April 26, 2022
Avoiding Burnout in Ministry
April is Stress Awareness Month. Along with Financial Literacy Month. And probably a bunch of other celebrations if we’re being honest. But those are the two that MM employees prefer to participate in.
During this month we like to share financial information. (Okay, you got us. ALL THE TIME we like to share about finances.) But another area applicable for both MM staff and clients alike is our stress levels. Ways to NOT create burnout. Which can definitely be a trigger for ministry related companies and nonprofits.
Burnout Definition
From Web MD: “Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped. It’s a result of excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress. In many cases, burnout is related to one’s job. Burnout happens when you’re overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to keep up with life’s incessant demands.”
Sound familiar?
While we hope that you’ve been able to create boundaries, eat well, and gets lots of sleep, we also know that you are human, and so are your constituents, and sometimes burnout is almost unavoidable for a season.
The How-To to Avoid the B-word
During this month, it is a special time to focus on equipping yourself so you can lead your ministry, church, employees, or volunteers better. While this month should be introspective, you can also help your employees by reminding them how much you appreciate them, or by encouraging them to make healthy choices for themselves.
Some ways that our team encourages our staff to participate in stress-awareness practices include the following:
Take a ten-minute walk.
Take a minute to step away from your desk. Literally. If you need to go now, this post can wait for you to get back. Or encourage your people to get a move on, if you have a desk job. What about a group walk?
Eat outside.
April can be tricky, but it can also be lovely. Group lunches are even better. Community and comradery are generally natural stress relievers. So is nature. Forgetting Spring allergies for just a moment.
Drink fluids.
However much your water intake is, up the ante this month. For your staff, consider purchasing more ways to access fluids during this time. Water stations. Water add ins. Fruit that’s mostly water. Celery snack sticks? Never mind, that’s too far.
Sleep more.
We can’t really help with this one, except to remind you. Like your mom. Please don’t nap at work. But if you find you are … you have officially reached burnout.
Eat better.
Again, thanks, mom. If you have a snack area, make sure to provide more healthy options. And take some time to notice what you are personally intaking right now. Should we circle back to celery? Nope. Too soon.
Volunteer.
In a different area than you are already working. Volunteering reminds you to take a moment to be thankful for what you do have. MM tries to provide a volunteer opportunity each Spring for our staff that has nothing to do with Payroll or Accounting. Because that’s our day job.
How do you avoid burnout?
While this list is by no means exhaustive – maybe a bad choice of words – we do hope it has sparked your imagination for what will work for you. If you want to share your favorite ways to avoid burnout – we’d love to hear your choices on our Twitter feed.
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