There's something deeply contradictory at the heart of how we organize social change work in America. The people most committed to solving the world's pressing problems are systematically burning themselves out at rates that would shock us in any other sector. This isn't just unfortunate … it's strategically counterproductive.
Josh Feldman has spent years thinking about this paradox, and his nonprofit, R&R: The Rest of Our Lives, represents one of the most interesting experiments I've encountered in reimagining how we sustain the people doing society's most essential work. What makes their approach fascinating isn't just that they're advocating for rest—it's how they're thinking systematically about rest as infrastructure for social change.
The Shocking Need for Rest
Let's start with the data, because the numbers here are striking. A recent report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy found that 95% of nonprofit leaders are concerned about staff burnout, and nearly half struggle to fill vacant positions. Separate research from the Social Impact Staff Retention (SISR) Project found that seven out of ten nonprofit staff in 2025 will be looking for or considering looking for new jobs.
These aren't just workplace satisfaction metrics. When the people running our food banks, homeless shelters, and advocacy organizations burn out, our entire civic infrastructure suffers.
The question Feldman is grappling with is whether we can design better systems—not just encourage individuals to take better care of themselves.
From Boundaries to Guardrails
One of the most compelling distinctions Feldman makes is between boundaries and guardrails. Boundaries, he argues, put the burden on individuals to resist a system designed to extract maximum productivity. You're the one who has to decide not to check email at 9 PM or work weekends. But guardrails, in contrast, are systemic. They're built into the structure so individuals don't have to make those decisions constantly.
This reminded Josh of universal design principles. When we build wheelchair ramps, we don't just help people in wheelchairs—we help parents with strollers, delivery workers, anyone carrying heavy loads. Similarly, systemic approaches to rest and sustainability don't just help the most burned out; they create conditions where everyone can do better work.
The “Break Week” Experiment
R&R has been piloting something they call "Break Weeks"—synchronous vacations where entire organizations shut down simultaneously. The results, according to Feldman, mirror what they see with individual sabbaticals: people don't just feel more rested, they return more creative, more engaged, and organizations see better retention and recruitment.
What's interesting about this approach is how it addresses one of the persistent problems with American vacation culture: the dread of returning to an overflowing inbox and accumulated work!! We’ve all been there.
But when everyone takes time off together, that problem largely disappears.
The AI Question
Toward the end of our conversation, Feldman raised something I think about a lot: how artificial intelligence will reshape work, and whether we'll be prepared to steer that transformation in humane directions. He argues we're in "likely the most disruptive moment in what work will become in our lifetime," and that having clear values about rest and human experience now will be crucial as we navigate that transition.
This strikes me as exactly right. The question isn't whether AI will change how we work—it's whether we'll shape that change or be shaped by it. Organizations that have already figured out how to prioritize human sustainability and creativity will be better positioned to leverage technology in ways that enhance rather than replace human capacity.
Rest + the Bottom Line
Josh is a ray of sunshine, even within the hardest of sector topics. And the case for rest isn't just that people deserve it (though they do), but that organizations with better rest cultures get better results. They recruit better, retain talent longer, and create conditions for the kind of breakthrough thinking that our biggest challenges require.
Key Themes Explored
The paradox of burnout in mission-driven work
Systems change vs. individual behavior change
Universal design principles applied to workplace culture
The relationship between rest and creativity
How AI will reshape the future of work
Intergenerational perspectives on work and sustainability
The business case for rest in nonprofit organizations
Sources and Further Reading
Books mentioned in the conversation:
We Will Rest!: The Art of Escape by Tricia Hersey
Hachette Book Group | Barnes & Noble | GoodreadsWintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
Author's Website | Penguin Random House | Barnes & Noble
Organizations and research:
R&R The Rest of Our Lives - Josh Feldman's leads this nonprofit as CEO. They provide sabbatical grants and organizational rest consulting. Check them out! You can find Josh on LinkedIn here.
The Nap Ministry - Tricia Hersey's organization promoting rest as resistance
Social Impact Staff Retention Project - Research showing nonprofit turnover trends
Center for Effective Philanthropy - Source of burnout statistics cited in the intro
Poetry referenced:
David Whyte - "Rested we're ready for the world but not held hostage by it. Rested we care again for the right things and the right people in the right ways. In rest we reestablish the goals that make us more generous, more courageous, more of an invitation."
