Brittany Sawrey-Coulson is a conservationist and mental health therapist in a private practice in Arizona, USA. During her first career she was immersed in her passion for wildlife ecology and zookeeping, before she recognised her passion for… people!

Brittany now spends her professional life sitting one-on-one with people working through trauma and life transition – including anything from anxiety and depression, to career change, childhood trauma and more.

Combining her two passions, Brittany is known as the conservation therapist. In this interview we discuss ways to cultivate a positive mindset for a sustainable career with wildlife, whilst managing the mental health challenges that inevitably come with passion-motivated career pathways like this one!

Taking care of your mental health as a conservationist

As guardians of the natural world, conservationists face unique challenges that necessitate a holistic approach to well-being. By embracing self-compassion, seeking community support, defining personal paths and prioritising autonomy and resilience, conservationists can cultivate sustainable careers while nurturing their mental health.

Embrace self-compassion

Brittany emphasises the significance of extending grace to oneself during times of career transition. Rather than succumbing to guilt or self-judgment, recognise that each step in your journey serves a purpose. Self-compassion allows conservationists to navigate changes with resilience and self-awareness.

Seek community support

Navigating career shifts can feel daunting, but surrounding yourself with a supportive community can provide clarity and perspective. Collaborative dialogue fosters growth and enables conservationists to make informed decisions about their career paths. Therefore, seek out mentors and peers who understand your journey and can offer valuable insights.

Define your unique path

Brittany encourages individuals to reflect on their passions and talents when considering career transitions. Rather than adhering to societal expectations or external pressures, prioritise alignment with personal values and aspirations. By embracing authenticity and self-discovery, conservationists can carve out fulfilling career trajectories. After all, comparison is so often the thief of joy!

Embrace autonomy and boundaries

Ultimately, you are the steward of your own life and career. While external expectations may influence decision-making, it’s essential to prioritise personal fulfilment and well-being. Set boundaries to prevent burnout and allocate time for self-care activities. By honouring autonomy and self-care, conservationists can sustainably pursue their professional endeavours.

Cultivate resilience and awareness

Conservation work often entails confronting challenging realities and experiencing compassion fatigue. Brittany emphasises the importance of resilience and awareness in navigating these complexities. So, acknowledge the impact of trauma and prioritise strategies for coping and recovery.

Conservation organisations play a crucial role in supporting frontline conservationists by providing resources, debriefing sessions, and trauma-informed training.

Managing burnout with boundaries and balance

In the fast-paced world of conservation, where the focus is often on saving wildlife and preserving ecosystems, mental health can sometimes take a backseat. Just like the goose in Aesop’s Fable, conservationists are the ones laying the golden eggs of impactful work each day.

For context, the “goose that laid the golden egg” is a fable (or story with a moral teaching) by Aesop which tells of a farmer who discovers one of his geese lays eggs of pure gold which makes him wealthy. With time, he becomes greedy for more eggs each day and decides to slaughter the goose and take all the gold from inside it. However, when he looks inside he finds it was just a regular goose with a special gift – and because he has killed it, there are no more golden eggs.

Without proper care and nurturing, conservationists risk burning out and losing their ability to continue their vital contributions to the field.

Although it can manifest differently for everyone – burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion, often due to prolonged stress or anxiety. To hear more about burnout, tune into this candid conversation on the Conservation Careers podcast.

Recognising the signs of burnout

Burnout is often considered a syndrome or collection of symptoms. In its earlier stages, burnout often manifests as a feeling of being overwhelmed and overworked. This often stems from a mindset where individuals feel compelled to sacrifice their own well-being for the greater mission. In its later stages, burnout can cause severe exhaustion, pessimism, cynicism and an apathy for your personal needs, all of which can cause disconnection with your “why” and the people around you.

Navigating burnout in challenging circumstances

Nevertheless, not everyone has the privilege to slow down or make significant changes due to financial constraints or job insecurity. It’s important to look for small, free ways to prioritise self-care, such as taking short walks or practicing mindfulness techniques.

Setting boundaries and seeking support

Working with mentors, therapists or coaches can help establish and maintain boundaries, even in demanding work environments. Saying no to additional tasks or responsibilities is essential for protecting one’s mental health in the long run.

Addressing systemic issues in conservation

But creating a healthier and more sustainable work environment for conservationists is not completely up to us as individuals! Brittany suggests that similar to other passion-motivated jobs, competition and underfunding can create a culture of overworking. To counter this, it is important for conservationists to consider the opportunities and the conditions they accept – and to advocate for fair pay and good working conditions for longevity in this field.

Cultivating self-worth and compassion

This is all a part of shifting the narrative from glorifying overwork to valuing the well-being of individuals and encouraging open discussions about mental health struggles to combat feelings of shame and inadequacy.

Understanding imposter syndrome

Conservation is a field that many compassionate individuals gravitate to. Feeling a sense of purpose and love for nature is something to be celebrated – but it can also attract inherent mental health challenges such as burnout, low self-worth and imposter syndrome.

While it’s natural to feel some uncertainty or nervousness when confronted by challenging situations, imposter syndrome is the name given to those deep feelings of fear, inadequacy and self-doubt which often lead to self-sabotage, severe anxiety or self-confidence hitting rock bottom. If left unchecked, imposter syndrome can affect all areas of your work, life, downtime, relationships and emotional wellbeing.

Brittany offers a profound analogy likening mental health to the management of weeds and roots. Imposter syndrome, a common struggle among conservationists, often represents the “weed” above the surface. Coping mechanisms like affirmations can help address these visible symptoms.

However, Brittany emphasises the importance of delving deeper, addressing the underlying ‘roots’ of these issues, which often lie in our core beliefs and self-perceptions. Seeking professional guidance can aid in this introspective journey.

Coping strategies and self-worth:

Brittany advocates for a compassionate approach towards oneself. Rather than combating the critical inner voice of imposter syndrome, she encourages listening to it with curiosity.

By understanding the underlying fears and motivations behind these thoughts, individuals can begin to challenge and reframe them. Recognising that imposter syndrome stems from a desire to protect oneself can foster self-compassion and growth.

Practical tips for conservationists:

So, what are practical everyday ways we can take care of our mental health as conservationists?

Brittany reminds us how many free or low-cost resources are out there to help conservationists with resource constraints and emphasises the importance of investing time and energy into our mental wellness through accessible resources such as workshops, TED talks, and self-help materials.

Secondly, she advocates for maintaining diverse passions outside of conservation to provide a source of joy and resilience during challenging times.

In the pursuit of safeguarding our planet’s biodiversity, it’s imperative not to overlook the well-being of the individuals driving this noble cause. By prioritising mental health, conservationists can cultivate resilience, compassion, and sustainable impact. After all, it’s not just about individual well-being; it’s essential for the sustainability and effectiveness of conservation efforts as a whole.

By recognising the signs of burnout including exhaustion, pessimism, cynicism and a reduction in empathy or passion; setting boundaries; and advocating for systemic change, conservationists can continue to make meaningful contributions to protecting our planet’s biodiversity while also nurturing their well-being.

For more about burnout, listen to this candid conversation on the Conservation Careers podcast.

Keep in touch

Want to hear more from Brittany? You can follow her adventures on Instagram @the_conservation_therapist.

 

Author Profile | Susie Stockwell

Susie Stockwell (she/her) is a field ecologist, science communicator and creator of the blog and podcast, #itsawildlife, a platform to support people on their journey to work their dream job in wildlife science or conservation. Based on beautiful Menang country on the south coast of Western Australia, Susie is passionate about finding novel solutions for wildlife conservation and opening up the space to promote engagement and involvement for everyone interested in pursuing this career.

 

Interviews, Professional Development