Nurturing resilience -
strategies to combat burnout 

While burnout is often equated with the workplace, myriad factors can contribute to our sense of overwhelm and disengagement.  Signs that someone is experiencing burnout include: 

• Inefficacy 

• Exhaustion, fatigue or overwhelm 

• Reduced participation or reliability 

• Lack of productivity 

• Loss of enjoyment or interest 

• Increased cynicism, irritability or anger 

Burnout is painful for any individual experiencing it, but it’s also a significant challenge for organizations that rely on volunteers.  The good news is there are many things we can do to prevent and address burnout.  

Show Yourself Self-Compassion 

Self-compassion is the practice of treating oneself with warmth and understanding in difficult times and recognizing that making mistakes is part of being human.  Acknowledging our feelings and giving ourselves kindness and grace in our most human moments of overwhelm, frustration, sadness, and even failure can relieve significant pressure and help us feel less alone. It can also help us tune in to hear our own needs and boundaries.   

Know and Communicate Your Boundaries 

Establishing clear boundaries in your volunteer role is key to managing stress and preventing burnout.  Some things to think about to better understand your boundaries: 

• How much time are you willing to commit to your volunteer role?  How long do you imagine staying in this role? 

• What are you interested and not interested in being a part of and spending your time doing? 

• What level of responsibility are you comfortable taking on?   

• How will you feel if you say yes to this role or responsibility?  How will you feel if you say no? 

Feelings of resentment, overwhelm, stress, fatigue, and/or avoidance are all signs that your boundaries are being (or in danger of being) crossed.  

When you feel clear about what your boundaries are, it’s important to communicate them with others on your team.  It’s much more efficient and sustainable to be transparent about what you can and can’t commit to, than to say yes out of guilt or a sense of obligation.  Candy Eaton, Coordinator for Age-Friendly Sullivan shares how she’s handled this issue by setting boundaries, “I’m not moving forward on a project without leadership from individuals or a number of people.  If that isn’t there, I’m not taking on every single project.  People will say you should do this or you should do that.  No, I shouldn’t do that! If you’d like to do that I’ll help you get the resources to do it.”

For age-friendly leaders: Setting boundaries is particularly important for you, especially when your community has big goals, and limited people to move things forward.  

Flexibility Is the Name of the Game 

When it comes to volunteers, being flexible is very important for keeping responsibilities manageable and preventing burnout and overwhelm.   Flexibility for volunteers can look like lots of different things: allowing volunteers to make their own schedules, matching them with roles and responsibilities that fit with their passions and skill sets, sharing roles, taking time off (for travel, family needs and responsibilities, etc.), and building breaks into workflows.  Flexibility means honoring the many facets and priorities of someone’s life and offering them the autonomy to engage in their volunteer responsibilities in a way that enhances their motivation and interest.  

For age-friendly leaders: Do your team members need more flexibility?  Are there ways you could think outside the box to structure roles and commitments that allow people breaks, time off or adjustable levels of responsibility? 

Provide Training, Support, and Clear Expectations 

Depending on the role, volunteers can have a wide range of responsibilities.  To help people get off to a strong start and be successful, make sure that they have received the appropriate training to safely, accurately and independently carry out their roles.  Equally important, communicate any guidance, vision, goals, and deliverables – there's nothing more frustrating than spending hours working on a project only to find that you weren’t on the same page as others.  Finally, volunteers should know who they can go to for support when they have questions, concerns, and ideas.   

For age-friendly leaders: Do team members know who to contact when they run into issues, and how to get in touch?  Have you communicated when you are and aren’t available?  Have you clearly defined and outlined the guidelines and expectations for any projects you’ll be handing off to others?  Taking the time to do these things helps projects run more efficiently, and prevents wasted time, energy and frustration.  

Consistent, Clear, and Open Communication 

One of the most critical components to volunteer success is effective communication.  As many age-friendly community leaders will attest, the mode of communication can be flexible based on what works best for your team members, but keeping in touch is a must!  When it comes to preventing burnout, ensuring that volunteers don’t feel alone in the work is one important thing leaders can do.  If you’re a volunteer experiencing burnout in your role, get in touch with other people on your team and ask for support.  Do you need a break?  Assistance with a specific task?  Someone to brainstorm ideas with?   

For age-friendly leaders: Check in with volunteers regularly to get a sense of how things are going for them, and tune in to people’s non-verbal communication as well as what they are saying.  If you suspect someone might be overwhelmed or is unusually absent or quiet, use it as an opportunity to ask how they are doing.   Is an open conversation needed about what’s working and not working? 

Keep Connection, Gratitude and Appreciation at the Forefront 

Feeling seen, valued, and part of a team sends positive messages to volunteers and can help to prevent burnout.  Especially when people are facing periods of struggle and challenge, recognizing hard work, sacrifices made, and how someone’s time and energy is making a difference has an important role to play.  Offering opportunities for people to come together, debrief challenging situations, and provide support, compassion, and encouragement to each other not only builds community, but also offers opportunities to complete the stress cycle – sharing laughter, food, and experiencing connection with others who are working toward the same goals.  

The well-being of our volunteers is the cornerstone of sustainability for age-friendly communities. We can be leaders by cultivating cultures of understanding, flexibility, and clear communication, where we encourage people to care for and speak up for themselves, while also taking steps to ensure that no-one feels like they are carrying the work alone. By acknowledging the signs of burnout, setting boundaries, providing support, and celebrating each other's contributions, we not only protect our volunteers but also strengthen the foundations of our age-friendly initiatives. In this collective effort, we can ensure that the passion and dedication of those driving  our community-centered missions remain resilient, and the light at the end of the tunnel is one of shared accomplishment and fulfillment.  

Further Resources from Anna: 

• Proactive Planning for Smooth Volunteer Transitions

• Volunteers Leading Volunteers - Navigating Expectations and Accountability

• Working With Volunteers Series: Sustaining Energy as a Volunteer Leader

• Master Class, Finding and Mobilizing Volunteers

We are deeply grateful to Anna Guest and Rising Tides Volunteer Solutions for working with Lifelong Maine to develop these training materials. Special thanks to Sharon Kelley, Berwick for a Lifetime, Candy Eaton, Age-Friendly Sullivan, and Jean Saunders, Age-Friendly Saco, for meeting with Anna to share their wisdom, experiences and challenges working with volunteers
We also want to thank AARP Maine for their thought leadership designing these modules.