Tag Archives: aid workers’ wellbeing
Humanitarian aid worker, aid thyself
Guest contribution by Allison Smith and Brendan Rigby, on a new aid worker support initiative by WhyDev Aid workers tend to suffer higher-than-normal rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout and anxiety. Members of the humanitarian community are well aware that getting drunk while out … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, guest posts
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Does your organisation have room for wisdom?
Resilient organisations transform, adapt and grow through mindful conversations and through breaking old automatic-pilot patterns. Sounds nice but what does it actually mean? Mindful conversations A book like to refer to in my work is Difficult Conversations. How to Discuss … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, organizational culture in aid
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Why Self-Care is not Enough
I’ve been a strong advocate of self-care over the years, and now that the trend is slowly catching up (even) in the nonprofit sector, I’d like to say why self-care is simply not enough. First a disclaimer: self-care matters. Any nurturing activity … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' burnout, aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, organizational culture in aid
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Less distractions, more focus: how to survive in the field
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape” said an unknown sage. And she was right. I doubt you have rabbits to run after, but no doubt you have way too many commitments, meetings, paperwork, reports to write. Life in the … Continue reading
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Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, reflection and action
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What’s your motivation?
‘Massive salaries seem to keep people going pretty well in South Sudan, from what I can tell: “Grin and bank it”‘ wrote a humanitarian professional in a LinkedIn discussion on burnout. I’m not sure how popular the comment was, but … Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, reflection and action
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Change and transition
It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions. They aren’t the same thing. Change is situational: the move to a new site, the reorganisation of the roles on the team, the start of a new job in … Continue reading
Making space, making time
Creating an oasis of quiet It is easier to do trivial things that seem urgent, than to do important things that are not urgent…. – adapted from John Cleese One cannot make room for care, learning and reflection – which … Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, reflection and action
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The beggar, the thief and the precious gem
How changing the world starts from within ‘Once upon a time a thief running away from guards noted a beggar sleeping in a dark alley. He secretly put the small but priceless piece of jewellery he had just stolen into … Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, humanitarian ethics, reflection and action
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From Mindfulness for NGOs to Mindfulnext
Change and Growth! East Jerusalem, 25 February 2013 ‘The only sure way to avoid making mistakes is to have no new ideas.’ ― Albert Einstein Today is the day to thank all those who have followed Mindfulness for NGOs over the last 2 years of its start-up … Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, reflection and action
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Refl-action: Reflection and action
Learning to live the paradox of action as reflection, and reflection as action* “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” — Dalai Lama XIV Supposedly carved into the temple of Apollo in … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' wellbeing, reflection and action
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