Benita Williams's Top YEE Tips

**4 min read**

For young and emerging evaluators there is plenty of advice about how to gain the necessary skills and knowledge, and how to get the right experience in evaluation. These technical aspects of evaluation are very important. A part of being an evaluation consultant, one that people rarely talk about, is managing the emotional side of your work. Evaluators, much like other aid workers are likely to experience "work stress including extremely heavy workloads, long hours and limited time for self-care" which may lead to mental health issues including depression, burnout and anxiety.

In this post, I'd like to share some difficulties that evaluators need to be prepared for and share a non-exhaustive list of tips on how to prevent or address them. Some of these challenges are not specific to evaluation per se but may be worthwhile to be aware of.

Despite the difficulties, the rewards of being involved in something manageable, meaningful and comprehensible is bound to lead to a greater sense of fulfilment. Research has shown that this has positive health outcomes, so strive for it. Being an evaluator can be intensely rewarding too.