The Breaking Point and the Shift: Why I’m Telling These Stories

🔥Understanding Burnout

It’s National Nonprofit Day—and while the sector celebrates impact, we also need to honor the people who make that impact possible.

In this first episode, I share my breaking point in nonprofit work, the toll of emotional labor, and why burnout isn’t an individual failure but a systemic issue. We’ll also discuss what a “breakthrough” can look like when we begin setting boundaries and protecting our humanity.

Topics:

• Honoring nonprofit workers without glorifying burnout
• The health toll of emotional suppression
• Why burnout is systemic, not about willpower
• Breakthrough as boundaries, not collapse

Reflection: What boundary could you set this week that honors your humanity over your exhaustion?

When we protect the people, we preserve the purpose.

References & Resources:

Want to dig deeper into the research I mentioned in this episode? Here are some places to start:

• Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Burnout: A brief history and how to prevent it. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/07/burnout-a-brief-history-and-how-to-prevent-it
• Baird, K. (2021). Nonprofit workers are stressed, burned out, and leaving. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/nonprofit_workers_are_stressed_burned_out_and_leaving
• National Council of Nonprofits. (2023). The nonprofit workforce shortage crisis. https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/trends-policy-issues/nonprofit-workforce-shortage-crisis
• American Psychological Association. (2019). Stress effects on the body. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body