#6: We’re burning out, and the world is paying the price

Our blood, sweat, and tears don’t always result in an impact we could settle for, let alone celebrate.

• another Trump presidency threatens to roll back not only the global transition to a clean-energy future but also the reproductive and LGBTQIA+ protections we thought we’d never re-litigate
• Australia’s commitment to the Paris Agreement (COP21) seems to be following the way of its carbon trading scheme
• last Wednesday, after decades of concerted effort, the Governor of New York announced an “indefinite pause” on congestion pricing that would have paved the way for all US cities looking to favour public transit while solving innumerable problems for NYC
• there are two new all out ground wars we thought we consigned to movies
• democracy itself is losing ground around the world

We pave the road to a proverbial destination only to witness a plethora of off-ramps and turnarounds pop up.

Our wins are harder, fewer, and less rewarding than what we promise ourselves to keep going. Is it any wonder we are burning out?

Our wins are harder, fewer, and less rewarding than what we promise ourselves to keep going. Even when a planned transformation goes smoothly, it pits changemakers against the status quo. In Changemaker’s Handbook, I say, “A changemaker must identify, digest, and apply a breadth of fragmented knowledge:  economics, social psychology, organizational design, marketing, entrepreneurship, game and decision science, perhaps with a touch of geopolitics. 

“To make a meaningful, sustained change, you must understand the intersectional issues at play; know how to design a pathway to wholesale change that is as actionable as it is dynamic; be an expert entre-or intrapreneur; be charismatic enough to activate teams if not thousands of people to advance your vision and yet mellow enough to secure low interest financing; spend money to make money but so well that they offer you more; know how to scale and how to let go; and be equally comfortable leading as you are falling into the background. It is an awful lot.” 

Moreover, that is a lifetime of conflict at the physiological level. Conflict is stress, which takes a toll on our psyche, bodies, and lives. Every time we come up short – on impact, on rest, on income – it is harder to psyche ourselves up for another round. And yet we do because we must.
Is it any wonder we are burning out?

Pitting changemakers against the status quo, transformation invites a lifetime of conflict that takes a toll on our psyche, bodies, and lives.

In this instalment, I distil 20 years of research and practice into practical strategies you can use to keep burnout at bay.

“It’s not work if you care” is a lie

We’re told that if we are passionate about our work, it will not feel like work. Neither will we experience stress. That’s bullocks. Moreover, with changemakers, this thinking is reckless.

Stress is different for us

I have come to define changemakers by three key characteristics:

1. we feel responsible for the world’s problems, which we did not cause, so everything is personal. That’s our superpower, not fodder for misdirected “boundaries” therapy.
2. we also we see possibilities for better futures that others miss, and
3. we feel compelled to intervene. We’d rather dare to make things better and fail than not try at all.

I have not found changemakers to fit any existing profiling. Type A or B, introverted and extroverted, perched anywhere on Myers-Briggs, etc., given a worthy cause, changemakers are driven to give all they can and wring out whatever is left.

How do we call it a day if the world is on fire? How can we watch Netflix? Let’s laugh and potter about it. Nap! – if we have not solved world hunger or reversed climate change?

Unsurprisingly, guilt is a tell-tale, following changemakers like a shadow. Strike that. More like a ball at the end of a chain. Our problem isn’t “boundaries” per pop wisdom: we are vested in outcomes outside our control. That’s non-negotiable. It will never be “just a job.” Don’t even ask us, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”

If you feel responsible for the world’s problems you didn’t cause, see possibilities others miss, and feel compelled to intervene, you are a changemaker, and passion does not protect you from toxic stress.

There absolutely is stress in work we’re passionate about. Stress is, at times, toxic. My 20 years of world-over experience suggests that changemakers are more likely to experience depression, suicidality, and stress-related chronic illness. I know a changemaker diagnosed with PTSD from their work in sustainability, a changemaker who hasn’t been able to digest food for years, and countless relentless visionaries who fight every day to live on the lighter side of depression. Sadly, I have not found many coaches or therapists who understand our experience and would love to collaborate on research that changes that.

Why do we keep at it?

Because we can’t help ourselves…The power that allows us to reshape the world is toxic to us if contained. We wither if we stall. I have tried, but that is another story.

Sitting it out is not an option for us. We are wired to intervene. But we can get better at it.

We are wired to intervene. While sitting it out is not an option, we can become better at this, and that has been my quest, and I invite you to join.

Still, the problem is bigger than us

When changemakers burn out, the world loses. This is because changemakers are the only people wired to attempt what hasn’t been before. The work of remaking the world for the better is cut out for us, and changemakers are our most precious resource.

Is there good news?

Thankfully (or this would have been my last will and testament), Yes!

While we cannot readily remove the stress, we absolutely can – and must!! – master our experience of it.

Practical strategies for keeping burnout at bay

1. own it. Acknowledging a proclivity for burnout diffuses its power.
2. sleep! Science has debunked the possibility of “catching up” on sleep, so make it a priority.
3. understand the physiology of stress and burnout. Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Drs. Nagoski is the manual for understanding how to reclaim control over our physiological stress response.
4. complete the stress cycle (more in burnout) every day. There is no room for a stressed mind in a relaxed body! We’ve evolved to register sweat – a workout, hot bath or sauna – but genuine laughter with friends, meditation, and caring sex work, also. At a pinch, go for a 20-second hug. Yes, it’s long and weird, and that’s the point. If your hugger cares for you, you’ll feel your body let go of tension.
5. honour your ebbs and flows. For example, I know that if my Mondays and Tuesdays are massive, I am usually flat on Wednesdays. Rather than beating myself up, I have learned to let myself reset for the rest of the week by starting a bit later and attending to administrative tasks.
6. designate a day of rest. It shocks me how many of us don’t! Fence work off at bedtime on Saturday and don’t resume until Monday morning. See you, and have that last until the morning. Give yourself a break from Truly. Ideally, there should be no devices or at least no work email. Give your whole system permission to go to mush if that is what it needs.
7. find your tribe! Remaking the world for the better tends to feel lonely, yet it is too hard – and important- to do alone. Feel free to connect with me, and I’ll connect you as needed.
8. therapy. As vital and rewarding as it is, changemaking can be heart-wrenching and lonely. Understanding our drivers, our trauma, and our internal dialogue is essential. Therefore, therapy may be even more meaningful for us. However, we are wired to take on more than our fair share and regular “boundaries” won’t help. So, interview therapists before committing to one that understands intrinsically motivated people and can help you amplify your impact.

The broader implications

Our sustainability/equity/environmental justice projects depend on other changemakers within and outside our organizations. Their burnout is also a risk! So, identify changemakers anywhere in your world using the three symptoms I introduced above, track their wellbeing, and support them, including through the resources I provide. 

Questions for you:

1. What has resonated? Will you try it?
2. Can you recommend other self-care tips for changemakers?

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