I’ve had several bouts of burnout in the past, despite having work that I was passionate about in water and social justice. It was these bouts of burnout and the health conditions I developed that shifted my focus to holistic health.

Holistic nutrition, as well as support from my Naturopathic doctor, helped address my digestive issues. Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy helps bring my nervous system from fight-flight-freeze into rest-digest and helps process and release emotions from past experiences and trauma. ThetaHealing helps me learn, release and replace the core beliefs that contribute to burnout. 

To be clear, we need self-care, especially during these times. We need walks in the woods, time outs to have a cup of tea, naps and sleep and all the things that nourish and restore our energy. But we also need to challenge the systems that create and perpetuate burnout and create new ones based in health, regeneration and community.

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This blog is the first part of a series on activist burnout. This blog gives an overview of activist burnout and how healing is linked to justice and dismantling systems of oppression. The second part will focus on regenerative activism and support needed throughout movement cycles. The third part will examine ways we can integrate community care and collective healing directly into organizing and activism.

I've had several bouts of burnout over the years, despite finding the water and social justice work I have been doing for more than a decade deeply rewarding. I have also seen people I work with, know and care about burn out.

People who experience burnout don't always call it burnout nor do they experience the same symptoms.
Symptoms can include exhaustion, insomnia, anxiety, depression, fatigue, illness, pain, the inability to concentrate, or emotions like despair, grief, anger, resentment, sadness, guilt and shame that intensify or persist over time.

These emotions and states are normal reactions to the state of the world.

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This article first appeared on rabble.ca on October 9, 2020.