By Andrew Pulrang — 2021
Disability activism is empowering. Keys to getting started are staying open, sharing the stage, working collaboratively, listening and learning, and being willing to ask for help to make it less scary.
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Here are five essential things that any wellness plan for incoming college students should address.
Unsurprisingly, burnout is a major problem in college. A 2021 Boston University study found that more than half of the 33,000 surveyed college students experienced anxiety or depression. And 83% of respondents said their mental health hurt their academic performance.
Activism burnout is particularly rife among Black racial justice activists, not only because they are fighting a centuries-old fight, but they’re also experiencing something called racial battle fatigue.
It can be difficult for activists to admit to themselves and to those around them that they might need a break. There are stigmas both within and outside activist communities that contribute to the shame and guilt many feel when prioritizing their own mental and physical wellbeing.
Self-care is not escapism: It’s a way to remain present, connected, and committed. Here's how to battle burnout if you're an activist.
Embodied practice creates the potential for a unifying perspective and it can inspire new ways for activists to participate in community outreach, sisterhood, and self-care.
I learned very early that to survive in this broken world there is a never-ending need to “support, nurture, and protect what we hold dear” to keep it from being damaged, hurt, or destroyed ……which also includes myself.
Research shows that entrepreneurs are more likely than most to suffer from mental health conditions—a factor of their high-stress jobs and the psychological traits that steer people toward starting a business in the first place.
A few months and many deaths ago, I woke up exhausted, again. Every morning, I felt like I was rebuilding myself from the ground up. Waking up was hard. Getting to my desk to write was hard. Taking care of my body was hard. Remembering the point of it all was hard.
The pandemic has stripped our emotional reserves even further, laying bare our unique physical, social, and emotional vulnerabilities.
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