Surviving Nonprofit Burnout

After working in the nonprofit sector for over 14 years and serving as Executive Director of her local chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance for Mental Illness, Ashley faced nonprofit burnout. Ashley felt the dread of not wanting to go into work and experienced brain fog that led her to not working as effectively as she had in the past. There were many days where she found herself apologizing for not being able to function at full capacity. In this episode, Ashley Fontain, founder of Flux AF consulting talks about the impact burnout has on the frontal lobe of our brain and how that can diminish our cognitive abilities. We discuss the differences between depression, anxiety, and burnout as well as some of the symptoms of burnout. Finally, Ashley shares her views on why saying no is a leadership responsibility and discusses tips on how leaders can have healthy boundaries. Ashley’s book Unstuck: A Practical Guide to Radical Change for Nonprofit Leaders will be released in May 2022. Click here to learn more about Ashley and her book. To connect with Ashley, you can visit her website, or find her on Facebook or Instagram. RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Eisenhower Matrix: How to Prioritize and Master Productivity - TechTelloRisk Savvy: How to Make Good Decisions OTHER LINKSClick here to listen to other episodes on AppleClick here to listen to other episodes on SpotifyClick here to support the podcast To download our FREE Burnout Checklist or Self-Care Check-In, click here Freebies! - (brandycoty.com)If you would like to learn more about Burnout Coaching, click here Burnout Coach - Brandy CotyIf you've found yourself asking the question "What is Burnout?" Click here to listen to Episode 2

After 10 years in the field of education, Leah experienced burnout. She switched career fields hoping to find a career where she didn’t experience burnout again. **SPOILER ALERT** ...It happened again!! In this episode, Leah shares her burnout story and tips for employees and managers on how to prevent burnout in their teams. The Culture of OverworkHave you ever worked a job where the words “All other duties as assigned,” was at the end of the job description? Were you expected to pick up the slack when someone else on the team left their job? Many people in the nonprofit sector can relate to additional duties being assigned to the already overwhelming and unmanageable workload. Can you relate to the words Leah shares? "For a long time, I accepted overwork and burnout as an unavoidable part of life and saw myself as successful when I worked the longest and hardest." Leah shares tips she has for shifting this culture of overwork and managing the workload of our teams better. Boundaries After Burnout After experiencing burnout and knowing what that felt like, Leah put boundaries in place to help her avoid burning out again. Listen as she shares some of the tips she implemented and tips she learned from others. Take your work email off your phone Leave work at work Do other things that are important to you. Choose hobbies and make time for them. If you have a book you’d like me to review, send an email to hello@bcadvising.com with the words “Book Review” in the subject line. If you are experiencing burnout and you would like to work with a burnout coach, visit my website www.brandycoty.com to learn more about burnout coaching and how you can sign up to work with me.  LINKSTo show your support for the podcast, click here. To download our FREE Burnout Checklist or Self-Care Check-In, click here.  If you would like to learn more about Burnout Coaching, click here Burnout Coach - Brandy CotyIf you've found yourself asking the question "What is Burnout?" Click here to listen to Episode 2Click here to listen to other episodes on AppleClick here to listen to other episodes on Spotify#burnout #nonprofitburnout #burnoutcoach

Have you ever found yourself googling these words? “Why am I so tired all the time?”“Why doesn’t coffee give me energy?”“Why can’t I sleep?”Chronic fatigue was an enemy I didn’t have the energy to fight. Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Of course I didn’t have the energy to fight chronic fatigue because fatigue was the very thing depleting me of all my energy. Or so I thought. Turns out there was so much more to my fatigue than I realized. In her book, I’m So Effing Tired, Dr. Amy Shah promises it will be “A proven plan to beat burnout, boost your energy, and reclaim your life.” When I first realized “burnout was the word to describe what I was feeling, I began to research books that would help me further understand all of the symptoms I was having that I had difficulty explaining to others. I often found myself saying, “I’m not sure how to explain this, but… (insert various endings to this sentence). The catchy title of this book immediately drew me in and it was the first book I read about burnout. Dr. Shah’s book introduced me to new concepts of understanding. She taught me about gut health, adrenal fatigue, excessive levels of cortisol and hormone imbalance. Her book helped me put words to what I was feeling, that before I couldn’t describe. In this episode, we’ll review what I learned from this book and whether or not I think it’s worth the little energy you have right now to read (or listen) to it for yourself. If you have a book you’d like me to review, send an email to hello@bcadvising.com with the words “Book Review” in the subject line. And as always, if you are experiencing burnout and you would like to work with a burnout coach, visit my website www.brandycoty.com to learn more about burnout coaching and how you can sign up to work with me.  LINKSTo download our free Burnout Checklist to see if burnout is what you’re experiencing, click here Freebies! - (brandycoty.com)If you would like to learn more about Burnout Coaching, click here Burnout Coach - Brandy CotyIf you've found yourself asking the question "What is Burnout?" Click here to listen to Episode 2Click here to listen to other episodes on AppleClick here to listen to other episodes on SpotifyTo learn more about the book, click here I'm So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life#burnout #nonprofitburnout #burnoutcoach

What is the difference between stress and burnout? How do you keep from missing the signs of burnout in your team and avoid throwing new hires to the wolves when everyone else on the team is burnt out? What is the manager vs. the employee’s responsibility for managing burnout? In this episode you’ll find the answers to these questions and more. We’ll discuss tools you can use to make sure you’re hiring the right people for your organization. We’ll talk about how you can utilize the strengths of the people you hire and distribute work evenly to make sure the people in your organization don’t burn out. Sharon Kitroser with Team Kat & Mouse outlines three ways to avoid burnout. Give your team a voice Meet with your team one-on-one. Acknowledge the stress but don’t ONLY talk about the feelingsSharon Kitroser is the Kat in Team Kat & Mouse. She has over 25 years' experience in media sales and management and has won many sales awards after a self-proclaimed midlife crisis. She entered the nonprofit sector where she learned to take her skills to a new level. She took her experience with ABC, Disney and CBS into a focused mission to bring nonprofit leadership, training, collaboration, and sponsorship to nonprofits, like the American Red Cross. LINKSTo learn more about Team Kat & Mouse, click here. What I Learned about Training by putting my head through a windshield Episode 2 - What is Burnout?Episode 3 - 3 Things to Do Before You Go Back to WorkLink Thinking Wavelength Assessment#burnout #nonprofitburnout #burnoutcoach

Your belly is full of Christmas cookies, hopefully you’re feeling refreshed from sleeping in and not setting an alarm, and you’ve had quality time with the people you love. That’s the hope at least, but for many of us, the reality is that the holiday break is no break at all. So, if you’re like me and have spent the holiday break serving others instead of prioritizing taking care of yourself, I want to share three things you can do to help ease your transition into going back to work. 1. Ask yourself “What do I want?”What do you want for your physical and emotional health? What makes you happy? What do you want your life to look like 5 years from now? And take time to process what changes need to happen in order for you to be the healthiest and happiest version of yourself. 2. Set boundaries, specifically with your cell phone and email. Here are a few things you can do to set boundaries with your cell phone: Turn your notifications off when you’re not at work.Put your phone in another room. Turn your phone off when you’re with your family. 3. Prioritize One Day A Week for Yourself If happiness is something you’re looking for, take one hour, one day a week, and go get a cup of coffee by yourself and do nothing else. Whatever it is that makes you happy, MAKE TIME for it. You are just as important as everyone else you’re taking care of. LINKSTo download our free Burnout Checklist to see if burnout is what you’re experiencing, click here Freebies! - (brandycoty.com)If you would like to learn more about Burnout Coaching, click here Burnout Coach - Brandy CotyIf you've found yourself asking the question "What is Burnout?" Click here to listen to Episode 2Click here to listen to other episodes on AppleClick here to listen to other episodes on Spotify#burnout #nonprofitburnout #burnoutcoach

Burnout is a result of prolonged exposure to stress. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the leading measure of burnout validated by extensive research conducted for more than 35 years measures burnout in three categories: Exhaustion (Both Physical and Emotional) Depersonalization & CynicismPersonal AccomplishmentIn this episode we’ll break down each of these three categories and discuss symptoms I experienced before realizing I was burnt out.  ExhaustionI’m not just talking about physical exhaustion. I’m talking about physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Not having any energy for anything. Do you feel you’re never fully rested? Do you wonder why naps, and insistent amounts of coffee aren’t helping with your fatigue? Are you having trouble sleeping?Do you feel sluggish and have brain fog, making it difficult to process information? Does your mood change often? Do you feel irritable? Fear? Panic? Depersonalization & CynicismDo you work in a helping profession, and you feel disconnected from the people you are serving? Did you once have an abundance of empathy and now find yourself impatient and frustrated by your job? Is the joy you once felt for your job now gone? Personal AccomplishmentDo you feel like you aren’t making a difference in the world through your job? Do you stare at a computer screen struggling to get anything done? Do you feel like you aren’t performing to the best of your abilities? Here is a list of symptoms I experienced that helped me realize I was burnt out: InsomniaIsolationExcessive FatigueNo Interest in HobbiesDepression & IrritabilityCrying ALL THE TIMEUnable to Recognize StressHealth IssuesHealing and recovery from burnout can look different for each person. In episodes to come, you’ll hear from others who have experienced burnout as well as tips that helped them find healing. FREEBIESTo download our free Burnout Checklist to see if burnout is what you’re experiencing, click here Freebies! - brandycoty.comIf you would like to learn more about Burnout Coaching, click here Burnout Coach - Brandy CotyRESOURCES/LINKSMaslach Burnout Inventory (this assessment costs $15) Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) - Assessments, Tests | Mind Garden - Mind Garden#burnout #nonprofitburnout #burnoutcoach

Hello and welcome to the Surviving Nonprofit Burnout Podcast. The podcast for anyone who feels exhausted, overwhelmed, and stressed. Anyone who has experienced burnout, believes they are headed toward burnout, or you want to support someone who has experienced burnout. If you feel like you are trying to keep all of the plates spinning and they are about to fall and break, this podcast is for you. In this introductory episode I’m going to share with you:Who I amMy work in the nonprofit sectorAnd why you should listen to the Surviving Nonprofit podcastMy first job after graduating college with a degree in social work was working for Child Protective Services in the state of Texas. I was 23 years old and should not have been given the responsibility and authority to tell parents they were not fit to care for their children. That job was stressful, but at the time I didn’t know what burnout was so I didn’t make the connection that the stress ulcers that were causing me to throw up every morning, could have been a result of burnout. After leaving CPS, I worked for a homeless shelter, a psychiatric emergency room and three county jails. It is at each of those jobs that I saw children aging out of foster care exiting the foster care system and entering jail and homelessness. After witnessing this and feeling a deep passion to do something about it, I started Zoie’s Place, a nonprofit that provided housing and other support services to young women aging out of foster care. Soon after I founded a nonprofit organization, having no prior nonprofit work experience, and just the passion in my heart to do something. I realized I wasn’t qualified to have the job I had, and if I wasn’t the one who founded the organization, no one probably would have hired me for that job. So, I went back to school to get my master’s degree in Public Affairs. I thought having the book smarts and the degree in government and nonprofit management/leadership would make me feel better equipped to run the organization but going back to school didn’t have an impact on how much I would pour myself out sacrificing my own well-being for the well-being of others. I absolutely LOVED my job. I LOVED getting to support these beautiful young women, who just needed someone to give them a chance to succeed and thrive in life. I loved every move-in day, every difficult conversation, I loved every single one of my girls. But, because I loved my job so much, I didn’t have healthy boundaries. And eventually, my lack of boundaries, paired with the demanding nature of being an Executive Director of a nonprofit, caused me to burn out. This nonprofit I loved, and worked tirelessly for for 5 years, was now the source of bitterness, sadness, and depravity of my physical and emotional health. Looking back now after a season of recovery and healing from burnout, I realize it was not the nonprofit itself that caused my burnout, but a combination of my own personal work style, and the demands of the nonprofit sector.  I know there are so many other people who have a similar story to mine who have experienced burnout while working in nonprofit, ministry or another capacity where part of your job is to care for others. I created this podcast because when I was trying to figure out what I was feeling and how to get through it, I could not find resources that were helpful to me. I want you to feel supported, encouraged and have a place to come to hear the stories of others who feel what you feel, or have felt what you felt and have come out on the other side of burnout.I hope you’ll grab your coffee and join me as I drink my lavender latte and swap burnout stories, share resources and encourage you to have hope that you too can get through this. #burnout #nonprofitburnout #burnoutcoach