:59:20","modified_gmt":"2020-08-20T17:59:20","slug":"how-nonprofit-leaders-can-make-their-own-self-care-a-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grantwatch.com\/grantnews\/how-nonprofit-leaders-can-make-their-own-self-care-a-priority\/","title":{"rendered":"How Nonprofit Leaders Can Make Their Own Self-Care a Priority"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why is self-care important to nonprofit leaders<\/a>?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Self-care is essential to the overworked, overstressed and underpaid nonprofit leader’s our well-being, but it doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. What constitutes self-care is up to that person, but generally includes taking time out of one’s work schedule to relax, recharge and reinvigorate oneself in order to stay in the best health possible for as long as possible. Self-care can be as basic as getting enough sleep, maintaining a proper healthy diet, and exercising regularly, but self-care also includes what’s necessary to maintain one’s mental, emotional <\/a>and spiritual well-being. It can include some or all of the following: <\/em><\/p>\n

Relaxing <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Relaxation can be as simple as sitting with a cup of tea, legs curled up under you, reading a novel or magazine, knitting or doing other craft projects, or more along the lines of incorporating activities like meditation, yoga, tai chi, chi gong, guided imagery work, breath work, getting out in nature for a walk or to watch the sunrise (or set), into your life. <\/em><\/p>\n

Recharging<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Recharging activities can be relaxing or invigorating. It can include self-pampering activities like getting your hair or nails done, getting a massage or watsu session, taking a long, hot bath infused with essential oils like lavender, sandalwood or ylang ylang, reading for pleasure, taking time off from work, spending time with family and friends, spending time on your own doing something you love. <\/em><\/p>\n

Growing and Processing <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Going to see a counselor or therapist, spending time with family and friends, journaling, doing artwork, taking classes you’re interested in whether in your field or learning about something completely different that interests you, attending a support, religious or spiritual group, volunteering and community service – giving back to others outside of your own organization. <\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t shortchange yourself. Put self-care on your to-do list and make sure you keep it there. <\/em><\/p>\n

In this valuable article by nonprofit expert Susan L. Axelrod, the author reminds us of important self-care points in ways that will help people institute them in their lives or get back to them if they’ve let them go.  <\/em><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Shallow breathing, racing thoughts, tight voice, hunched shoulders. Frazzled, overwhelmed, always behind.<\/p>\n

The nonprofit practitioner? No, this was me<\/em> after just listening to war stories from and reading about the stressed lives of nonprofit leaders.<\/p>\n

Here are quotes from several nonprofit leaders with whom I have spoken in preparation for this article:<\/p>\n

\u201cI found myself face up in a hospital bed, having had a massive heart attack, asking myself, is this worth it?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI lie in bed every night, my mind racing in fear of losing one grant that is 10 percent of our entire budget. How are we going to feed the families?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, I\u2019m huddled in a blanket in my home because I\u2019ve used most of my own money to pay the bills for my organization; I can\u2019t afford heat in my own house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith one government grant take-back, I lost $15 million. My entire budget was $30 million. I fell to my knees.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Do You<\/em> Feel Every Day When You Walk Through the Doors of Your Office?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Let me ask: How do you<\/em> feel every day when you walk through the doors of your office? Do you feel energized, refreshed, excited, impassioned? Do you feel ready to take on the day, knowing your resources are in place and secure, and ready to Make Mission Happen?<\/p>\n

Or, do you cross the threshold of your office and give a deep or subtle sigh, feeling the overwhelm of your reality come over you and settle like a cloud?<\/p>\n

Likely, you fall somewhere in between as you race in and open email, hard mail, texts, and private messages, and listen to your voicemail. In numerous conversations, I heard versions of these comments:<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel tied to my devices, responding all day to emails and texts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMany days I look up and can’t believe four hours have passed. I feel like I haven’t gotten anything done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy to-do list doesn’t begin to get addressed until after work hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI get home, take care of everyone else, and then sit down to get my work done. I average four hours of sleep per night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abigail Goldberg Spiegel, executive director of Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles, said: \u201cMy greatest challenge is that I have multiple roles in my life, executive director, mom, spouse, president, friend, etc., and I find that a need in any one area pushes self-care to the back burner.\u201d Sound familiar?<\/p>\n

You know better than this though. You know the many \u201cshoulds\u201d about self-care \u2014 breathe, create email reading hours, get outside at lunch, take breaks during the day, exercise more, eat better… and doubtless, there are \u201cshoulds\u201d about your personal life.<\/p>\n

But this simply is not realistic. Teams of humans have human needs. They are often understaffed and under-resourced. Board members too-often do not want to raise money. There are too many government cutbacks in your funding. Your facilities are aging. Technology and equipment are expensive \u2014 even your phones now cross the five-figure budgetary expense.<\/p>\n

Now, back to the title questions:<\/p>\n