{"id":673613,"date":"2025-06-05T15:40:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T12:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-changemakers-burn-out-and-how-to-burn-bright-instead\/"},"modified":"2025-06-05T15:40:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T12:40:19","slug":"why-changemakers-burn-out-and-how-to-burn-bright-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-changemakers-burn-out-and-how-to-burn-bright-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"Why changemakers burn out \u2014 and how to burn bright instead"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a313e5d07b97\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a313e5d07b97\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-changemakers-burn-out-and-how-to-burn-bright-instead\/#Burnout_is_not_a_personal_failure_Its_a_system_response\" >Burnout is not a personal failure. It\u2019s a system response<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-changemakers-burn-out-and-how-to-burn-bright-instead\/#Why_we_care_about_the_other_side_of_change\" >Why we care about the other side of change<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-changemakers-burn-out-and-how-to-burn-bright-instead\/#What_decision-makers_must_do_now\" >What decision-makers must do now<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-changemakers-burn-out-and-how-to-burn-bright-instead\/#Burn_bright_not_out\" >Burn bright, not out<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n<p><em>This piece is part of our \u201cAsk<\/em><em>\u00a0the Expert,\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> where experts share their insights into some of the most pressing questions facing our tech ecosystem. Sign-up for your spot on Santa Meyer-Nandi\u2019s Ask the Expert session about \u201cHow\u00a0to burn bright, not out\u201d at TNW2025 on June 20 at 15:30.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In our work \u2014 whether shaping sustainable management frameworks, advising climate innovation funds, or guiding impact entrepreneurs \u2014 we see the same silent barrier <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear again and again:<\/p>\n<p>People are burning out, even as their ideas succeed.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s not because they\u2019re disorganised or weak. Quite the opposite.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tnw.events\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tnw.events\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The \ud83d\udc9c of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>What we see is high-functioning burnout. The founder who delivers and performs but can\u2019t sleep. The policymaker whose campaigns are technically successful but whose nervous system is stuck in survival mode. The sustainability lead who\u2019s holding transformation inside an institution \u2014 without feeling held herself.<\/p>\n<p>It often looks fine from the outside. But it slowly erodes motivation, creativity, and resilience\u2014qualities that are essential for long-term change.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Burnout_is_not_a_personal_failure_Its_a_system_response\"><\/span>Burnout is not a personal failure. It\u2019s a system response<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The World Health Organization recognizes burnout as a workplace phenomenon linked to chronic, unmanaged stress. According to a 2022 study by The Hartford, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbia.com\/news\/hr-safety\/high-employee-burnout-rates-productivity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">30% of employees reported being less engaged<\/a> with their work due to burnout and 25% struggled to concentrate. While these figures are already concerning, they likely underestimate the deeper toll burnout takes in fields like sustainability, public service, or systems change\u2014where the stakes are high and the emotional load is rarely named.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, research published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine points to the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/40436621\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">substantial impact of mental health <\/a>\u2014 related absenteeism and presenteeism on workplace productivity. But in our experience, the cost is not only economic \u2014 it\u2019s relational, cultural, and strategic. Burnout often changes the arc of a project long before it becomes visible on paper.<\/p>\n<p>Because these individuals are not just managing deadlines.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re managing resistance. Complexity. Emotional labor. Moral pressure. All while pioneering new paths \u2014 often without a map, and often without peers who truly understand the terrain.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve worked in boardrooms and ministries. We\u2019ve led public funds and cross-sector partnerships. Again and again, it\u2019s not the lack of good ideas or smart tools that stalls momentum.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the human architecture. It\u2019s whether the people involved feel grounded, seen, and supported \u2014 both professionally and personally.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_we_care_about_the_other_side_of_change\"><\/span>Why we care about the other side of change<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019m an environmental lawyer by training. My co-founder, Dr. Anna Katharina Meyer, has worked across the energy transition, climate finance, and sustainability strategy. Together, we\u2019ve spent years shaping the technical and financial architecture of change: regulation, investments, governance.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, time and again, we\u2019ve seen projects falter not because the ideas weren\u2019t <span style=\"color: #111111;\">sound \u2014 but<\/span>\u00a0because the people holding them were too depleted to continue.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest invisible cost in systemic change is emotional and relational.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve seen teams fall apart not for lack of passion \u2014 but because they lacked the space to recover and reconnect. Not because people didn\u2019t care \u2014 but because they cared alone.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we\u2019ve started speaking more publicly about what we used to consider \u201cside issues\u201d: well-being, self-regulation, and emotional sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>Because they\u2019re not side issues at all.<\/p>\n<p>What matters is not just what tools people have \u2014 but whether the environment allows them to use them fully. We\u2019re not romanticising slowness. We\u2019re professionalizing resilience.<\/p>\n<p>Teams that are regulated, connected, and psychologically safe make better decisions.<br \/>That\u2019s not just a psychological insight. It\u2019s a strategic one.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_decision-makers_must_do_now\"><\/span>What decision-makers must do now<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re funding, leading, or designing systems of transformation, here are four places to begin:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Create safety inside ambition.<br \/>High performance and psychological safety are not opposites. They are prerequisites for sustainable excellence.<\/li>\n<li>Fund communities, not just projects.<br \/>Strategic alignment isn\u2019t enough. People need peer relationships and mutual recognition to stay in the work long enough to succeed.<\/li>\n<li>Value emotional sustainability.<br \/>Leaders and teams doing heavy emotional labor need spaces where they can step out of their roles and be human. That\u2019s not indulgent\u2014it\u2019s intelligent.<\/li>\n<li>Treat self-management and well-being as operational priorities.<br \/>Build rhythms for pause, reflection, and recovery into your systems \u2014 especially in high-pressure cycles.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Burn_bright_not_out\"><\/span>Burn bright, not out<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The future will be shaped by those who can hold complexity \u2014 and\u00a0stay well while doing it. By leaders who know that change doesn\u2019t only live in frameworks, but in culture. By teams that understand that sustainable impact requires internal sustainability too.<\/p>\n<p>If we want transformation to last, we need structures that help people stay in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> long enough to truly change it.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/why-changemakers-burn-out-and-how-to-burn-bright-instead\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This piece is part of our \u201cAsk\u00a0the Expert,\u201d\u00a0series where experts share their insights into some of the most pressing questions facing our tech ecosystem. Sign-up for your spot on Santa Meyer-Nandi\u2019s Ask the Expert session about \u201cHow\u00a0to burn bright, not out\u201d at TNW2025 on June 20 at 15:30. In our work \u2014 whether shaping sustainable&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":673614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2025%2F06%2Fchristian-erfurt-sxQz2VfoFBE-unsplash.jpg&signature=b35ed4cb2946e7ed582975a83b3d16af","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-673613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=673613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/673614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=673613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=673613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=673613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}