Practical Ways to Navigate Anxiety as a Nonprofit Leader

Practical Ways to Navigate Anxiety as a Nonprofit Leader

As a nonprofit leader, there is a lot of stress and anxiety that comes with serving people who are experiencing extremely challenging adversities. It is natural to worry that not showing up and performing at work could directly impact the people you are serving. This can lead to burnout.?

Managing your own anxieties is crucial to leading your organization well. That’s what Robyn Graham and I discussed on episode 38 of the Lead with Heart Podcast.

If you want to check that out, I’ll add the episode player below so you can tune into the full episode where we discuss how crucial it is for nonprofit leaders to address their own anxieties to better lead their organizations.

During our conversation, Robyn explained some practical strategies to manage anxiety as a leader. So, in this article, we’re going to learn more about:

1. Journaling, Gratitude and Breathing Practices?
2. Sleep, Exercise, and Diet
3. Tap into Your Creativity

Robyn explains that if you have a clinical diagnosis of anxiety, you may need a combination of medication and therapy to help you feel better. However, there are some more practical everyday solutions as well.

1. Journaling, Gratitude and Breathing Practices

Robyn personally likes journaling.?

“That has helped me immensely because I can do my five C's journaling method, which is touching the thoughts, challenging them in writing, and changing them in writing. And the more we do this practice, the more our brain starts to see the positive over the negative.” - Robyn Graham

The five C's journaling method is journaling what you are experiencing with each of your five senses.

Robyn explains that we are innately wired with a negativity bias which goes right back to our ancestors, the cavemen. The amygdala in our brain is there specifically for our fight or flight mechanism.

“If you think about the fact that you're already set up to think of the negative first before the positive, and you're two-thirds more likely to focus on the negative than the positive, it's really important to take this action on a daily basis. It's not one and done, because our brains are automatically (until we start to actively shift how they're functioning) going to go to the negative first.” - Robyn Graham

The next solution Robyn provides is creating a gratitude practice.?

“Gratitude is a natural antidepressant. The more grateful you are, the more positive your neural pathways are going to be. So every single day if you can, sit down at the end of the day, and write three things that you're grateful for.” - Robyn Graham

While this may sometimes be hard, try and reframe negative situations in a positive light.?

Next, Robyn explains the importance of breathing techniques.

“I like to just take in slow, deep breaths for four counts, hold them for four counts, and then exhale for four counts. And that just resets my neurological system to be able to come to a place of peace.” - Robyn Graham

2. Sleep, Exercise, and Diet

Robyn explains that we all need 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. As a nonprofit leader, we often have so much to do that we will neglect sleep.

“Sleep resets our bodies and it helps our brains function better. So sleep is very important for anxiety.” - Robyn Graham

The next thing to look at is eating healthy, whole foods versus junk.?

“It's so easy when you're on the go and you're in these positions of leadership to have to eat on the run.” - Robyn Graham

Robyn explains that preparation is key and that you should always have something healthy that has nutritional value in your bag for when you are in a rush.?

“I’m not a nutrition expert, but I will say that eating a healthy balanced diet makes a significant impact positively on your overall health and well-being especially from a mental health perspective because the gut is very synchronized with our brain.” - Robyn Graham

The other thing related to this is exercise because when we exercise we release positive endorphins. Robyn explains that this helps the positive chemicals be more present than the cortisol levels in our brain.

“You don't have to do high-impact exercising, you can go for a walk, you can take breaks and do squats at your desk, whatever it takes to just move your body gradually throughout the day. And if you can exercise, pilates or weight training. You don't necessarily have to run a marathon to consider yourself in shape or to be moving your body. It could be as simple as gardening, doing something you love.” - Robyn Graham

3. Tap into Your Creativity

Another way to reduce anxiety Robyn explains is to tap into your creativity.

“I hear so often that I don't have a creative bone in my body. I'm not creative. Yes, you are. We're all born with the creative center in our brains. But because of the fact that we're so busy all the time, we lose sight of that creativity.” - Robyn Graham

This can be something as simple as an adult coloring book, your journaling practice, playing music, or baking in your kitchen. Robyn explains that all of these are examples of creativity that you can tap into which helps to release positive endorphins in your brain.

In conclusion, it can be tough leading in the nonprofit space, but ultimately taking care of yourself first will allow you to lead better, create a greater impact, and help more people. By implementing these strategies, you can cultivate resilience, enhance your mental well-being, and better serve your communities amidst challenging circumstances.

Nonprofit teams often work in silos, which can lead to staff burnout and donor attrition, ultimately, hurts the people we serve. I help nonprofits raise more money through fundraising training, “done for you” fund development strategy, and campaign implementation.?

?? If you want to learn more about ways we can collaborate and work together, please visit my website, https://thesavvyfundraiser.com/.

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