Written by: Kristen Lessig Schenerlein, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
On a typical Tuesday, entering a local coffee shop for my coaching session much like I entered many meetings, late and frazzled. Recognized locally top 40 under 40, I was a 28-year-old new mom who just a few years embarked on a journey to follow a passion born out of an undergraduate course. Now juggling the demands of motherhood alongside leading a fast-growing nonprofit organization, I was feeling less than present (or prepared) in any aspect of my life. In fact, in many ways, I felt out of control, which resulted in a slew of negative thoughts about my inability to lead, to parent, and to execute on my primary responsibilities.
I was exhausted, irritable, and overwhelmed emotionally. In retrospect, I was burned out. Maslach defines burnout as “a psychological syndrome emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors at work, involving three key dimensions: overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment” (Maslach & Lieter, pg. 103, 2016). My coach identified burn out as the problem quickly that day, asking “when are you going to take back control of your life?” With his guidance, I foraged a new path and shifted my mindset. I was introduced to the power of abundant thinking, which is “an attitude and mindset that focuses on what we do have” (Milton, 2018) the necessary antithesis to nonprofit thinking rooted in scarcity (what we do not have), as a result of operating with limited resources for those lacking resources. Perhaps in that moment, I shifted from an exotelic perspective, satisfied with reaching a goal at any cost, to autotelic, fulfilled by immersing myself in the experiences, working towards a goal of well-being and success (Brandwene, L., personal communication, November 20, 2022). Today coming full circle, my coaching practice is devoted to supporting fellow nonprofit leaders in enhancing their well-being through mindfulness-based coaching, guiding them to shift their mindset from scarcity to abundance. Non-profit leaders need mindfulness and movement so they can have the energy and clarity to execute on their mission.
Abundant thinking centers around an appreciation for life in its fullest sense, a life of joy where you experience the strength of the mind-body connection (this is where mindfulness and movement come into play). I know firsthand leaders are stressed, strained, and left wearing numerous hats leading (e.g., teams, communities), managing (e.g., board of directors, financials), and doing (e.g., running programs, writing grants, creating and implementing HR policies). The frazzled energy of multitasking trickles down through the organization creating an environment that serves as a breeding ground for stress and eventually burnout. In the most recent Quarterly Review on the Health of the Nonprofit Sector Americans were polled and believe that a healthy nonprofit sector is essential to our society. The importance of the nonprofit sector can be viewed as a measure of human flourishing given the importance of services provided for our communities. In the second quarter of 2022, nonprofits contributed $1.4 trillion to the economy, remaining the third-largest private employer in the U.S. economy and growing jobs four times faster than for-profit organizations (Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector 2022, 2022). Given the size and scope of this workforce, it becomes even more important that we work to intervene to ensure that nonprofit organizations have access to programs that shift leaders and their teams to more abundant mindsets. To combat the increased stress levels resulting from societal pressures, organizational structure, limited resources, and high demand Positive Psychological Interventions that support well-being and provide opportunities for the selfless team members to also experience flourishing in their lives.
As my coach challenged me over a decade ago, I challenge my clients to embark on a wellness journey that incorporates both mindfulness and movement, connecting with both their mind and body, tuning in regularly to their physical and mental states. I realized in that one coffee shop session that I needed to own how I was showing up and part of taking back control of my life meant prioritizing myself first. I almost instantly began a morning routine of meditation and reading to ease into the day. I found solace in physical activity (team workouts, walking meetings, solo run or walk, or a challenging yoga class) providing myself with a physical reset aiding me mentally, increasing energy and building resilience for the next challenge.
Mindfulness and movement allow for greater self-awareness, allowing you to navigate the inevitable challenges of work within the nonprofit sector, while also maintaining a level of self-care that supports you as a whole person. I begin work with clients (phase one) laying the groundwork for a culture of well-being, introducing concepts, having open discussions, and coaching leaders to model behaviors. In phase two our focus continues growth and development of each team member introducing specific mindfulness practices and movement, building off the foundation from phase one to increase the team’s capacity and efficiency.
Judith Rodin, former President of the Rockefeller Foundation encourages us as a society to look ahead to find new ways to innovate and improve the nonprofit sector. “Working to solve root problems alone is not enough and will never work because the pace of change is too fast. What’s needed now is to build capacity, connect practitioners, and provide a platform for sharing knowledge and advancing common agendas” (Rodin, 2015). I relate this concept of the pace of change in nonprofits to how Dr. Michael Baime depicted work on an assembly line. At some point a system that is under too much stress and demand over a sustained period of time will lose its capacity. Similarly, individuals will experience issues with memory, sleep, appetite, and other biological processes when under too much stress (Baime, M., personal communication November 20, 2022), impacting not only the ability to lead and deliver the results that are often highly regulated within the nonprofit sector but perhaps more importantly, their bodies, their health, and their lives overall. Long-term success requires leaders to create a culture of growth and learning for the service providers (team) while maintaining focus on those they serve and the mission at hand.
This is a more holistic approach to nonprofit leadership and one that recognizes that just like healthcare professionals, nonprofit leaders are often selfless and are drawn to the field because they are passionate about a mission. Too often the stress and high demands of the work result in a loss of connection to those being served, unintentionally falling into what can be seen as preservation mode, becoming numb to their collective impact (Baime, 2003). Many nonprofit teams get caught up in the “doing” aspect of their work and lose sight of the “being” aspect, where they can experience an ease and flow in their work versus being stressed looking at their list of 100+ items on their “to-do” list. Their stress is a clear sign they are getting in their own way, impeding the flow that could be created (Baime, 2003). Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow is essential to mindfulness as it relates to controlling our inner experiences to obtain optimal experiences (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008).
Mindfulness practices and regular exercise allow us to shift our focus from others to ourselves, as a result we are better equipped to help those we serve to navigate their challenges. Connecting the mind with the body ensures that we are considering ourselves as a whole person, improving self-awareness, efficiency, and communication. Most scientific models of mindfulness focus mostly on disengaging from negative thoughts. True benefit can be derived from cultivating positive states of mind that aid in managing setbacks inevitable in nonprofit work, expanding our thinking can have a greater impact within our organizations as well as our personal eudaimonic (good within itself) well-being (Garland et al., 2015). Exercise as an intervention promotes this generation of new brain cells, especially in the hippocampus and is effective in helping us control stress and anxiety, while also increasing cognitive abilities. In other words, changing the body, changes the brain. With consistent exercise we put the brakes oand n the area of the brain called the amygdala, which controls and regulates our emotional responses (Hagerman & Ratey, 2008).
The proposed Intervention Plan is based on a phase two plan for a national nonprofit organization looking to enhance the well-being of their team and shift the organization's culture.
Intervention | Description | Frequency/Duration |
Morning Mindfulness Meditation Huddle | Daily practice before setting intentions for the day, aiding in prioritizing tasks. Executive Attention. | Daily solo (with hold on calendar) or combined as a group with guided recording. |
Stop. Breathe. Be. | Mini mindfulness break allows you to be present for a few moments, disrupting automatic habitual thoughts, resetting energy. Emotional Regulation. | Between Zoom meetings, ending meetings 2-5 minutes early. Support amongst the team to encourage this and standardize it. |
Walking Buddies | Partner with a member of a team or partners that you can buddy up for a walking meeting. | Each day identify one meeting that you can take walking. |
Well-Being Win! | Each team member shares their “well-being win” which can include some self-care, time connecting with family, etc. (reporting using PERMA as a guide). | Top of each weekly team meeting agenda.
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As with any new activity, an effort is required on the part of the team member. We are evolutionarily wired to conserve energy (Ratey, J.J., personal communication, November 18, 2022). It takes attention and intention to successfully implement phase two and therefore each member must be invested and see their personal well-being goal alignment with the overall goals for the team. Making this connection will help all remember with the intrinsic motivation needed to engage in new activities with the leader's clear vision for well-being also contributing.
Kristen Lessig Schenerlein, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kristen Lessig-Schenerlein, a social entrepreneur, mental fitness coach and yoga instructor, is an expert in nonprofit leadership, forever passionate about the fields of neuroscience, positive psychology, and performance science. After nearly two decades of being driven by a mission, almost to complete burnout and after having experienced the real life effects of working within a toxic environment, Kristen began down a new path in service to others facing similar challenges. She integrated her own personal yoga practice and energy medicine into a science-based coaching practice. She became a trained yoga instructor guiding her clients “on the mat” and also an ICF Certified Professional Coach and a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach to support her clients “off the mat” with mental fitness training and coaching. Kristen has dedicated her entire career to transforming the lives of others and sees herself now as a guide to those willing to do the innerwork necessary to link their power with their passions, so that they can live a life more in alignment with their values, while showing up authentically in aspects of their lives. Kristen is the founder of Koi Coaching and Consulting, serving clients around the world, thanks in part to being part of the coaching team of BetterUp as well, whose mission is to make coaching accessible to all, unlocking greater potential, purpose, and passion.
Born in a small coastal town in Connecticut, Kristen also spent a good part of her career in Richmond, Virginia, where she founded her nonprofit organization before moving back to the coast where she now resides in Southwest Florida with her husband and a blended family of four beautiful children.
