Rekindle: Keeping Your Light Lit
Anyone else tired? No, just me?
Believe me, this is not how I anticipated starting this new year.
Doing the work that I do to support social change means, for me, embodying enough optimism to imagine that things can be better. And it means carrying that optimism sometimes for others who don’t have the energy for the burden.
Our world feels fractured in some really significant and harmful ways right now. People are polarized and optimism can be hard to come by. And yet…
Reconnecting with your unique purpose provides a solid foundation for reigniting motivation. For me, it was experiencing deep poverty as a young person. I completely realized that I was invisible and discountable to some people simply because of my economic status. And that felt terrible. I wanted to change that for myself, and I wanted to change it for others. It was that drive for economic justice and compassion that got me started and those are still things that I work for, and care deeply about.
We know that social change work requires collective effort, but it becomes hard to remember that when we feel like we are doing all the heavy lifting. When we feel like we are working alone more than we are working in community with others the tiredness can feel overwhelming. And there is so much heavy lifting required today. And things can feel like they are moving forward at a snail’s pace.
The journey of activism is dynamic. Activists need encouragement to embrace flexibility, adapt to changing circumstances, and to prioritize care during the overwhelm.
Caring for Ourselves
Caring for ourselves is often the last thing on a long list of priorities, but it is essential for sustaining momentum and combating burnout. Explore practical self-care strategies such as mindfulness, time management, and regular breaks. Science tells us it takes 12 days to completely decompress. You might not have 12 days, but you can protect time to lay down the work and focus on the joyful things in life: spend time in nature, invest in relationships with family and friends, get restful sleep.
Caring for Each Other
Making sure that team members feel connected is critical to their well being. Creating a web of support so that each individual team member can rely on others and that each member feels a sense connected not only to a common purpose but also to a common network of support. This only happens when time is intentionally spent strengthening the connective tissue between team members: spending time together reflecting on purpose and just plain having fun.
Resetting momentum in social activism involves a combination of self-reflection, collaboration, adaptability, and care. By acknowledging the challenges and actively working to overcome them, activists can reignite their flame and continue making a positive impact on society.