For Social Entrepreneurs, Self-Care Is The Key To Compassion

Burnout is common for entrepreneurs, but for social entrepreneurs actively working to improve the lives of others through social activism and advocacy, burnout may take another form – compassion fatigue.

Without proper self-care, compassion fatigue can cause social entrepreneurs and nonprofit founders to unhealthily process their work and the suffering of others. When dealing with difficult, emotional issues in your organization, it's important to prevent compassion fatigue, as it not only interferes with your productivity, but negatively impacts your mental, physical and spiritual health.

Young people seem to be the most at risk for compassion fatigue, so in the age of young, energetic minds joining the social impact space, it's important to understand the risk of burnout and set up a proper prevention plan to ensure you're doing work that will not only help others, but will ultimately keep you and your leadership fulfilled and healthy.

How burnout can interfere with productivity.

Rates of burnout are higher in young people – but especially for entrepreneurs in the human services industry, a common industry for impact-focused founders. A 2012 study analyzing burnout specifically within the mental health field found that burnout negatively impaired a person's physical and emotional health, also attributing to a diminished sense of self-worth and wellbeing.

By guarding against burnout or compassion fatigue, you're better serving those you care about and are setting a better example for other founders in the social impact space. Keeping healthy boundaries, work-life balance and strong self-care habits can help prevent the negative impacts of burnout and compassion fatigue, which will ultimately make you more effective and productive.

The opposite of compassion fatigue is compassion satisfaction. Having a healthy relationship with your work not only helps you avoid burnout and fatigue, but helps you care more – and care in a way that will lead to longevity in your work.

The importance of setting healthy habits.

The key to living a healthy life as a social entrepreneur is making sure you have a prevention plan for burnout and self-care. This requires discipline, as the effects of burnout are often hidden and slow-progressing. You might not realize you're burned out until you experience a difficult or emotional circumstance, and if you're leading a team or advocating for a cause, this can negatively impact your leadership and your work overall.

There are many ways you can exercise self-care, and here are a few:

1. Find time for meditation. One 2013 study found that meditation helped increase a compassionate response to suffering. Not to mention, meditation is great for your emotional health, physical health and is a great outlet to recharge when work becomes stressful or overwhelming.
2. Make sure you have a strong support system. Having a healthy, secure support system is critical to living a healthy life as a founder. Whether you have a therapist, mentor or a group of friends, having consistent supports in your life will help keep you fulfilled, while also keeping you accountable when you are overextended or overwhelmed.
3. Create an honest feedback loop. Because it's so easy to slip into a season of burnout, it's important to create a method for recognizing your triggers and warning signs before you start experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue. Whether you have a personal check-in once per week, exercise regular journaling, or even practice just one minute of mindfulness throughout the day, make sure you take time to pause, assess and create a plan to ensure your work stays fulfilling – or gives you the opportunity to adjust if needed.

To all fearless founders, social activists and world-changing advocates: you are going to have tough days and may have seasons of struggle. Keep a healthy practice of prevention and self-care to ultimately give your best to those who need it.

Creative, strategic world-changers need a healthy mind, body and soul. How will you cultivate better self-care to boost your compassion and make an impact?

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