Avoid Activist Burnout

*First off: Take a break. Step back from organizing and focus on yourself for a little while. I know how hard it is to feel like you’re not doing enough when there’s so much to be done, but remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. The fight isn’t going anywhere, and it needs you fresh. Your mind needs leisure just like a machine needs oil.

*Get a hobby. That can mean developing your skills and exploring new ones, like gardening or ham radio or whatever, or it can mean painting 40k minis and playing 🅱ideo james. The point is to find the thing that brings you joy and to allow yourself to have it. For one thing, socialism is not a personality trait and doing political work will require us to find connections with people who aren’t big dumb nerds what like we are. And for another, you need this. You need it the way a machine needs oil.

*Schedule social time with your community and your comrades that isn’t overtly political. If the only time you see anybody is at the union hall, that’s no good. Ask one of your pals to go get coffee or catch a movie or whatever. Or go find a social space that revolves around some other thing you’re interested in and find some more pals.

*Try a new approach. The fact that there’s so much work to do should be encouraging, not discouraging, because it means there’s a place for everyone. Maybe the reason you’re burning out is because you’re a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. See what else needs doing and what you can do about it; I promise you that there is a niche for you and that you can find it.

*And most importantly: Communicate. If you’re having a rough time, chances are that your comrades are too, and they’ll want to hear about it, because we’re here to help each other.