Hesperian Health Guides
Chapter 9: Helping ourselves to do this work
The work of helping others can be energizing and fulfilling. But sometimes, we can become over-stressed and left feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. Being aware of our own feelings and taking care of ourselves helps us stay healthy and better able to promote social justice, well-being, and mental health for the whole community.
To get through this work, I remind myself of 2 things. First, with the resources I have, I can’t help everyone. Second, I will not blame myself for my stress and burnout. Society created this mess and whether I can do a lot or only a little, we are all in this together.
The daily hassles and past hardships of our own lives help define who we are and are part of what makes us good at helping others. They also complicate our interactions with others. The ideas and experiences we bring to a situation include assumptions and prejudices we might not be aware of, so making a space to examine our own issues is important. This is especially true when we are working with others from a different background or culture, and when relations seem more difficult than usual. Noticing how systems and situations create burnout are often first steps to strategies to lower collective stress in our groups and workplaces.
This page was updated:18 Apr 2025