#Advocacy work

[wovetherapy]

Mindful Activism: Balancing Mental Health with Advocacy Work

Activism is often born out of a deep sense of injustice and a desire to create meaningful change. For many people with marginalized identities, this work is not just a choice but a necessity. Advocacy becomes a way to challenge systemic inequalities and fight for the rights and dignity of those who have been historically oppressed. However, because activism work is never-ending, it can take a toll on mental health. The emotional labor involved, coupled with the constant exposure to trauma, can lead to stress, fatigue, burnout, anxiety, hopelessness, and depression (Underwood, 2023). This is where mindful activism comes into play—a practice that prioritizes mental wellbeing while continuing the crucial work of advocacy.

Understanding the Emotional Weight of Activism

Activism is often emotionally charged. Whether protesting in the streets, organizing community events, or engaging in online advocacy, activists frequently confront painful realities. The weight of these experiences can be overwhelming, especially when change is slow, or the systems in place seem insurmountable. For activists from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities, the struggle is even more personal, as the issues they fight against often directly affect them or their loved ones. In addition to fighting systems of oppression, they’re also personally facing these same systems daily.

This emotional labor, while necessary, can lead to significant mental health challenges. Activists may experience feelings of helplessness, frustration, or anger. The constant exposure to injustice can also trigger trauma responses, particularly for those who have experienced similar forms of oppression. Without proper mental health care, these feelings can accumulate, leading to stress, anxiety, depression, or burnout (Underwood, 2023).

The Importance of Mindfulness in Activism

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware of one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. In the context of activism, mindfulness can serve as a powerful tool for maintaining mental health. It allows activists to recognize when they are feeling overwhelmed or emotionally drained and to take steps to care for themselves before burnout sets in (Gertjejanssen, 2021).

Incorporating mindfulness into activism can take many forms. For some, it might involve regular meditation or breathing exercises to help manage stress. For others, it could be about setting boundaries—knowing when to step back from advocacy work to recharge. Mindfulness also encourages activists to focus on the present moment, which can help reduce feelings of helplessness about the future. To learn more about mindfulness, see our previous blog post on how mindfulness can improve mental health.

Balancing Advocacy with Self-Care

One of the most important aspects of mindful activism is recognizing the importance of self-care. Advocacy work is often seen as selfless, with activists dedicating their time and energy to others. However, it is essential to remember that self-care is not selfish. In fact, taking care of oneself is crucial for sustaining long-term activism. Self-care and wellness are forms of resistance necessary for survival (Pitts, 2023).

Self-care can be as simple as taking breaks, engaging in hobbies, or spending time with loved ones. Self-care can also involve professional mental health support, such as therapy or counseling, to process the emotional toll of advocacy work. By prioritizing self-care, activists can ensure they have the energy and emotional resilience to continue their work (Pitts, 2023). To learn more about self-care, see our previous blog post on why self-care is important.

Creating a Culture of Support

It is important for activist communities to create a culture of support where mental health is prioritized. This can involve checking in on fellow activists, offering support when someone needs to step back, and creating an environment where discussing mental health challenges is okay. By building a supportive community, activists can help each other navigate the emotional challenges of their work.

Mindful activism is about balancing the urgency of advocacy with the necessity of mental wellbeing. Mindfulness and self-care practices can help activists sustain their efforts for the long haul while protecting their mental health. After all, a movement is only as strong as the individuals within it, and ensuring the wellbeing of those individuals is vital to creating lasting change.

Please get in touch. We will be happy to discuss how I may be able to help.

[ivygorgon]

Boosting Pro Palestine Petitioners

Check out Fatima at FREEPALESTINE on Resistbot:

Author of:

President Biden: Address Repression, Rights Violations on College Campuses, text SIGN PIYCMK to 50409

Mischaracterization of "From the River to the Sea" Slogan as Antisemitic, text SIGN PYTCSZ to 50409

And more!

Text FOLLOW FREEPALESTINE to 50409

Check out Sarah at WATERMELON on Resistbot:

Author of:

STOP INVASION OF RAFAH NOW, text SIGN PLLGAJ to 50409

GREG ABBOTT, STOP THE VIOLENCE AGAINST STUDENTS NOW, text SIGN PNXIKL to 50409

And more!

Text FOLLOW WATERMELON to 50409

Further reading:

[transformativeworks]

Update on KOSA

KOSA is unlikely to progress in the near future. OTW Legal explains why fans should watch for bad internet bills, and how fans can voice concerns to elected representatives. Read more at https://otw-news.org/ya2xyk4r

[uncanny-tranny]

I recently had to do a project in one of my psych classes, and man, I knew that CBT was used for every little thing, but seeing over and over, "do CBT! CBT is the best for every mental illness!" was so jarring. I'm absolutely biased because of my own experiences, but I just don't think it's as universal a treatment model as it's touted.

If you didn't benefit from CBT, it's not because you're lazy or didn't try hard enough or lacked intelligence or foresight into your own needs. Frankly, it's a therapy model that (I think) shouldn't be the only readily-accessible model and among the only therapy models covered by insurance. Some of us should not be treated in a CBT model and that's okay. It's not a sign of poor character or unreasonable demands, and if you don't think it's a model that works for you, then it's your right to express that!

[booksandbrainsandsoftthings]

Officially forming the theory that the reason more service dog handlers don't use protective gear like boots, goggles, and ear protection on their dog is because the public becomes 3000% more unbearable when they try.

We're all used to "aaaaawwww look the the doggo" when we go out with our working animals, but getting

1. Accosted for pictures (whether folks ask or just invade your space and distract your dog)

2. Pointed at like an exhibit

3. Shouted at (OMG DOGGLES, "why is it wearing that" etc)

4. Actively followed around by strangers

Is downright fucking awful.

I know it looks cool. I know some of our gear is specialized. I know pet dogs don't usually wear/tolerate what SDs learn the wear. But for the love of whatever you deem holy, BE KIND ABOUT IT. All of the actions listed above are just fucking rude. Leave people alone. Leave service dogs alone.

Disabled people can exist without being spectacles

[ex-foster]

Former foster kid quote on the foster care to sex trafficking pipeline.

[defiantcripple]

Going to start wearing a sign that says "I don't yield to ableds" as I refuse to move for the people trying to get on through the accessible bus entrance/exit before I've gotten off.

Be disabled. Take up space. Demand your accommodations. Make them wait, make them move, and don't feel sorry about it.

[neuroticboyfriend]

honestly, although i really hate to say it... being able to work, on a systemic level, still puts you in a privileged position compared to people who cannot work. i wish i could say it's only an advantage when you're disabled, because i know it feels bad that being employed and getting income is a privilege even if its hurting you to do it. but it's not the hurting-you part that's the privilege, it's the way it systematically supports you. there are things that disabled people who're unable to work (especially those without income and/or savings) experience that you just don't, because you still have the ability to work and generate income yourself.

it's not a pleasant situation and by no means should any disabled person be forced into working. it's 100% torture and working disabled people deserve so much better. it's just that you just can't change the fact that society gives you chances and resources that disabled people who cannot work just don't have. that's not inherent to you, it doesn't make your disability invalid. it's systemic ableism and classism. being working class (as an individual) is still a step above the bottom of the barrel, even if you're disabled. so if there's anywhere to direct your grief and frustration on this towards, it's society. it's ableists. it's the ruling class and capitalism. not other disabled people.

[ftmtftm]

Good morning - I'm sorry folks but I'm having an autism "feeling like I'm yelling in a glass room where everyone can see me and hear I'm making noise but refuses to truly to understand what I'm saying" moment because I've constantly been saying:

"This is bait AND sexual harassment and it's all bad because that's intentional by the very nature of this kind of bait. Can we please talk about the elephant in the room of why someone might be doing this indiscriminately on anon, en mass to people that aren't even attached to the spaces it's trying to divide, to try and cause the exact argument that is happening right now" and.

That feels so lost on the anons I'm currently getting and the posts I'm still seeing in a way that I know isn't good for me to engage with. As such - there is very little else I'm going to say on this all unless someone actually wants to engage in that conversation.

Truly a piss on the poor website moment. Some of you truly think posting is activism and it's exhausting.

[chthonic-cassandra]

Am really quite stressed about a thing I have to do at work tomorrow (at a level above the many very stressful things I have to do for work on a regular basis), would appreciate good thoughts/rabbits/snakes/teacups/etc.

[saintartemis]

[de-mykel]

Andrea Bowers. Femme Trans-corporeal Fantasy (Remembering Joy + Re-enchantment), 2023.

acrylic on cardboard

[transformativeworks]

KOSA and Other Bad Internet Bills

Want to know more about KOSA and a whole slew of bad Internet bills? OTW Legal talks you through their implications. Read more at https://otw.news/03cbbf

[uncanny-tranny]

I think it would really benefit people to internalize that mental illnesses are often chronic and not acute. Some of us will never be able to jump the hurdle of managing illness, much less sustaining a sense of normalcy. Many of us will never "recover," will never manage symptoms, will never even come close to appearing normal - and this is for any condition, even the ones labeled as "simple" disorders or "easy-to-manage" disorders.

It isn't a failure if you cannot manage your symptoms. It isn't a moral failure, and you aren't an awful person. You are human. There's only so much you can do before recognizing that you cannot lift the world. Give yourself the space to be ill because, functionally, you are.

[transsexualfiend]

Repeat after me: kink is not a "gateway" to committing a crime.