Employee Burnout Prevention: Self-Care, Supervision, and HR Strategies for 2025–2026
- Nonprofit Learning Lab
- 12m
- 5 min read
By Nonprofit Learning Lab
Burnout remains a major challenge in the nonprofit and social service sectors. It’s defined by the Mayo Clinic as “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.”
In the 2025 landscape:
A recent survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. professionals found that 36% report feeling burned out at work and 33% say they are more burned out now than one year ago.
For nonprofits specifically: about 95% of nonprofit leaders express concern about burnout among their staff, with more than a third describing it as “very much” a concern.
Workforce and staffing pressures amplify burnout: for example, 1 in 3 nonprofits struggle with retention and turnover, and 59% reported significantly more difficulty filling staff positions in 2024 than prior years.
These indicators show that burnout is not only about individual stress, it is an organizational risk, affecting mission impact, staff retention, and program delivery.
Self-Care Plan for Staff: Preventing Burnout and Supporting Well-Being
A robust self-care plan supports mental, emotional and physical well-being and helps prevent burnout before it escalates.
Key elements include:
Scheduled mental health days (paid time off)
Flexible work hours and remote work options for work-life balance
Regular check-in meetings with supervisors for support and open communication
Access to professional counseling or EAP (Employee Assistance Program) services
Defined boundaries for after-hours communication and “unplug” policies
Encouragement and active use of PTO
“No-meeting” days or blocks for focused work time
Debrief sessions after highly stressful or critical incidents
Managing caseloads and workload distribution to prevent chronic overload
Professional development support to promote engagement and growth
Healthy snacks/beverages and informal recognition (celebrate small wins)
In 2025–26, with staffing pressures still high and workloads heavy, such proactive self-care policies are even more critical for nonprofit organizations.
HR Policies, Supervision Techniques & Project Management Ideas to Incorporate to Prevent Employee Burnout
Preventing burnout requires structural and cultural changes — leadership and HR must integrate prevention into policies and practices:
Offer paid mental health days and formal wellness leave.
Enable flexible schedules and remote work where feasible to reduce commuting and increase autonomy.
Train supervisors in recognizing burnout, active listening, and coaching staff through stress.
Set up regular one-on-one check-ins for workload review, emotional support, and career conversations.
Establish clear boundaries about after-hours communication (e.g., no emails after X time).
Incorporate “no meeting” days so staff have uninterrupted deep-work time and reduce meeting fatigue.
After critical incidents (such as high-stress client interactions or urgent project deadlines), hold structured debrief sessions for staff to reflect and process.
Limit caseloads and set realistic project timelines, especially for high-demand services in the nonprofit sector.
Build professional development into roles to help staff grow and stay engaged rather than stagnate.
Recognize achievements (big and small) regularly to boost morale and build positive workplace culture.
Ensure leadership communicates and models self-care and boundaries — when supervisors model healthy behaviours, staff follow.
These practices align with current sector trends: for example, a report from the Urban Institute highlights that burnout and staffing issues are among their top concerns heading into 2025.
How Employees or Supervisors Can Recognize Burnout Early
Early recognition is critical to intervene before burnout becomes entrenched.
Look for these signs:
Persistent exhaustion, lack of energy, or feeling drained even after rest
Increased irritability, cynicism or detachment from work
Trouble concentrating, completing tasks, or meeting deadlines
Physical symptoms: headaches, insomnia, digestive issues
Reduced motivation, reduced job satisfaction, emotional numbness
Feeling helpless, overwhelmed, or that the work no longer matters
With data showing that large proportions of workers feel more burned out now than a year ago, early identification is more urgent than ever.
How to Create an Action Plan to Recover from Employee Burnout
An action plan supports recovery and helps build resilience for the future.
Step 1: Assess Burnout Level
What are my main work stressors?
Am I experiencing physical symptoms?
Have I lost enthusiasm for my job
Do I feel emotionally detached or cynical?
Step 2: Identify What Needs to Change
Are my workload or caseload unrealistic?
Do I lack support from management or colleagues?
Is my work-life balance poor or non-existent?
Which tasks drain me vs. which energize me?
Step 3: Implement Recovery Strategies
Prioritize self-care: rest, exercise, hobbies, healthy eating
Set boundaries: limit after-hours work and communication
Seek support: talk with a mentor, counselor or trusted colleague
Adjust workload: delegate or discuss flexible scheduling with supervisor
Take breaks: use PTO, mental health days, short breaks during the day
Engage in professional development: refresh skills, find new challenges or roles
Step 4: Monitor Progress and Adjust
Am I feeling more balanced and energetic?
Are my habits sustainable?
What changes still need to be made?
Ensure long-term wellbeing by embedding these habits into the organizational culture.
6. Bringing It All Together: Prevent Workplace Burnout with Strategic Self-Care and Employee Support Led by Supervisors and Organizational Policies
Building a workplace culture that prevents burnout is a shared responsibility. Employers must foster a supportive environment, and supervisors must lead by example. In the nonprofit context, where 95% of leaders say burnout is a concern, creating systems, policies and supervision techniques to support staff wellbeing is mission-critical.
By integrating strategic self-care plans, inclusive HR and supervision practices, early recognition frameworks, and structured recovery plans, organizations can reduce burnout risk, improve retention, enhance productivity and thus better serve their communities.
Reflective Questions
What strategies are helping your staff manage heavy workloads and stress?
How are you creating a sense of community and mutual support during times of uncertainty?
Are team members showing early signs of burnout — and do you have tactical support ready?
What thoughtful ways can your organization show appreciation, especially when external pressures are high?
Recommended Trainings
Effective staff management is essential to completing work and employee satisfaction and retention. Managing staff isn’t easy with employees that work hybrid or virtual, off site at programs or are transitioning back to the office. Whether you are new to the role or are a supervisor with extensive knowledge, there is a need to understand how to use systems to communicate, create clarity around expectations, tasks and job performance. As a supervisor, there is a balance between micro-managing and believing in the skills of your employees for why you hired them in their roles. This workshop will dive into supervision strategies including span of control, performance, project monitoring, feedback, supervision methods and how to build a high-performing team.
This workshop will explore methods and strategies to brainstorm and create ideas for the purpose of program development, scalability, sustainability and expansion. We will look at opportunities including how organizations can do licensing, franchising, hub & spoke model, strategic partnerships, social enterprise and collaborations to expand their programs. We will also explore three "the how of expanding and scaling programs, who to involve such as internal and external partners, and methods to ensure program quality.
