Being an outspoken and active advocate for important causes is an effective way to enact real change and shift the course of history. As important as those fights are—both to the collective well-being of others and our own innate desire to leave an imprint—it can take a toll on our mental health.
| Let's take five minutes to see this week in a new light. | | | Being an outspoken and active advocate for important causes is an effective way to enact real change and shift the course of history. As important as those fights are—both to the collective well-being of others and our own innate desire to leave an imprint—it can take a toll on our mental health. | | | There are many ways to fight for social change, but they can all put you at risk of burnout if you don't allow yourself some time to recover and get adequate rest." | | — KRYSTAL JAGOO, MSW, RSW | | | When we're impassioned, heated—and perhaps even afraid—we often find ourselves in this "go, go, go" mode that can end up negatively impacting our mental and even physical health. Taking a moment to breathe can help you refuel, and ensures that your cup is full enough to contribute to others' cups. When we find better balance, we can better sustain that momentum and inner drive to effect change. | Try the following to help avoid mental and physical exhaustion as you help to fight for social change.
- Lead With Your Values: The reality is that we have a finite amount of time and energy to personally give to social causes. Identifying your core values and channeling your focus into those causes can help.
- Recognize When You're Tired: When you start to notice signs of burnout, don't keep pressing yourself. Common signs include feeling drained, shorter tempers and increased irritability, loss of enthusiasm, and physical symptoms like headaches and digestive issues.
- Take Care of Yourself Physically:Don't forget to nurture your body with sleep, healthy food, and exercise. Also prioritize meaningful practices that slow a racing mind, such as yoga, journaling, creative work, and meditation.
- Utilize Existing Framework: You don't have to rebuild the map from scratch to fight for social change. In many cases, there's existing framework already in place, including established advocacy groups, charitable foundations, planned protests and rallies, online forums for discussion, and even written letters to government officials that you can copy or redraft in your own words.
- Celebrate Milestones:While the greater fight might require many years of hard work, it's important to celebrate small victories along the way. This can keep morale high and demonstrates that you're effecting change in real time, too.
| | Ways to Stay Positive This Week | | | Ways to Nurture Your Mind and Body | This week, take five minutes to identify some of your key signs of fatigue and burnout and commit to taking rest when they appear. Also take some time to identify the key causes you want to allocate your time to and research existing framework that exists to advocate for that cause. | | | |
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