Impact

Burnout prevention in NGO sector – a Community-Led Event by City of Women

In the last days of August, us from City of Women held a 2-day workshop focused on burnout prevention in the NGO sector. Based on the responses received after the one-day workshop held in June 2023 we knew two things: First, the topic is highly relevant for members of NGO Academy community. And second, the topic of burnout is so complex and relevant that in order to have a deeper impact we need more than one day.

As a result of these learnings we created a two-day workshop that combined theory with practical tools for recognizing and preventing burnout, and provided space for personal reflection, group work on interpersonal communication, physical activities to release accumulated stress, and much more. After publishing the invitation the slots were full within a day, with more people on the waiting list even before we closed the applications. A colorful mixture of participants from Bosnia and Hrecegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia working in the fields of youth, health, climate and environment, urban development, education, social work, culture, inclusion, human rights was formed. Even if the fields of work seem diverse, the discussions confirmed once again that working in the nonprofit sector brings similar challenges and stressors that might contribute to burnout.

We started the first day with a segment on burnout in theory, learning about it’s development, stages, most common symptoms for both individuals and organizations. The session led by Urška Jež also included presentation of the good practices collected from nonprofits in Central and Eastern Europe who are succesfully preventing burnout among their staff. The examples presented served not only as inspiration and encouragement for action but also as a platform for exchange of particpiant’s experiences. In the afternoon we narrowed the focus on the individual level and learned from Sabina Potočki through practical exercises how to recognize and release stress in our bodies. We gained basic information about clinical somatics and learned some basic exercises to include in our everday routine.

We opened the second day with a workshop by Gabrijela Ivanov, aimed at the individuals from NGOs, offering some concrete tools to support first steps and small changes, developing personal strategies for burnout prevention. We explored how we feel in our current workplaces, what is really important to us and how successfull we are in dedicating time to things that matter, created personal self-care banks and exlpored how scents can support us in stresfull situations. The afternoon with Sara Šabec was dedicated to exploration of intrapersonal relations. Through playful exercises we explored the impact of relationships and internalised commands that guide us through everyday situations at work. The reflections that followed each exercise were full of leranings, »aha« moments and also deeply connected the participants.

The participants described the workshop as enriching,  meaningful, engaging,  insightful,  important,  impactful and relevant. What was also mentioned consistently in the feedback sessions and follow-up emails was the importance of the safe, supportive and inclusive environment created, which is also one of the leranings on how to address the issue of burnout in the organisations – by creating the safe space to openly discuss the topic within the team.