Working with a nonprofit can be a lot more stressful than many assume. Just because your objective is to help others, doesn’t mean that the work doesn’t come with pressures and frustrations. Budget shortfalls, cutbacks in government funding, personality conflicts on the board, and finding the resources to continue operations are just a few of the many challenges that cause stress and can lead to burnout among NFP members.

The following are a few ideas about how nonprofits can help their members manage their stress levels more effectively and create a more caring, less hectic work environment.

Bust Stress by Practising Good Self Care

Before we can help anyone else, we must first take care of ourselves. Everyone is naturally more resilient to the effects of stress when they are well-rested, in shape and practising healthy lifestyle habits such as eating a nutritious diet.

As part of a comprehensive self-care strategy, don’t forget to take small breaks throughout your work day to keep your energy and motivation levels up. Not only will you feel less frazzled when you are having a hectic day, you will be able to take small disruptions in stride and work more efficiently.

Reduce the Stress of Conflicts by Improving Communication

Differences in opinion, misunderstandings, or other disputes are all primary sources of conflict in the workplace, whether you work in a for-profit or nonprofit setting. By taking steps to improve your communication with others, you can reduce the chance of disagreements occurring that can lead to increased stress.

Whether you’re speaking in an email, giving a speech, or just talking face to face or on the telephone, make certain that your message is clear, and, that your audience is receptive to listening and hearing what you have to say. Make a point to ask questions and really listen to what others are saying and think about your response and its potential effect on others, before you reply.

When you work with others, it’s important to remember that we are all human and subject to making mistakes. No one enjoys being treated like a nameless, faceless entity. If you want to improve your communications with others, it’s important to take time to build your relationships.

Everything doesn’t have to be about work all of the time. Take opportunities to get to know the people that you work with on a personal level. Adopting a helpful, can do attitude will also help to improve your morale and the morale of others. Learn about the needs that others have, both personally and professionally, and where you can try to help them make their load lighter and easier to bare.

When you must give feedback to others on their performance, make an effort to point out what they are doing right, and praise their efforts and good results. It’s especially important to do this before making a suggestion for improvement.

Reclaim Your Sense of Purpose and Passion and Don’t Forget to Have Fun!

When your work day consists of several repetitive tasks, it’s easy to get caught up with just going through the motions. While it might, on the surface, seem easier to do the same thing every day so that you don’t have to go to the trouble of learning anything “new”, it’s very stressful on our mental and spiritual wellbeing. Boredom can easily creep in and sap our energy, and morale.

You can stop this source of stress in its tracks by keeping your eye on your nonprofit’s mission and remembering the impact that it makes in the lives of others. Posting pictures and other images of those your organisation has helped, can help you reclaim your passion for your work. It’s also important to not forget to enjoy your work and look for ways for you and your fellow workers to have fun through the day!

Change up your daily routine to decrease boredom, and consider swapping tasks to give yourself, and your co-workers, a break from your regular duties. Outside of your professional life, seek ways to stimulate your curiosity and creativity in your personal life. Planning a trip, learning a new language or taking on a new hobby are all great ways to defeat boredom and reduce the effects of stress!

As an NFP member, your work can be very stressful, but you don’t have to become a victim to its effects! By practising good self-care and taking steps to shake up your routine and diffuse misunderstandings you can reduce the amount of stress and increase the amount of joy in your work and your life!