Stress Management and Burnout Prevention

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Physical, emotional & spiritual renewal is crucial to looking after ourselves for the long haul. Tips on how activists can manage high stress.

Introduction

High stress levels and burnout are very common among grassroots activists and community workers – both paid and voluntary workers. High stress levels are, obviously, bad for individuals, for those close to them, and for the organisations in which they work. Turnover can become high, with loss of skilled and experienced people. Stressed people are not effective and can often create conflict and contribute to low morale. Cynicism, negativity and rigid thinking are side effects of chronic stress. Serious anguish and long term physical, emotional and motivational effects that are suffered privately are not unusual amongst activists who have worked hard for several years.

Taking care of the thing which we have the most control over – that is, ourselves, is a vital part of effective activism. Putting some attention into stress management and physical, emotional and spiritual renewal is crucial to looking after ourselves for the long haul.

Symptoms of stress and burnout

Physical

  • Chronic tiredness – sleep does not refresh
  • Decreased immunity – susceptible to colds, flu, allergies
  • Aches and pains in joints, muscles, stomach or back
  • Sleep affected – hard to get to sleep or wake early
  • Weight loss / weight gain
  • Decreased interest in sex

Behavioural

  • Withdrawal and isolating oneself from friends and colleagues
  • Rejecting help
  • Lack of effectiveness
  • Paranoid reaction, overly suspicious of others
  • Not turning up to work / keeping commitments/decreased responsibility / professionalism

Emotional

  • Depression
  • Rigid thinking, lack of problem solving ability
  • Resentfulness
  • Negative mind set and irritability
  • Crying or getting angry easily and inappropriately
  • Forgetfulness
  • Anxiety

Spiritual

  • Cynicism about previously valued things
  • Devoid of joy and unable to laugh
  • Sense of futility and loss of meaning
  • Inner sense of emptiness – nothing left to ‘give’

Which of these symptoms do you experience? Which ones would motivate you to change the stressful pattern that caused it?

Contributing factors to stress

There are many potential contributing factors to stress. They can be grouped in four ways: the nature of our work; personal or individual factors; organisational factors – the nature of our organisation (which the whole group is responsible for); and larger socio-political factors over which we have little control.

The nature of our work

Much social change activist work involves some or all of the following:

  • Prolonged attention on disturbing and negative information and future projections
  • Crisis work with a short term focus
  • Apparent lack of results – sometimes unrealistic expectations due to lack of understanding of the long-term nature of social movements
  • Working against societal resistance
  • Lack of resources

Personal factors

These interact with stressors related to personal relationships, identity, state of health:

  • Motives / sense of identity (who we are) / personal values are equated with what we get done (or are seen to be doing)
  • Accumulation, of emotions that are not dealt with for instance: grief, disappointment, conflict, uncertainty, frustration and obsession
  • Denial of basic needs, for example the needs for adequate nutrition, exercise, sleep, time-out, recreation, creativity, intimacy, spirituality, or privacy
  • Lack of personal planning / time management skills
  • Inability to set boundaries and limits – staying focussed and effective

Organisational factors

  • A group culture or ethos (often set by role models) of working too hard, competitiveness, overly-task focused, with a low process orientation
  • Lack of clear and achievable goal setting, prioritising or realistic expectations
  • Lack of review, evaluation, feedback or celebration
  • Low team morale or support for individuals
  • Unresolved conflicts or unawareness of oppressive attitudes or practices
  • Chaotic, noisy, cramped or unaesthetic work environments
  • Insufficient induction to jobs/roles and/or lack of training

Socio-political factors

  • Patriarchal values such as: ‘an attitude that workers are expendable’, ‘focussing on feelings or relationships is a waste of time’, ‘productivity is everything’ etc.
  • Lack of resources for activist work
  • Early stages of a campaign or setbacks, etc
  • Larger political climate

Strategies for managing stress

Alter or remove stressors

  • Learn to recognise / anticipate your potential stressor
  • Remove yourself from stress inducing situations if feasible
  • Take action to manage your environment
  • Take organisational / political / social action
  • Build up conflict resolution / communication skills
  • Life planning, eg set priorities
  • Manage your time

Reduce individual vulnerability and build resistance

  • Develop self exploration / self awareness to rework attitudes, beliefs and self talk
  • Talk, investigate check out perceptions
  • Increase self confidence and assertiveness skills
  • Improve social supports
  • Balance work and leisure
  • Get enough sleep
  • Improve health status through nutrition and exercise
  • Decrease use of alcohol, drugs, caffeine and nicotine

Reduce impact of stress reactions

  • Recognise symptoms – link to causes
  • Modify negative self talk and self criticism
  • Learn and use calming techniques and stress releasers eg:
    • Relaxation training
    • Meditation
    • Massage
    • Exercise
  • Give priority to self renewal activities
  • Be willing to seek professional help and other support
  • Increase the amount of fun!

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