A recent study showed that 84 percent of nonprofit jobseekers saw work as part of their identities, not just a way to make a living.  While this level of commitment is a driving factor when it comes to working for social change, it also can be a factor in the ability for nonprofit professionals to find a healthy balance between their work life and personal life.

We know first-hand how passionate and dedicated local nonprofit professionals are – often working long hours and wearing multiple hats, all in an effort to tackle some of society’s most challenging and pivotal issues.  But what are some of these nonprofit professionals doing to create more of a work-life balance?

We caught up with a few members of YNPN RVA (Young Nonprofit Professionals Network) to hear what they had to say about incorporating self-care into their professional life and thoughts on how it can be better promoted in the sector!

Diana Villarreal, Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond

Why is self-care important to you?

Self-care is important to integrate into your daily routine. It is helpful for me to notice when I am stressing out about something work related and either take a breather, or chat with a co-worker about the topic. Either way, it helps me to clear my head and be able to be more productive.

How have you developed a work-life balance?

As for a work-life balance, it is so critical to being able to be productive at work. Often in non-profit settings, you may have to wear many hats and work as a team to help get things done. This could make striking the work-life balance even more difficult. For me, having flexibility is important. I may have to answer a few pressing emails during evenings and weekends but when things can wait until I am back at work, I do so. Work-life balance is in fact a balancing act and with practice, you can determine what the best balance is for yourself while still giving as much extra effort as you can.

How can self-care and work-life balance be better promoted in the sector?

In terms of how self-care and work-life balance can be promoted in the sector, I do think that comes from leadership within organizations. Our Executive Director does a great job of promoting work-life balance in us as staff, but models that she is able to do the same. Work-life balance can be seen as a professional development skill and something to continue to practice in your career.

Ashley Hall, CRC Manager, Capital Region Collaborative

How do you implement self-care into your work routine?

I try to plan as many meetings as possible at this coffee shop about a half mile from my office, that way I’m guaranteed to get a mile walk in during the day. I make sure the last email I send for the day is something positive and helpful to someone else. Working to improve our community is often slow and painstaking; it’s nice to wrap up the day with something that feels good and reminds me why I do this work.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?

I don’t try to balance every day, but make sure it’s balanced over time. There may be weeks or months when I work insane hours, but I make sure to set aside time off for travel – so it usually balances out.

How do you think the nonprofit sector supports (or could work on) promotion of self-care and a work-life balance?

Nonprofits often have good vacation time, but employees don’t feel like they can afford to take it. Time off is incredibly important, though, to rejuvenate – it makes for a happier, more productive employee. I think when bosses and supervisors get that and encourage time away, they have a stronger team.

Katie Bowman, Communications Associate, The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia

How do you implement self-care into your work routine?

I could not survive my work day without Pandora. It helps motivate me in the afternoon and I no joke have 50+ different stations so that I can change things up depending on my mood.

 Why do you think self-care is important?

At a recent conference, a speaker shared the statistic that for every hour one sits, his life is shortened by 20 minutes! YIKES! This has motivated me to leave my desk more frequently. I’ve also started walking from the first floor to the sixth floor every time I use the restroom. On busy days it’s difficult to take the time to walk up all of the stairs, but it always feels worth it to have the extra exercise and time away from my desk.

 What are some ways that you create more of a work-life balance?

Every Friday morning my husband and I wake up early and treat ourselves to a morning date at our favorite local coffee shop in the Northside, Stir Crazy. I always look forward to spending time with him and celebrating the end of a work week. I think it would be really awesome to have a Friday meeting or work session with my team at a local coffee shop, (like Perk!) to not only mix things up but celebrate the end of a challenging work week.

Emily Watkins, Director of Strategic Engagement, United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg (center)

How have you developed self-care and a work-life balance?

Volunteering is a critical part of my self-care routine and work-life balance, as management and fundraising roles have a different type of stress than programmatic roles. My former positions have been in the realm of fundraising, strategic planning, program evaluation and budgets/work streaming. When working with metrics, deadlines and spreadsheets, sometimes you need to get out of the office to connect back with the mission, the community and the individuals served by your organization. I worked as a Cash Coach in the Greater Fulton neighborhood with United Way and it really re-energized me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Devan Colley, Development & Communications Coordinator at Peter Paul Development Center

How do you implement self-care into your work routine?

Weather permitting; I sit outside in the Children’s Garden at work to eat my lunch. It can be easy to get stuck in the routine of eating at your desk but taking twenty minutes to sit in the sun and fresh air has been a great way for me to break up my day and feel refreshed.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?

While there are times that I do some work at home outside of business hours, I keep a fairly strict rule about leaving my job at the office when I leave every day. I also avoid spending too much time venting about any work stress to friends and family. I find that if I continue to talk about work challenges, I am just perpetuating my work day outside of the office.

How do you think the nonprofit sector supports (or could work on) promotion of self-care and a work-life balance?

It’s not always possible, but if organizations can consider work-load versus capacity so that enough hands are on deck to complete all projects that could be a great way to make space for self-care. As well, talking about self-care in regular staff meetings to promote its practice can be a simple reminder to all staff that leadership values that for its employees.

YNPN RVA, powered by ConnectVA, is a movement powering young and early-career nonprofit professionals through professional development, networking, and social opportunities to positively impact the Greater Richmond area.