When it comes to fundraising for charity, it’s easy to overlook your own well-being in the pursuit of making a difference for others. But how can you put in your best efforts whilst burnt out and stressed?
Most of the time? You can’t.
BSSF Student Leaders have their significant deal of responsibilities. They must balance their personal school and extracurricular obligations whilst leading intense fundraising initiatives at their school.
But being a Student Leader doesn’t need to be stressful. By building crucial habits, you can build a foundation for your own well-being that allows you to succeed to your greatest potential in a leadership role.
1) Planning Ahead
Being a Student Leader can be a task-heavy role which can easily become overwhelming.
However, planning ahead and scheduling is an easy method to minimize stress.
Using tools such as lists to pre-plan tasks, emails that must be sent, or meetings that must be organized is essential to keeping yourself on track and not burdened in the moment.
2) Rest and Fuel
In order to undergo a role such as Student Leader for BSSF, prioritizing sleep and nutrition is crucial.
Both are required for you to function properly, make your best decisions, and respond to issues effectively.
The simple act of fueling your body and allowing yourself enough time to sleep can reduce extreme stress and allow you to be rejuvenated for whatever tasks await.
Aariz Mawji, Director and Founder of the BSSF, emphasises the importance of rest and breaks through his personal experiences.
“Some things I do to calm myself down when things get intense are walking around, playing a game, or just taking a simple 2-minute break. Taking breaks is crucial, even if it’s just 5 minutes of unplug time.”
3) Self-Reflection
An overlooked habit to skyrocket productivity whilst avoiding burnout is self reflection.
Whether you choose to do this on a daily or weekly basis, or simply after challenges, self reflection allows you to actively grow by recognizing successes and areas of improvement.
Therefore, self-reflection, such as through means like a journal or simply internally, you can ensure each step of your journey as a Student Leader is more efficient and successful than the last.
Even after implementing these healthy lifestyle choices, it’s still completely normal to experience stressful periods as a Student Leader. What matters most is the way you choose to deal with these periods.
During these periods, you may experience difficulty concentrating, irritability, exhaustion, lack of motivation, and falling behind on fundraising or personal responsibilities.
Prioritizing small and consistent changes rather than drastic overnight shifts in your habits will be your way out of stressful ruts, allowing yourself to be a more reliable and productive leader and student.
Above all, integrating healthy habits into your life at a gradual pace is what can truly allow you to make your fundraising experience meaningful for both yourself and others.
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