Do you turn off your alarm in the morning, only to lie in bed trying to muster the energy to start the day? Do you feel exhausted no matter how much sleep you get?

 

Do you feel like you practically have to drag yourself through the workday? To your email inbox, the meeting, and the event you spent months planning?

 

This, my friend, is burnout. Burnout strips away our ability to lead happy, healthy, productive professional lives. Considering we spend most of our waking hours at work, it significantly threatens our overall well-being.

 

If you’re experiencing burnout, you’re not alone. While the symptoms are universal, nonprofit leaders are at a much higher risk. 

 

Why?

 

People (like you) who are drawn to nonprofit work are driven by your pursuit of meaningful work. You want to make a difference, and because of that, you may overwork. But inevitably, overworking leads to exhaustion, and your enthusiasm dwindles. Then, your productivity declines, and you perceive yourself as less effective than before. 

 

This trio of emotions—exhaustion, feelings of ineffectiveness, and cynicism—fuel each other, intensifying the cycle of burnout.

 

The good news is that there’s a way back from burnout. The first step is developing self-awareness around the current situation, and you can do that by taking the Nonprofit Leadership Burnout Quiz.