Self-Care Must Be at the Center of Youth Activism

I was a freshman in college the first time I attended a demonstration — just months after the 2016 United States presidential election. Holding my first protest sign was where I found my passion in life; the physical outlet for my outrage was invigorating and inspiring, and through the rest of college, I became a fearless activist. I enjoyed spending my free time standing at the picket line day-to-night and risking my safety by screaming in the faces of the alt-right. When I wasn’t physically protesting, I was online, sharing resources and challenging conservative classmates. It was no surprise when I decided to apply for graduate programs in human rights after graduating in order to one day work in social justice full-time as a career.

Graduate school was the beginning of my work days consumed in the human rights field. Day after day, I focused on devastating human rights abuses happening around my community, the nation, and the world. I had nightmares, and my mental and physical health declined. I was burnt out to the core.

Why didn’t I stop and take a break? Because no one else around me was. I watched those around me carry on with an iron-clad will. Constantly learning more. Constantly posting. Constantly organizing. When I took breaks from the action, I felt weak and self-centered. Even enjoying my hobbies outside of organizing brought on a wave of anxiety.

This feeling is far from uncommon. Human rights advocates have skyrocketing levels of depression and anxiety — one survey found nearly 19% of human rights workers appear to have PTSD. The rates of mental illness are comparable to first responders and even combat veterans.

A study by Tufts University shows that an increasing number of young people are engaging in organizing both on and offline because, just like myself, they feel the future depends on their activism. This massive weight, which is even more burdensome for youth with marginalized identities such as being BIPOC, gender noncomforming, and disabled, makes it difficult to disconnect from their organizing without guilt. Young activists need tools to cope with the struggles of human rights work before they too are too burnt out to carry on.

Self-care and collective well-being strategies have been incorporated into social justice spaces since the late 1900s — especially in racial justice activism where BIPOC activists face severe levels of burnout. The concept of “radical self-care,” popularized by the Black Panther Movement and Black and Latinx feminists, is a form of self-care which prioritizes the well-being of the mind and body. This is different from the commercialized form of self-care encouraging us to buy bath bombs and candles; radical self-care priotizes acts like rest, nourishment, boundaries, and strong support networks.

But while these ideas have been present for decades, the “grind culture” work mentality still finds its way into many newer activist spaces. It is important to actively work against this mindset and encourage other young activists to do the same. Self-care resources are all around us — A Burst of Light by Audre Lorde and Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski are two of my favorite books on the matter, and author Blair Imani shares some great tips on Instagram. Small acts of kindness to your body make a large difference. I continue to heal through acts of self-care every day, like limiting my Twitter doom scroll and setting aside free days for hobbies outside of my activism work.

As Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” So if you are new to advocacy, or in the middle of your activist journey, remember the power of saying “no,” processing your emotions with a therapist, or spending time with the people you love. The world continues to be shocked with bad news every day, and our bodies are not designed to both absorb horrific information and fix the systemic issues that caused it in a day’s work.

As more and more young people from all backgrounds start advocating on human rights issues, it is important that they are aware that caring for themselves actually propels their activism instead of hindering it. This is the only way we can create sustainable and long-term change.