Author Archives: Alessandra Pigni
Activism and Burnout in the Trump Era
How do you keep sane and avoid burnout while engaging in activism? If you want to be in for the long-haul you need to look after yourself and your fellow activists. And it’s not just about self-care. It’s just the beginning: the … Continue reading
Aid Worker Voices
Aid workers on idealism and pragmatism, diversity and the challenge of having a ‘normal life’ I’ve been reading Aid worker Voices by sociologist Tom Arcaro recently and I’d like to share some of its findings. As the title suggests aid and development … Continue reading
Work: it’s time for a new year’s revolution
How do you prevent burnout? How do you keep sane when the road to doing good and meaningful stuff is paved with terrible managers, short-sighted organizational visions, and power relations that can bend your soul? How do you keep resilient in difficult places? … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' burnout, aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, humanitarian wellbeing
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Aid to Zen: V – Vicarious Trauma and Vicarious Resilience
This post is part of Aid to Zen – A Quick Guide to Surviving Aid Work from A to Z by Alessandra Pigni. For those who have been following my blog, you know that I like to try and look at our … Continue reading
Posted in Aid to Zen
Tagged aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, humanitarian wellbeing, post-traumatic growth
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Aid to Zen: U – Uncertainty
This post is part of Aid to Zen – A Quick Guide to Surviving Aid Work from A to Z by Alessandra Pigni. When I first went to work in Palestine I brought with me a little book of reflections by … Continue reading
Posted in Aid to Zen
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Aid to Zen: T – Transition
This post is part of Aid to Zen – A Quick Guide to Surviving Aid Work from A to Z by Alessandra Pigni. Random reflections on change and transition How many times have you packed up your life and resettled? How … Continue reading
Aid to Zen: R/S – R&R and Stress Reduction
This post is part of Aid to Zen – A Quick Guide to Surviving Aid Work from A to Z by Alessandra Pigni. R&R “Tell me about your new job” I ask a friend who has been recently deployed to Gaziantep to … Continue reading
Posted in Aid to Zen
Tagged aid workers' burnout, aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, burnout, humanitarian wellbeing
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Burning without Burning Out!
Dear friends, There’s a beautiful poem by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish called Think of Others. I chose it as the opening poem of my book, The Idealist’s Survival Kit. 75 Simple Ways to Avoid Burnout. I carefully picked it because of … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' burnout, aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, humanitarian wellbeing
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When your world moves too fast
A beautiful poem to wish you a restful Christmas and a fulfilling 2017!
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, poems for humanitarians
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Aid to Zen: Q – Qigong
This post is part of Aid to Zen – A Quick Guide to Surviving Aid Work from A to Z by Alessandra Pigni. *** The term qigong is not part of “aidspeak“, so let me introduce you to a practice that … Continue reading
Posted in Aid to Zen
Tagged aid workers' burnout, aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, mindfulness for aid workers
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