Federal funding cuts have hit nonprofits hard. Many organizations have laid staff off and closed programs, and some economists are predicting a recession. The world nonprofit employees face feels chaotic and unstable.
It can be hard to focus on fulfilling the mission while navigating such stress, say experts. Whether your nonprofit has had layoffs or program cuts or if you’re lucky enough to just be watching with concern as you read the news, it’s a tough time.
To help nonprofit staff members focus on their own well-being during this tumultuous period, the Chronicle asked experts in nonprofit management and mental health for their recommendations.
Take a minute to feel the feels
When people are under stress, they sometimes want to ignore it. Instead, it’s important to take a moment to acknowledge the feelings, says Robbie Robichau, an assistant professor at Texas A&M University. “Really just saying it’s OK to be upset and grieve and realize that you’re at a higher level of stress than normal.”
Avalaura Gaither, a holistic mental-health practitioner, notes that many people were caught off guard by the changes, which means it will take more time to process. “When something is out of nowhere like that, it’s very challenging to know what to do,” Gaither says.
People should take a break to acknowledge their feelings and recognize that their emotions will fluctuate, Robichau says. “You can have really negative emotions like sadness and anger, and then at the same time, you can be doing really important work,” she says. “Even if it’s hard and emotional, and you can also be happy.”
‘Protect your peace’
It is crucial to avoid going down the rabbit hole of social media where one bad story begets another bad story and dire predictions about what is to come, Gaither says.
“Protect your peace at all costs,” she says. “By that, I mean limit social media. Take some time and get centered. Focus more on your own needs, your own self-care, and your own family.”
It also helps to set limits around work, so you can take a break to disconnect from the chaos and reconnect with yourself, says Ian Adair, CEO of the Seattle Police Foundation, who also lectures on leadership practices.
“People need to actively put it in their calendar: go for a walk, take a break,” Adair says. “We get very caught up in the amount of work which continues to flow nonstop.”
Self-care has to match your stress
Imagine someone on the street has been shot, and then trying to fix the wound with a Band-Aid. That’s sometimes how self-care tips feel to people, Gaither says. People are told taking a bubble bath or some other quick trick should make them feel better.
“Self-care must match the level of your stress,” she says. “And this is probably as stressful as it gets. It has to be more than ‘I’m going to get a mani-pedi or go out to brunch with my girlfriends.’ You need to do something more impactful.”
Matching care levels with stress levels, Gaither says, will “look different for everybody.” For some people, it might mean a mental-health day to disconnect from stress and reconnect with yourself, she says. For others, it might mean small self-care routines, like a bubble bath or meditation, every single day to coincide with the fact that they’re experiencing daily stress, Gaither says. “It could mean, ‘I need a therapist.’”
Robichau adds that self-care involves “finding ways to do things that bring you joy. It’s going to be something that’s meaningful to you — whether it’s spending time with people you really care about and making sure you go to coffee with your friends or being of service and volunteering.”
People should also consider nature-based activities, because being in nature has been shown to make people feel better, Robicheau says.
“Bird watching is up among young kids; that just shocks my mind,” she says. “Nature’s always a great source of calm for folks, even if they don’t like nature. Sitting in a city next to a waterway is still something that triggers the brain and helps us.”
Find purpose beyond your job
Many people work for nonprofits because they value the mission. As a result, many derive a sense of purpose from their job. But when nonprofit workers are laid off or fear they’ll be laid off, they lose that tie to their purpose, Robichau says.
“Meaning and purpose outside of your job gives you hope that there are other ways you can contribute to society,” she says. “So many of us have put our identity in our work, and not in who we are. So making sure you have some consistent things in your life that matter to you beyond work is really just a healthy way to deal with this challenge and the changing environment.”
Make a plan
When the world seems chaotic and out of control, people often feel less stress when they exercise power over the things they can control, Gaither says.
“You have to remember your power,” she says. “Even in a situation like this, where there is an external force, you have to remember that you do have some power. Maybe it’s time to start looking at some of your options.”
For people whose organizations are facing budget cuts, especially those who don’t have a spouse or other family who can pick up financial slack, thinking through alternative plans is helpful.
“I always say, ‘What’s your plan B, and what’s your plan C?’” Robichau says. “People panic when they think they don’t have any options. People feel good when they have a sense of control, which we don’t always get, but a sense of ‘If this goes south, this is where I’d like to be in a year from now.’”
Thinking about alternatives can mean searching for another job, Gaither says, or just looking at what matters most to you and thinking through how you can achieve that.
“It really is tapping into your own personal power,” she says. “It’s very easy to get lost in everything that’s happening and to not have an actual vision. Remember what your vision was — what is it that you really wanted?”
Support your friends
The current upheaval has been uneven — some nonprofits haven’t been affected financially while others have been devastated. The experts say if you’re at a nonprofit that’s doing well, be supportive to friends who work at ones that are struggling.
“People are looking for someone to care,” Robichau says. “And if you have friends that have lost jobs, there’s something very important about caring for other folks. I don’t think you can stick your head in the sand and say, ‘We’re safe because we don’t take government dollars.’”
In addition to being an ear to listen, also try to help connect friends with others who can be of assistance, Adair says. “Help introduce people to your network where they could possibly get a position.”
However, he emphasizes that people should be supported in ways that are meaningful to them, so they might not be receptive to what you’re offering, and that’s fine, too.
“All you can do is offer as much support as you can,” Adair says. “People that are going through high stress, high anxiety, they just want to know that you’re there and you’re available to listen.”
