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Writer's pictureNonprofit Learning Lab

Prevent Burnout: How Managers Can Support Staff in Self-Care

Updated: 2 days ago

What strategies have you noticed that ease stress for staff facing high service demands? How might you build a sense of community and mutual support for staff navigating uncertainty? Are your employees burnt out? What are some meaningful ways organizations can help staff feel appreciated and supported, especially when external pressures are high?


Burnout is a significant issue in the nonprofit sector, particularly for employees in demanding roles within nonprofits, healthcare, and social services. Factors such as shifting funding priorities, organizational uncertainty, political shifts, natural disaster, rapid response, increased community needs, ongoing changes, and high service demands contribute to employee stress, affecting both staff well-being and retention.



Self-Care Plan for Staff: Preventing Burnout and Supporting Well-Being

In today’s nonprofit environment, burnout is a pressing issue. fast-paced work environments, staff burnout is a pressing issue, especially for those in demanding roles such as nonprofits, healthcare, and social services. Preventing burnout and prioritizing employee well-being are key strategies to promote staff retention and build a positive, balanced work environment. One effective way to do this is through a comprehensive self-care plan that helps employees manage stress and stay motivated.


A well-rounded self-care plan addresses mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Below is a list of ideas that organizations can implement to support their employees in achieving work-life balance, feeling valued, and managing job-related stress. Each of these strategies contributes to a healthier workplace culture, where employees feel encouraged and supported in their roles.


Core Self-Care Practices

Incorporating self-care practices into an organization’s culture doesn’t have to be complicated.


Here are some foundational ways to begin:


  • Scheduled Mental Health Days: Provide paid mental health days allows employees to take time off specifically to recharge, helping them return to work more focused and less stressed.

  • Flexible Work Hours: Allow flexibility in work schedules helps staff balance their work with personal commitments, which can reduce stress and improve job satisfaction.

  • Regular Check-In Meetings with Supervisors: These meetings create a safe space for staff to express concerns, discuss challenges, and receive support from their supervisors.

  • Access to Professional Counseling Services: Provide or subsidize access to counseling services can help employees manage personal and work-related stress, improving overall mental health.

  • Boundaries for After-Hours Communication: Set boundaries around after-hours communication helps staff unplug and recharge without work-related interruptions during their personal time.

  • Encouragement of Paid Time Off: Actively encouraging employees to take their paid leave helps prevent burnout and contributes to a balanced lifestyle.

  • Regular Staff Retreats or Luncheons: Retreats or casual gatherings foster team bonding and provide a break from day-to-day work, helping staff feel appreciated and valued.

  • Remote Work Options: Allow remote work can help employees save time and reduce the stress of commuting, promoting a healthier work-life balance.

  • "No Meeting" Days: Designate specific days as “meeting-free” allows staff to focus on their work without interruptions, leading to increased productivity and reduced stress.

  • Debrief Sessions After Critical Incidents: In high-stress fields, debrief sessions after challenging situations allow staff to process their experiences and feel supported by their peers and supervisors.

  • Limit Caseloads: Managing caseloads helps to avoid overwhelming employees, especially in roles where they handle sensitive and emotionally demanding cases.

  • Flexible Scheduling for Family or Personal Responsibilities: Accommodate staff’s personal or family needs, such as allowing time for school events or medical appointments, can help reduce stress related to balancing work and family life.

  • Encourage Professional Development: Invest in staff’s professional growth can boost their sense of purpose and accomplishment, fostering engagement and job satisfaction.

  • Provide Healthy Snacks and Beverages: Stock the office with healthy snacks and beverages can encourage better eating habits and offer a quick boost during the day.

  • Celebrate Small Wins: Recognizing and celebrating small achievements regularly can boost morale and encourage a positive outlook, even during challenging times.


Bringing it All Together

A comprehensive self-care plan is an essential part of a supportive workplace that values the mental and physical well-being of its employees. By integrating a range of self-care practices, organizations can create an environment that prioritizes employee wellness, reduces stress, and improves staff retention. Implementing these self-care strategies not only demonstrates a commitment to the team’s well-being but also contributes to a healthier, more productive workplace where employees feel supported, valued, and empowered to succeed. Prioritizing self-care benefits everyone in the organization, helping employees thrive and ultimately enabling the organization to fulfill its mission more effectively. Now is the time to put these tips into action. Whether you’re engaged in staff management at a domestic violence shelter, Girl Scouts, an LGBT youth center, or a senior housing service, preventing burnout is key to supporting employees.



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 micromanaging 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 cover how to use trauma informed facilitation practices to plan, create and design. Using trauma informed principles of facilitation, we will cover the structure and format of facilitated experience, review how to create an agenda, design a facilitated experience, and how to handle disclosures, disruptions, and other facilitation challenges. This workshop is for facilitators and trainers who lead community-based conversations with adults where difficult topics may arise or in-depth discussions may occur.


In this series workshop, participants will explore the role of empathy in preventing re-traumatization when working with clients, volunteers, community and staff. Re-traumatization occurs when individuals encounter triggers—such as situations, words, or environments—that remind them of previous traumatic experiences. These triggers can reignite emotional and psychological responses associated with the original trauma, which may cause overwhelming feelings of fear, anxiety, helplessness, or even physical reactions. The impact of re-traumatization can vary. It may result in emotional distress, a sense of being unsafe, and difficulty in regulating emotions, making it challenging for individuals to engage fully in the present moment or continue with everyday tasks.


In this workshop, we discuss how to lead engaging small group exercises and practice methods for managing participants. We cover adult learning theory and practices, ways to make mandatory training fun, engaged learning, how to design for equity, how to support participants and building your trainer toolkit. 


Use code friend10 when registering to get $10 off!

 

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