Activism is emotionally taxing. Engaging with injustice, trauma, and urgent crises takes a toll. Taking care of your mental health isn't selfish or weak - it's essential for sustained work. This section provides resources for staying mentally healthy while staying engaged.
Remember:
You can't pour from an empty cup
Rest is not retreat
It's okay to not be okay
Seeking help is strength
You don't have to do everything
Burnout is common among activists. Recognizing it early helps you address it before it becomes debilitating.
Building sustainable activism practices helps prevent burnout before it starts.
Much activism involves encountering trauma - in stories we hear, events we witness, or our own experiences. Understanding trauma helps us engage more sustainably.
Caring about suffering takes emotional energy. Compassion fatigue is the cost of caring, and it's real.
Many activists struggle with anxiety - about the world, about whether they're doing enough, about the future. Here's how to manage it.
Sometimes you need to step back. That's okay. Here's how to take breaks without guilt and how to return when ready.