4 young social impact leaders open up about how they manage mental wellness

The social impact workforce is overworked and overwhelmed, but these leaders are doing things differently

Why It Matters

A sector-wide mental health crisis is looming. Young people are far more likely to report experiencing stress, burnout, anxiety and depression than previous generations. At the same time, youth are also more likely to pursue purpose-oriented careers โ€” and the social impact sector can be high-stress, with an overworked and underpaid workforce.

Young people want purposeful careers. Some research even suggests theyโ€™d be willing to take a pay cut for a job that aligns with their values.ย 

But โ€”ย especially in times of crisis, like now โ€”ย a career in helping people can be mentally taxing. Communities social purpose organizations serve are devastated by the pandemic, health-wise, socially and economically, and trying to respond to the magnitude of that devastation is taking a toll on the sectorโ€™s workers. Experts say a sector-wide mental health crisis is looming.ย 

The good news is that thereโ€™s a new generation of social impact professionals working hard t

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