Many of us are living and working in a similar moment.

Funding is unpredictable. Demand is rising. Policies are less clear. Cultural norms are shifting.

This isn’t just about the work, it’s about what we care about.

We chose this work because it reflects what matters to us. When those areas come under pressure, it becomes personal.

The work has increased, and as leaders we feel it directly. Much of that weight is not visible. It shows up in conversations, relationships, and in the responsibility we carry for the people around us.

The challenge is not just managing the work. It is managing ourselves within it.

Taking care of ourselves is part of leadership.

1. Return to Why You Do This Work

Under pressure, it is easy to move from one issue to the next and lose sight of why the work matters, especially when everything feels urgent.

Staying connected to why helps us stay grounded when things shift.

Practical application: Set aside 10 minutes at the start of your week. Write one sentence that answers: why does this work matter right now? Keep it visible and return to it.

2. Set Boundaries

Many of us operate as if we need to carry everything that matters.

Over time, that leaves us drained.

It’s easy to overextend ourselves, especially when the work feels important and urgent.

This is not just about time. It is about noticing where you are overextending yourself and giving yourself room to recover.

Practical application: Consider one place this week where you can put a boundary in place. Notice where you are stretched too thin and make one adjustment that gives you space to recover.

Not everything that matters is ours to carry.

3. Create a Small Support Circle

Leadership can feel isolating, especially when expectations are high and resources are limited.

It’s easy to carry decisions on your own, especially when you’re trying to hold things together for others.

Without a place to talk things through, we end up carrying it all alone.

Practical application: Consider reaching out to two people you trust and scheduling a 30-minute check-in this month. Choose people who understand the work or can meet you as a peer. It’s easy to rely only on a partner, spouse, or close friends, but they may not fully understand the day-to-day pressures of the work, and we can end up overloading them. Use this time to speak openly about what you are dealing with. Before you end, put the next check-in on the calendar.

4. Step Back Before You React

When pressure builds, it is easy to move from one thing to the next without pausing, emails that land hard, last-minute requests, a tense conversation, a board question you weren’t expecting.

Most of what escalates doesn’t come from the situation itself, it comes from how quickly we react to it.

Over time, that leaves us feeling scattered and worn down.

Practical application: Pause before you respond. If you can, step outside and take a short walk. Then come back and respond.

5. Take Care of Yourself the Way You Care for Others

Most of us support our teams well. We are less likely to do the same for ourselves.

Over time, you feel it.

Practical application: At the end of each week, take 10 minutes to reset. Write down what is draining you, what is helping you, and one adjustment you will make next week. Then make the adjustment.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t letting up anytime soon.

Things around nonprofit work are changing, and many of us respond by carrying more and pushing harder. That may work for a while. It doesn’t last.

Small adjustments, practiced consistently, help us keep our footing, return to why, set boundaries, stay connected, step back, and take care of ourselves.

We do this work because it matters. Taking care of ourselves is what allows us to keep doing it.

David Huff is a nonprofit founder and leadership strategist.