Put on Your Oxygen Mask First

Is self-care at or near the bottom of your to-do list?

What are you likely to do when you get a last-minute funder request about a pending grant application just before heading to the airport for a much-needed vacation?

If your answers to these questions are similar to what I hear from many of my coaching clients, you may be struggling to balance the health of your nonprofit with your own well-being. I know it's tough, especially when you're the top leader and the buck really does stop with you. But it's critical to remember that when working to advance a social mission we care about deeply, we must “put on our own oxygen masks first.”

This is what flight attendants tell parents and caregivers to do in the event of an emergency on an airplane. The same advice holds true for when we seek to help others—be it our nonprofit program participants, our organizations, even our families. You've likely learned the hard way (as I have) that to be of real service, it's important to stay well-resourced physically, emotionally and mentally by prioritizing rest, ensuring healthy habits, leaning into our social support when needed and maintaining appropriate boundaries at work. After all, an empty well doesn’t provide water for anyone.