The Idealist's Survival Kit

75 brief self-care reflections that will aid workers, activists, and volunteers prevent burnout, renew their sense of purpose, and achieve fulfillment

Heal from over-exhaustion, prevent burnout, and regain your motivation with these short readings from a psychologist who has spent many years in the field working in conflict and disaster areas. Gathered from Alessandra Pigni’s interaction with humanitarian professionals and backed up by cutting–edge research, these concrete tools offer new perspectives and inspiration to anyone whose work is focused on helping others."Alessandra Pigni makes clear that we need to treat ourselves humanely, just as we declare our main aim is to show humanity to others. I commend this book to you most warmly.”—Dr. Hugo Slim, Head of Policy for the International Committee of the Red Cross

"The radiance and vitality of Alessandra Pigni's presence was infectious for me and for everyone I saw engage with her. The way she lived, and the way she died, modeled something beautiful for us all. I am grateful to have known her, however briefly."—Krista Tippett, founder and host of On Being

"Alessandra Pigni has pioneered the field of care in action.  The Idealist's Survival Kit is a godsend for every activist and aid worker.”—Michael Edwards, editor of Transformation

"With bracing honesty and piercing clarity, Alessandra Pigni shows us not only why, but also how, to practice self-empathy for the sake of efficacy.”— Irshad Manji, author of The Trouble with Islam Today and founder of the Moral Courage Project

“This book is a must-read—not only for those who work for NGOs on the front-line of humanitarian catastrophes, but all those who work in the helping professions throughout the world.”—Mark Williams, emeritus professor of clinical psychology, University of OxfordAlessandra Pigni is a humanitarian psychologist with several years of experience in the Middle East. After serving with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders in Palestine and China, she has dedicated her work to understanding the connection between meaningful work and burnout. She has been ELAC Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and her work has a wide following among humanitarian practitioners, activists, and academics. You can find her online at www.mindfulnext.org and connect with her on Twitter @mindfulnextFrom Chapter 1: What is Burnout?

‘Burnout’ comes from causes other than simply working too hard: "There are teachers, social workers and clergy who work incredibly hard until they are eighty years old and never suffer ’burnout’ because they have an accurate view of human nature. They don’t overromanticize people, so they don’t feel the great psychological stress when people let them down."—Peter Senge, founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning North America

Burnout is the result of a broken way of working: it’s not so much about "how much" we work, it’s about "how" we work, the quality of the relations, the care and humanity that permeates our workplaces. Misunderstood and misrepresented, burnout creeps up on us, leaving us exhausted, frustrated, disillusioned, uncaring, and cynical. You won’t find Burnout Syndrome in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the psychiatric bible. The omission makes sense: burnout is about existential suffering, some call it the result of a broken way of work, the outcome of a lifestyle where we forget about what is meaningful for us.

Those who burn out may be the sane ones, those whose humanity has not been lost. Burnout affects "normal" individuals—people with no major psychopathology. We are all at risk of burnout and in order to prevent it we have to address our broken way of working, of relating to each other and to ourselves…

While pervasive across the board, burnout is definitely the do–gooders’ syndrome. Most of those affected by burnout were once idealists, striving for meaningful work, engaged with their community or working internationally with the hope to make a difference. Burnout is not just too much work. Burnout creeps in when meaning is lost, when you no longer feel that what you do matters, when you experience a mismatch between what you believe in and what you are asked to do, or when there is a gap between what your organization preaches and what it actually does. Burnout is fuelled by a culture where there is no room for respect and appreciation, where emotions are an embarrassment. Understanding this is key to understanding the nature of burnout, to know how to prevent it and how to overcome it.