“I have burnt out severely several times in the past years…and recovered.” When I heard Dean Spade utter these words in a video over the winter break, my whole body shivered. I have felt stuck in a cycle of overwork, overcommitment, and controlling behavior for years. And even as I write this blog (that is a month late), I am coming up from another season of spilling over and needing to take many steps back, offload projects, and shift responsibilities. I’m truly exhausted. I also see so many people experiencing similar patterns all around me—so I am seeking out (and sharing) wisdom, tools, and practices to break this cycle.

The video led me to an article from Spade, an organizer, writer, and professor at the Seattle University School of Law – Burnout: What It Is and Some Ways to Address It In Ourselves and In Organizations (which I honestly encourage you to just stop reading this and head to the article that includes symptoms of overwork, steps towards addressing it in organizations, and suggestions for addressing overwork within ourselves so we can stay rooted in work that is joyful and connected to purpose). I learned about Dean Spade through volunteering with Mutual Aid Monday, a mutual aid group of neighbors that are working tirelessly to meet basic needs and reduce harm for thousands of our unhoused neighbors trying to survive while living on the streets, experiencing forced displacement, and being moved into temporary housing with a huge push from the City of Denver to house 1,000 people by the beginning of 2024.

Am I doing too much by volunteering more time outside of my job when I’m already experiencing many symptoms of burnout? Yes.

And.

Many of us came to work within the non-profit, social justice, or civic spheres because we wanted to create a better world. I’m here to heal myself, my community, and the world around me. Often, our job may be part of living for that purpose, but it is likely not the only place where we’re contributing our labor and energy. We may be volunteering, parenting, teaching, caretaking for loved ones, working on collective projects, or creating art. These are all important!

So, where do we go from here?

Here’s what I have so far that I am committed to:

• Ruthlessly prioritize – I use a bullet journal to track my daily and weekly priorities, and I will practice truly using my priorities to actually prioritize…not just as a list of all the things I need to get done.
• Make space for reflection – Dean Spade has several tools that I’d like to start with an Overwork Self-Reflection Worksheet and a Worksheet for Reflection on Perfectionism. I will block time on my calendar, then go to my trusted friends and my guide at work to process what I discover.
• Ask for help in facilitating dialogue – as a team at the Civic Canopy, I trust that we can work on recognizing the conditions creating a culture of overwork. Addressing burnout is both the responsibility of individuals and the collective; luckily, we are a team of very skilled facilitators 😊
• Continue collective care practices for endurance – spend lots of quality time with my beloveds, move my body, practice yoga and meditation, nourish myself with healthful food, drink water, connect with the earth. Check out this podcast episode from adrienne maree brown: Practices for Care and Endurance for many more resources from folks who are fighting for a free Palestine.

I don’t have all the answers. I would love to invite any suggestions, ideas, resources, etc. – you can send them to [email protected], and we can share them on our social media platforms.

For myself and for anyone who needs it…hang in there! You’re not alone! We can shift our relationship to work and contribute to a more loving, connected, and liberated world!