The Spring Forward Podcast

Wellness for Nonprofit Leaders

• Spring Richardson-Perry • Episode 37

Share episode

Send us a text

Wellness expert Serena Sabala shares powerful strategies for preventing burnout in the nonprofit sector, explaining why self-care isn't optional but mandatory for effective leadership and service.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Self-care is not optional but mandatory - you cannot give from an empty cup
• Health is easier to maintain than regain once lost, as illustrated by Serena's father's mental health breakdown
• Creating a wellness culture requires zero budget - start with healthy boundaries
• Leaders must model self-care behaviors, as staff mirror their actions
• The "tripod of optimal health" consists of three pillars: focus, food, and fitness
• American "hustle culture" often glorifies overwork at the expense of wellbeing
• Prevention through wellness practices costs far less than treating health conditions later
• Wellness retreats offer immersive experiences that plant seeds for lasting habit changes

Contact Serena on Instagram and Facebook @wholeshiftwellness, on LinkedIn at Serena Sabala, or email at info@wholeshiftwellness.com. Get a free PDF copy of her book "Make the Shift" with this link: https://d2saw6je89goi1.cloudfront.net/uploads/digital_asset/file/1025155/Make_the_Shift_PDF.pdf 

Speaker 1:

Hey, nonprofit friends, welcome to the Spring Forward podcast, where we talk about all things nonprofit, from board discord to grant writing and strategic planning tips. If you're an executive director, nonprofit board member or just someone heavily involved in the nonprofit sector, then this is the podcast for you. Let's spring forward into excellence. Okay, this is the podcast for you. Let's spring forward into excellence. Welcome, welcome, guys, to another episode of the Spring Forward podcast.

Speaker 1:

I'm your host, spring Richardson Perry, and today I am super excited to be talking to you guys about health and wellness in the nonprofit sector. We did an episode about this a while back, about burnout at the beginning of the year, because it just seemed like so many people were overextending themselves, and so today I am super excited to be talking about this again, but from a different lens, with Serena Sabawa. She is a certified nutrition consultant, she's a yoga teacher and a fitness trainer, and she studied the subjects of wellness and nutrition for over 10 years. She has a unique and holistic approach to health. She has written a book, she does wellness retreats. She has a very, very unique story and she has a very, very unique story and I am super excited to be talking to her today and to let her share a little bit of that story with you guys.

Speaker 1:

So welcome, serena. Thank you, spring. It's so, so wonderful to be here this and lift up this really important subject, because we find a lot in the nonprofit sector that you know a lot of people get burnt out because it's a lot of emotional labor, there's long hours, there's just you know that compassion fatigue sometimes that comes with it. So I kind of just want to start off with just a few practical strategies maybe that you can talk about for leaders to help them prevent burnout in themselves and for their teams.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So the first thing straight off the bat that I feel compelled to go into is that the single most important distinction practice realization. That is fundamental to, frankly, anybody, but especially those in position of leadership within organizations and non-profit organizations like that. You know we need you guys to be in tip-top shape. You're doing work that is benefiting so many people and communities. But there's a fundamental distinction, which is you can't give from an empty cup, right, you, you.

Speaker 2:

If you run yourself to the ground to the point where you don't function at your optimal level of productivity, of resilience, of anything and everything that you've got to give and you've got to master to fulfil your responsibilities, then frankly, you're doing a disfavour to everybody around you, to your work, to the service users that you're facilitating and helping, to your families and to the communities around you. So the first and most important thing to realize is that actually let me just put the don't disturb I'm sorry about that that your self-care is not optional, it's mandatory. That your self-care is not optional, it's mandatory, absolutely like you shouldn't view it as something that maybe you get to do, maybe you don't. It really should be seen as the foundational element of your habits, routines and lifestyles, because you can't give from empty cup. You know and we go back to that age-old metaphor that everybody uses the first thing they tell you on the plane if there's an issue with the plane, you've got to put your oxygen mask on first before you tend to anybody.

Speaker 2:

And the truth of the matter is, you cannot fulfill your responsibilities to the best of your abilities if you don't prioritize your self-care. And I feel really compelled to emphasize this and I'll share a little bit about my personal story, by the way, and the reason why I'm so passionate about it and it's the first thing that I want to share with you all. That's the single most important strategy. The single most important strategy is a shift in mindset From viewing self-care as a nice-to-have to viewing it as a must-have, foundational, fundamental habit pattern that makes everything else possible.

Speaker 1:

Yes, like you wake up every morning and brush your teeth right, so that should be a part of your daily habits having some sort of self-care, some sort of way to take care of yourself. I love this, and guys in her book, serena. I love this. And guys in her book, serena, tell us the name of your book Make the Shift, make the Shift, guys.

Speaker 1:

I read it and it is amazing. It talks about a mindset shift, because a lot of times that is our block. Our block is not that we can't do it. Our block is that our mind is telling us that we can't do it, so we don't, and so you have to reframe your thinking to understand that, in order for me to best serve my community, I first need to take care of myself so that I can put my best self forward to continue to serve those who are most in need. This is wonderful. This is like it's not rocket science, but sometimes it's so simple that we forget about that, and I find a lot of times people in the nonprofit sector, they feel guilty for wanting to take care of themselves.

Speaker 1:

And so you know how do we overcome that, you know how do we set those boundaries and release that guilt from wanting to take care of ourselves.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's a beautiful question and yes, absolutely, guilt is probably the single most detrimental kind of factor that gets in the way of leaders and people in general, gets in the way of them prioritizing their self-care, especially if you work in a nonprofit sector, because obviously you're you're dealing with very dire and serious challenges. You're dealing with people's livelihood, and many people working in that sector do it out of sheer passion. Maybe they do it out of having experienced challenges in their own lives and now wanting to make a difference in the lives of others. So I can see and I know for a fact, I've experienced it myself the guilt is something that really takes conscious work to overcome. But I'm going to give you guys a very real example from my personal life to drive this concept on.

Speaker 2:

As you remember from reading the book Spring, what has kind of sparked my interest in health and wellness practices is that my dad, when I was very young I was anywhere between five to seven he got really ill. He started developing a mental health disorder called bipolar depression. We all know about it, we've heard it, but he has a very severe case of bipolar disorder and my dad essentially ran himself to the ground to the point where he became mentally ill because he was trying so hard to do everything that he felt he needed to do. He ran a very successful, yes, yet stressful business. It was a creative business at that and he had a young family and he had family peer pressure, responsibility, etc. So he started. He neglected his well-being to the point where he got very ill ill that resulted in him losing his business. It resulted in him, you know, going through profound personal challenges that he has never recovered from. It created havoc in his life. He created havoc in my life, my sisters, my mothers, you know. His marriage broke down. He lost all his friends and associates, and so I'm saying this to say he struggled due to guilt, he struggled to tend to his own well being and he ran himself to the point where he lost his health and well-being.

Speaker 2:

And let me tell you, once you lose it, to regain it it takes so much work, it takes so much energy, it takes so much money, so much time. Health and wellness is like one of those things where it's so much easier to maintain than it is to regain if you lose it all together. My dad has never recovered. He's never been. He's not the same person, he's never going to be the same person. His life was completely traumatized by him losing his mental health.

Speaker 2:

Once you become present with this and I kind of the double-edged kind of the other side of the coin is that this made me so present with our real disease, with our fundamental health and wellness it doesn't matter how rich, popular, famous or anything else you are, if you don't have your health and wellness, nothing matters, right, and I became present with that at five years old. Once you become present with this, there's no going back. The guilt disappeared, you know, because if my dad had the strength, the courage, the ability, also the tools and the support in order to be able to take care of himself, so that he didn't have to get to the point where he got to, my life would have been so much better. His life would have been so much better, right. All the time, money, energy and attention that he would have spent maintaining his health and well-being would have been the best investment of his life absolutely, and I hope you guys caught that.

Speaker 1:

I know Serena's beautiful accent and, by the way, uh, the spring forward podcast is officially international today because, serena, where are you today? Are you in London or in Spain? Where are you today? Are you in London or in Spain? Where are you? I'm in London at the moment. She's in London, guys. So we are officially international, but her beautiful accent is so like, just what's the word I'm looking for? It like mesmerizes you.

Speaker 1:

So I hope you caught what she's saying, guys, because basically what she's telling you is that if her dad would have prioritized his health and wellbeing in the beginning, all of these things could have been mitigated. It's just like your health in terms of the way you eat, right? So if you're constantly eating foods that have sugar in them and are high fats and all these things, that's going to have a domino effect on your health. You could develop diabetes, you could develop heart disease, high blood pressure, all these things that now you're going to have to have medication to manage, whereas had you in the beginning tended to your health, maybe not ate as much in one sitting or changed white rice to brown rice, or just as just an example but but what?

Speaker 1:

What she's saying is that you know, instead of trying to fix it once it's broken, maintain it. Do the maintenance just like on a home or a car. Right on your car, you're going to get your oil changed every so often so that your engine continues to run appropriately. But if you don't get your oil changed as it needs to be, it's going to have this domino effect and eventually your transmission is going to go out, and that's going to be a huge expense where you're going to have to probably buy just a brand new car and that's a beautiful metaphor.

Speaker 2:

Spring. Think about the difference between main, even just in terms of investment. You know, we're all, we are all, we all understand numbers of money, right, and I think sometimes what I also see is many professionals, many leaders, almost feel like it's it's a decadent to invest in practices to take care of themselves, whether it's healthier food, whether it's a personal trainer, whether it's a mindset coach, whether it's therapy, whatever the area that needs more attention in your life is. And if you're like, oh no, I should save the money, it's almost like a decadent expense. You know we don't prioritize it.

Speaker 2:

But if you think of it in terms of the car, think about how much it costs to upkeep a car. You know you might spend some money. Yes, of course. Think about how much it costs to replace the car altogether. You know it's 10 times more expensive to have to buy a whole new vehicle than it is to make sure that you go, that you do your checks, that you change the oil, that you put the right kind of gas in, that you do the maintenance stuff. Now take that and multiply it by a thousand and that might apply to your body. You know, and I always use this metaphor with our clients. You know, if somebody told you your body is broken down, you need a new one, you need to trade in your house in order to get a new body, would you say yes to that?

Speaker 1:

It's either that or no more body yeah, I'd be like you know what, buy a house, that's it buddy, of course, without, without, without a body, the house doesn't matter, it's your body is priceless.

Speaker 2:

There is not enough money in the world to to convey the value of your body. And I'm saying this to say because I want to emphasize how important this mindset shift is. You know, because I see it time and again and I see it with my clients before I even give them a nutrition plan or a training plan or a mindset plan. They need to really shift priorities, otherwise my plans, they will not be put in practice because they'll still feel like there's more important things to tend to in life. But once you make the mindset shift, then you realize oh, actually, the little extra effort, time, money and energy that I invest in my health and well-being is probably the best investment I'm making today.

Speaker 1:

It is, and just personally I will share.

Speaker 1:

You know, investing in your health takes more than just, oh, I'm going to take these vitamins or these supplements.

Speaker 1:

It is this well-rounded experience because it makes your life that much better. One of the things that I've noticed, just personally for me, is that if I don't get a good night's sleep just something as simple as sleep it affects my whole day, my mood, my energy, and so if I'm not feeling right, then I'm not going to do anything. If I don't do anything, then I'm not working, and if I'm not working, I'm not making money. So, again, simple, small, small things, small shifts, have a huge impact in your overall life, and so one of the things I want to talk about, serena, is how, in nonprofits, how can we foster that culture of wellness when resources are limited? Right, when you have to first put the mission of the organization in terms of serving the community first, but how can you take the limited resources that you do have to invest in the wellness of the employees, because they're the ones who have to be well and healthy to serve the community 100% Great question.

Speaker 2:

And so, again, the shift has to happen at the organizational level, right? So I encourage leaders of an organization are present with our fundamental health and wellness practices are to their own well-being first and foremost. They will be more inclined to filter down this mindset to the entire workforce. Because the truth of the matter is, if you see your manager neglecting themselves, if you see the boss not taking care of themselves, you're going to think that that's what you need to do. You know you're going to mirror that behavior, right, because you don't want to be the one, you don't want to be the selfish one that's leaving work on time to go to yoga. You know if the boss is staying behind late, Right, right.

Speaker 2:

So you think okay, so that's what they're doing. That implies that this is what I should be doing in order to succeed and progress in my work. So actually really shifting organizationally to prioritize healthy boundaries and starts from the top and filters down, like you can't preach it to your employees if you're not doing it as the manager or founder or owner of the company. So let's start there. That's fundamental. Then, once again, the mindset shift has happened. You don't need big budgets. First of all, boundaries require no budget. Of all boundaries require no budget. Healthy boundaries require no budget. You don't have to spend a penny to just start encouraging people to create healthy boundaries so that, like you were saying, they can tend at least to the most basic viable kind of, to the most basic viable kind of minimum viable practices for health and well-being. And I can tell you what I believe those are. But, like, let's start with the fact that to get the basics right, you need to spend $0.

Speaker 1:

I love it. She said it four times y'all. And so that means zero dollars. That means that is super important, right? Zero dollars to enact boundaries. It doesn't need to start shutting everything down so you can be out of there on time. That sets the tone Because, like Serena said and this goes for anybody who's working, whether you're in a nonprofit, whether you're in the private sector if you see your boss every day, day in, day out they're there at 7 in the morning, they don't leave till 7 at night, and this is their daily way of being right Then you're going to think oh my gosh, you know I probably need to be doing the same thing and you know for them, maybe it works.

Speaker 1:

You know we don't know what their schedule is at home, but you have to do what is best for you and you have to prioritize. You and leaders need to make it very clear in nonprofit organizations that, yes, we are here to serve and, yes, we want to make sure that we are our best selves for the people that we serve, that we are our best selves for the people that we serve. But in order to be our best selves, we have to take care of ourselves. So if you see me here until 6 pm, but that doesn't work for you if your schedule says 8 to 5 and you need to leave at 5 o'clock. By all means, please leave at 5 o'clock. If you see me here until 6 o'clock, you do not have to follow that, because it may be a day where I have a deadline that I have to meet and I have to get something done, so it's a one-time thing.

Speaker 1:

If we find that overworking ourselves is becoming the norm, that is when we need to take a step back and that is when we need to say hold up, I need to. Something has got to change, something needs to shift and we need to start making those changes immediately. Because, just as Serena said about her dad, who just worked himself into the and it had a permanent effect on his health, I see these things happen every single day, where people are driving themselves to be sick because of not taking care of themselves appropriately. Their physical wellbeing, their mental well-being, their spiritual, spiritual well-being all of those things are just as important as going to work and making money. Yes, we need money to live, but you should not be living to make money no, exactly.

Speaker 2:

And also let's talk about quality of work versus quantity of hours spent at your desk. You know it's not just the longer you're there the more great work you get done. Quite the opposite sometimes, the the healthier, happier, more centered, more balanced you are, the more effective you are in the work that you do, you know. So it will take you less time, fundamentally, to get the same amount of work done, potentially a higher quality work. Because even if I think of myself and like you were saying spring, when you don't take care of yourself, when you're not eating the right food, when you're not sleeping enough, when you're not hydrated, when you're not moving, the version that shows up at work is the version that that is not as effective.

Speaker 2:

Let's be honest you're not as effective. You're not going to be as as effective. You're not going to produce the same quality of work and it's going to take you longer. You know it's going to take you longer. So actually it's false economy to think that you have to stay longer, all costs, at the detriment of your own health and well-being. You might think it makes you look good, but stop and ask yourself am I producing my best quality work here, or would it be more effective to take time for myself, recharge, re-energize, you know, rebalance my body, mind and spirit, so that when I show up I'm a point absolutely, absolutely, guys.

Speaker 1:

I'm telling y'all I hope y'all are picking up these gems, because Serena is dropping them all over the place. Guys, I want Serena, I want you to talk about the way that you work with leaders and how you help them find this balance, because I think the listeners will really, really enjoy this and maybe even want to be a part of it. So talk to us about that.

Speaker 2:

So we have developed. Me and my husband, eugene, have been working together for over 30 years combined in the health and wellness industry. We have extensive experience. We work with over 600 professionals across five different countries, so we have been able to clearly identify what I call the tripod of optimal health and well-being. So if you imagine your best self, your healthiest, strongest, most confident self, and you're standing atop a tripod, which is a structure with three legs, what happens to this tripod if even just one of the three legs is a little bit weaker than the others? The whole structure is weak, right? It's wobbly, it's leaning on one side, it's at risk of falling down altogether, right? Yes, and we see this so often Most of us are doing something right.

Speaker 2:

You know, some of us are better at eating healthy food. Some of us are better at exercising regularly. Some of us are better at taking care of our mind and mental health. Exercising regularly, some of us are better at taking care of our mind and mental health, but it's very hard for busy professionals and leaders to really develop us a holistic strategy that will allow you to strengthen all these three pillars in a way that is that really works for you. And, by the way.

Speaker 2:

The three pillars, as you read about it in the book, are focus, food and fitness. So if you want your optimal health and well-being to be unshakable in the face of any challenge that the universe throws your way, you need to have strong focus, which is anything to do with your mindset and mindfulness. You gotta have strong food pillar. So a great approach to healthy eating, which doesn't mean they're only eating salad, by the way, or they are not enjoy. I'm a foodie, I love food, but there has to be, there has to be balance at the level of your nutrition food firstly. Fitness a very effective movement practice doesn't mean you have to go to the gym. I don't go to the gym, but you've got to develop strategies that allow you to move your body in the way that your body needs to move to stay healthy, strong, flexible.

Speaker 2:

So those are, those are the three fundamental pillars um the moment you neglect one of these three um, which can look a million different ways, then your whole well-being is is weak and wobbly and shaking, you know, and because human beings, we have a tendency of wanting to do the things that we're already kind of good at right. So, so if we love working out, we're like, okay, let me work out a little bit more to kind of get even healthier, um. Or if you, if you love eating great healthy food, you're like okay, so let me, let me become even healthier with my nutrition. So we want to double down on what we're already doing somewhat well, but we continue to neglect the areas with most room for improvement, and that reinforces a state of imbalance.

Speaker 1:

Oh, my goodness, I love this. And this is what really drew me in to the book, guys, because as I was reading it, I was on a flight and I actually finished it and probably the first like. I read half of it, the first part of the flight, and then we had a layover and then I finished it in the second half. It was that good y'all. I mean, I had never really thought about it in this way, right, it does take focus, right? When you decide, okay, I need to lose 30 pounds, you get really focused on losing those 30 pounds. So now you're eating differently because you know, okay, I can't eat lots of calories all the time or I'm not going to lose this weight, right? So your food intake is different. Now. Your nutrition is different, right. And then you also start to work out more. Your fitness becomes different because you know I have to move more, I have to eat better and I have to stay focused on what the end product is going to be. And those are the things that Serena digs deep into her book, and I would encourage each and every one of you to take a look at it, to go grab the book and really read through it, because it is really going to change your perspective on the way you see your health. You are going to put a much bigger price tag on your health. You're going to value it a lot more, because I think right now, especially as Americans, we have this hustle culture and in other countries it's not so much that way.

Speaker 1:

There are countries that prioritize rest throughout the day. There are countries that will give you, I think I want to say in like China or Japan, they get like a two-hour break in the middle of the day for lunch and you know, just to take a break to relax your mind. And there are other countries that do this as well, that just prioritize resting over work, work, work, work, work. Right, because America was established on the American dream. You can come to America, you can work your way up to the top and whereas in another country you were born into a specific station and that is what it is for you for the rest of your life, right? But America sells the American dream.

Speaker 1:

Come over here, work hard and you can make lots of money and change your life. Well, I might make a lot of money, but what am I willing to sacrifice to do that? Because at this point. I can't even enjoy it because I've worked myself into the ground. Even enjoy it because I've worked myself into the ground. And in Serena's case, in her dad's case, he literally did that. He worked, worked, worked, worked, worked, and then he couldn't even enjoy the fruits of his labor after it was all said and done.

Speaker 1:

And so let that be a real life testament to putting your health, your spiritual, your physical, your mental well-being first, so that you can continue to take care of those in need. If you're in the nonprofit sector, of course you're there to serve, but also if you have a family, they need you. If you have kids, if you have aging parents who depend on you to care for them, or any of your loved ones who are depending on you to help them and take care of them. You can't take care of anybody else until you take care of yourself first. Just like Serena said, the age old metaphor you have to put your oxygen mask on first before you try to put the oxygen mask on somebody else, right? So I mean, this is, this is, this is great stuff.

Speaker 1:

Serena, I'm so excited for this. I want you, I want you to talk about your upcoming retreat and the things that you guys do there, because I also think that this is really important for everyone to hear about, because a lot of times we think, oh, that's too expensive, I can't afford that. But can you afford to be on $600 a month medication the rest of your life? That far exceeds the price of the retreat in one year, and so talk about that, serena.

Speaker 2:

Yes, well done, by the way, for breaking it down so effectively, especially in the US, given how expensive health care is in the US. Really, for you guys, more than anyone else in the world, prevention rather than cure is the best way to save money in in your lifetime. You know, uh, one medication, only one medication only, can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in your life. You know when, when working with some professionals or going to a retreat, or preventing that meditate, that medication from being needed, might cost you a couple thousand dollars. You know, it's like, it's like there's no, it's a no-brainer, it's literally a no-brainer. And and a wellness retreat is a great opportunity. And because, first of all, everything is done for you. You just show up and you don't have to think about logistics, planning, organizing, arranging you, just, you literally just have to show up. So it it couldn't be easier to start creating new habits than to embark on an experience such as a wellness retreat, because you don't have to figure out any of those logistics that sometimes get in the way of us taking action. The second reason why a wellness retreat is an amazing experience that I highly recommend.

Speaker 2:

Everybody has at least once in their life and we have clients that come every single year is that when we take you out of the bubble of your day-to-day life and we remove all those triggers, all those things that kind of impact the way that you operate right, all those responsibilities, all those burdens, all those stressors we plug you into an environment all those responsibilities, all those burdens, all those stressors.

Speaker 2:

We plug you into an environment that is specifically designed for you to pick up new, healthier habits and to see, over the course of a week, how these habits feel in your body, how your body transforms, how your mind transforms, how your soul feels. In just one week, you will feel so transformed, so empowered, so much better in all ways possible. They will become much easier to continue to maintain some of them in your day-to-day life because we've planted the seeds, we've nurtured them for a week. When you go back home, you're not going to go back. You're not going to want to go back to feeling the way that you normally feel or to operating in that way. Of course, you're not going to be able to retain every single thing, but you will find it a hundred times easier because we planted the seeds so deep in the in the course of a week that you're going to be a new version of yourself and there's no going back.

Speaker 1:

I love it, guys. I absolutely love this. Serena, thank you so much. This was just a wonderful, wonderful conversation, very enlightening, but just also just very real and authentic. Guys, you know, there's nothing more important than your health and well-being Point blank period, nothing left to say. Because if you're not healthy, if you can't take care of yourself, there's no way that you can take care of anybody else. And so, serena, I just I appreciate you so much for being on the podcast today. Thank you so much. If anyone wants to get in touch with you or to learn more about what you do and all the things that you offer, how do they do that?

Speaker 2:

well, I am very active on the main social media platforms. You can find me on instagram at whole shift wellness, and facebook, same handle. I'm also on linkedin at serena sabala. So if you send me a dm to any of those platforms, we will get to it. It might take me and the team a little time, but we will definitely get to it. You can also email me info at whole shift wellness dot com.

Speaker 2:

And, in fact, what I would love to do spring, if you allow me to, I would love to gift your listeners with a free pdf copy of my book make shift, so they can simply get in touch with you. Anybody that wants a free PDF, or you can make it available whichever way you see fit, and they can start taking a real action, a real step in the direction towards their health and well-being. Because, you know, ideas and and and conversations are brilliant only if they are followed by action. I am a big action woman, so I want you to take action. I want you to read the book, I want you to do the exercises in the book, because that will spark new habits and new results in your life oh, oh, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, yes, it is all about the action. We can talk until we are blue in the face, but it is about taking action. So this is awesome, guys. I will put a link with the episode to get the PDF, if you so choose. I will put Serena's information in there as well, so that you can reach out to her. Uh, this has been truly amazing. I truly appreciate you, serena. Thank you so much for being on the podcast today and, guys, I hope you enjoyed it. Please, uh, if you have any questions, any comments, let me know, and until next time, guys, on the Spring Forward podcast. Bye-bye, bye.