How To Avoid Activist Burnout
Words by Cileme Venkateswar (she/her)
Youth have always been an integral part of activist movements but social media has increased political literacy and global social awareness in younger generations. As a result, youth take on far more responsibility in activism, determined to make change on issues that will have drastic consequences on our collective future. But we’re young, still learning to balance adult responsibilities, and this all-or-nothing attitude towards activism is doing more harm than good.
The main causes of activist burnout are:
Emotional and physical exhaustion
Feeling jaded and cynical about your cause(s)
Doubting that you’re making a difference
If you’re starting to lose momentum in your drive to make change, see if any of the following might help:
1. Care for your body and mind
Use the Te Whare Tapa Whā model to identify your needs and how they can be met:
Taha tinana (physical health)
Taha wairua (spiritual health)
Taha whānau (family health)
Taha hinengaro (mental health)
2. Create healthy boundaries
Unhealthy attitudes about the perceived ‘selfishness’ of burning out are prevalent in activist circles. While it’s a privilege to be able to switch off to a non-politicised state, activism culture needs to shift to address personal burnout and widespread toxic work ethics within youth activism.
Schedule ‘action hours’ into your week where you intentionally set aside time to work on activism-driven tasks. Such boundaries ensure this work is blocked into your schedule but doesn’t prevent you from focusing on your life and studies.
3. Develop a balanced relationship with media and social media
Social media is vital in 21st century activism. But it can be overwhelming to work towards one cause… only to see a million more arising. It’s important to stay aware of current events, but obsessive doom scrolling can lead to feeling hopeless and disillusioned with your work.
4. Don’t go it alone
No single person is the hero in activism. You’re the result of generations before you and your work will empower generations after you. Learn to step up and step back. Build a community to keep you motivated and to share both wins and losses with.
5. A therapist can be part of your support system
Some activists cannot step back from their cause because social justice is linked to their lives and communities. Activist burnout can be debilitating because it’s tied to identity, injustice, and a sense of control over actions and consequences. Getting professional help through therapy or counselling that helps with the anxiety, disillusionment, and exhaustion of working in activism can be a necessary addition to a support system.
6. Keep track of your wins
The issues we’re fighting for come from centuries of systemic injustice. It’ll take far longer than we’ve been involved in activism to enact long-lasting change. Recognise and celebrate small wins that will make future efforts easier for you and other activists. Legislative changes, election wins, raised awareness, reports of improvement and acceptance—these all count as victories. You are making the world a better place.