Avoid fundraising burnout: Looking after your mental health during a challenge

Name: Campaign Against Living Miserably
Price range: $

Taking on a challenge of any kind can be tough.

We asked CALM supporters for their top tips for looking after their wellbeing and avoiding burnout.

A polaroid picture of a CALM runner, wearing a bright orange CALM vest. Smiling and running across a group of runners.

Taking on any challenge for CALM is immense - and you lot never stop astounding us with the lengths you go to for suicide prevention. Midnight hikes, ultramarathons, taking a bus from Derby to Penzance… We can always rely on you to go the extra mile to support our life-saving services.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. In fact, more and more of you are taking on seriously challenging feats of endurance in the name of suicide prevention. It can be easy to forget that you’ll probably face some pretty tough moments, mentally and physically. We often get asked for advice on how to manage loneliness, burnout, low mood and overwhelm when fundraising or raising awareness, and what to do when things get too much.

So we asked CALM supporters who’ve been there for their advice on looking after your mental health and avoiding burnout while fundraising for CALM. Read on for real-life tips and tricks from people who have been there, done that and got the CALM t-shirt. And remember, if you’re struggling before or during a challenge, we’re here to help.

Look after yourself to avoid burning out

When you take on a challenge, it’s natural to plan something that you find difficult - that’s the point, right? So it can feel counterintuitive to take your own needs into account.

But you can’t give on an empty tank, which means making sure you’re taking time to look after yourself. Have you eaten, had enough to drink or slept enough? Could you do with a day of rest? Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Pushing through when something doesn’t feel right can lead to injury or burnout.

You can also find anxiety and panic relief exercises on our CALMzone app for help getting through tough moments or overwhelm.

And remember, there’s loads of support on our site if you’re feeling low or need support.

Here’s what our CALM community had to say:

Hot bath + and audiobook
The support from people around me 💜 Good music to train to and snacks
Going out with friends

The fear of letting people down

Look, we get it. You set out to do something and you bloody well want to do it. The pressure people feel when fundraising can be huge, especially if things are getting tough on their challenge. ‘I don’t want to let anyone down’ is something we hear time and time again.

But as a suicide prevention charity, we want to be really clear. Your wellbeing is the most important thing, and the friends, family and colleagues who have supported you only want the best for you. Money raised, distance covered or whether or not your challenge was technically completed doesn’t take anything away from what you’ve achieved. Just by showing up and shouting about CALM, you’ll have made a difference.

So try to put fundraising targets and pressure on the backburner. You’re doing something incredible for CALM. If you need to stop, slow down, change your goal or postpone your challenge, that’s ok. Let us know and we’ll support you through whatever you’re facing. You can get in touch with our friendly fundraising team here if you need support.

Remembering no one wants you to suffer!
Doing your best is enough
Trying is the main thing. Be kind to yourself

Coping with isolation and loneliness

Taking on fundraising challenges like hikes, ultramarathons and solo journeys can be isolating. They often involve lots of time alone - and that can lead to lots of thinking time.

It’s great to get some alone time sometimes, but when planning for a long solo challenge, try to plan in some social time too. You lot recommend ringing a mate, or getting friends and family to join you at certain points. However you do it, build in time to connect with other people. Having someone to talk to or check in with can make long stretches alone feel much more manageable.

Calling someone I haven't in a long time
Making time to see my mates and having them join me on my challenge
The people around me when I'm going through a particularly hard section, I know I'm not alone

Remember why you’re taking on your challenge

When you’re finding things tough, take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate the massive thing you’re doing for suicide prevention.

If you’re doing something in memory of a loved one, take time to connect with that feeling. Your support helps us make a life-saving difference to people’s lives through our suicide prevention helpline and support services.

We really couldn’t do it without you. If you feel up to it, build ways to remember your why into your challenge. It could be what you wear, what you listen to or the snacks you eat. Having those little reminders with you can give you a boost when things get tough.

To remember to honour our lost loved ones
Remembering the many reasons why I choose to stay

Know when to stop or ask for help

We all plan our challenges and events with the best intentions, but life happens. If things are too much, or you’re struggling with your mental health, it’s important to know when to stop.

You’re in control of your challenge, and the most important thing is to stay safe and healthy.

Remembering I'm not alone and to ask for help if I'm struggling
Joining a community for training

It’s ok if things get emotional

Taking on a challenge for suicide prevention is a properly incredible thing to do. But it can sometimes bring up difficult feelings or bring grief closer to the surface - especially if f you’ve got personal experience of struggling or losing someone. If you think this might be the case for you, try to plan time and space for yourself to process and decompress.

If you find yourself struggling, becoming overwhelmed, or things are getting too much, it’s ok to stop. Your health and wellbeing is more important than any challenge.

And remember, if a challenge or fundraiser is making you feel low, help is available. If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, or with a bereaveent, get support here.

Try to enjoy it

If you can build enjoyment into your challenge, you’re more likely to reach the finish line and avoid fundraising burnout.

So get planning the playlist, packing the snacks, loading up the audiobooks or activating the group chat for motivational messages. Think about things that’ll help get you through the toughest moments and build them into your plan.

Stopping for a properly good burger en route? Planning an after-event pint with family? Or getting through the trilogy you’ve been meaning to read for the past year? Choose what works for you.

Believe in yourself!

We’ll be cheering you on no matter what, but remember to cheer yourself on too.

Taking on a challenge for CALM is something to be proud of, whatever happens along the way. Trust the training and planning you’ve put in, listen to yourself when things get tough, and remember that changing your plans doesn’t undo everything you’ve achieved.

You’ve got this.