Managing Burnout: Rethinking the Way We Refill Our Tank
By Erica Cordeiro, Grants Consultant

Career burnout is very real in grants management. With huge responsibilities, strict deadlines, and the constant pressure of aligning programs with funder expectations, many of us hit the wall sooner than we’d like to admit. The advice we usually hear? Step away from your work: take a walk, meditate, go on vacation, pick up a hobby, or drink more water. These are all wonderful and necessary, but if you’ve tried them, you know they often provide only temporary relief.



So what do you do when the vacation glow fades and the inbox is still overflowing? One answer may be to stop stepping away from your career—and instead start leaning into it. Here are a few “outside the box” approaches I’ve found can truly help rekindle passion and keep burnout from becoming the defining chapter of your professional story.



1. Rediscover Why You Fell in Love with the Work



When was the last time you paused to ask yourself: Why did I choose this field? Burnout often clouds that original spark. Reconnecting with your “why” is more than a pep talk—it’s about intentionally revisiting the parts of your career that once excited you.



Try journaling about what first drew you to grants management. Was it the satisfaction of stewarding dollars to nonprofits doing critical work? The intellectual puzzle of compliance and regulations? The joy of helping mission-driven organizations succeed? By pinpointing your entry point, you can often find ways to reignite that same energy in your current work.



2. Expand Your Perspective Beyond Your Usual Seat



One of the most powerful burnout antidotes is stepping into another vantage point—while staying within your field. For me, the turning point came after leaving my job having years of experience as a federal grants management specialist. I knew every clause of 2 CFR 200, but I had never experienced the other side: what it feels like to be a nonprofit organization struggling to win and manage a grant.



Switching gears to consulting has been eye-opening. Suddenly, I wasn’t just enforcing compliance rules; I was helping organizations tell their stories, build strategies, and compete for funding. This role reversal didn’t just expand my expertise—it gave me new respect and energy for the work.



You don’t need to change careers to try this. Volunteer to review grants for a local foundation. Shadow a program officer. Teach a grant writing workshop at a community college. These fresh perspectives will challenge you, sharpen your skills, and remind you why your work matters.



3. Turn Learning into a Hobby



Self-care doesn’t always have to mean leaving your work behind. What if your “hobby” could be a form of professional play? Take an online course in a skill adjacent to your role, such as nonprofit storytelling, data visualization, or even AI tools for grants management. Start a blog where you translate the complexity of grants into plain English. Mentor a student who’s curious about entering the field.



By channeling curiosity into side projects, you trick your brain into seeing your career not as an endless grind, but as a living subject you get to explore on your own terms. It’s less about “work” and more about intellectual joy.



4. Build Micro-Moments of Mastery



Burnout often comes from feeling like no matter how much you do, you’re always behind. One antidote? Design tiny, achievable wins. Instead of putting “Award five grants today” on your list, try breaking it into micro-goals like “Review these statements of work today” or “Review submitted budget proposals by noon.”



Celebrate these small victories. Not with balloons or cupcakes (though those are nice) but with a simple acknowledgment: I moved the needle forward today. Over time, this habit rewires your relationship with deadlines, replacing overwhelm with steady progress.



5. Create Your Own “Career Ecosystem”



Finally, remember you are not a single role—you are an ecosystem. Maybe you are a grants manager, but you’re also a writer, mentor, strategist, or teacher. Burnout often happens when we let one role swallow all the others.



So, diversify. Build space for the other parts of your professional identity to thrive. For example, you might dedicate one hour a week to writing an article on best practices, or schedule quarterly meetups with peers to exchange fresh ideas. These outlets give oxygen to your ecosystem, making the whole system healthier and more sustainable.



Closing Thought



Managing burnout isn’t about escaping your work—it’s about reframing your relationship with it. By leaning in, shifting perspectives, and creating opportunities for curiosity and mastery, you can transform burnout from a dead end into a bridge toward deeper fulfillment.



The next time you feel bogged down, instead of asking, “How can I get away from this?” try asking, “What fresh angle can I discover within this?” You might just find that the spark you thought was gone was only waiting for you to see your career from a new light.