Coping with Activism Fatigue

(Adapted from my article published by Her Campus UCT: https://www.hercampus.com/school/uct/coping-hopelessness-amidst-lasting-social-injustices )

There comes a point in every activist journey when one feels hopeless and wants to give up. Seeing people coming together to fight a societal problem can be inspiring, but it can also lead to feelings of despair. If everyone is fighting this hard and things remain the same, it begs the question: what more can possibly be done? And is it even worth it to keep fighting?

These are some lessons that I’ve learned recently that have helped me deal with these feelings of inner turmoil, discouragement and despondence. I hope they prove useful and offer some comfort in a time where optimism and certainty are not easily found.

1. All feelings are valid.

There is no wrong way to respond to a problem, as long as you're not denying or opposing the situation. Let yourself feel how you need to feel and take time to heal if you need to. Seek comfort in any way you see fit and if all else fails, have a good cry about it.

By no means should you police your feelings, but be careful not to get caught up in small bursts of emotion, energy and activity when first confronted with an issue, then gradually move away from it. Just because you can distance yourself from the pain, doesn’t mean the problem will fix itself. There will still be people left to deal with it once the initial outpouring of support dies down. Let yourself be upset for a set period of time, then put on your metaphorical war paint and get to work in assisting however you can.

2. Take stock of which particular emotions you’re feeling.

Initially, you might experience an overwhelming mess of various emotions. It’s important to sift through and untangle them. Evaluate why you feel a certain way and put changes in place accordingly.

For example, are you experiencing feelings of guilt? Where is that coming from? If it stems from a past problematic mind-set or not correcting problematic behaviour from others, don’t dwell on it. Accept that it happened and learn what you can do to be better in the future. There’s no shame in making mistakes, as long as you’re willing to improve. And with the innumerable online resources available to us, there really is no excuse to not keep educating yourself.

3. Don’t bear the weight of it all on your own shoulders.

There’s a lot of emphasis being put on what we as individuals can do to end social injustice. While it is true that change starts with us, this mentality can lead to putting an insurmountable amount of pressure on yourself. Thoughts of, “What more can I do?” and “I’m not doing enough” can send you into an unhealthy spiral that ends up paralyzing you.

It’s important to realise that you have limits as an individual - and that’s okay. Real power lies in people coming together. It's not about what you alone can achieve; it's about what we can achieve together.

Be realistic and honest with yourself about how much time and effort you’re able to contribute, to avoid being disappointed in yourself and feeling discouraged. Take a break when you need to recharge and try not to feel guilty about it. Prioritising yourself doesn’t make you a bad person and in any case, you can’t help anyone if you’re burnt out.

4. It's never too late to join the fight.

Contrary to what social media would have you believe, nobody came out of the womb as a “woke” social justice warrior. As mentioned earlier, even the most prominent activists had to start somewhere and have since been constantly learning and unlearning. If you haven’t engaged in activism before or you haven’t been vocal about it, know that it's never too late to start. Don’t let other people’s expectations and perceptions hold you back. You know what your intentions are and that’s what matters.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you’re an “activism veteran”, try not to judge others if they have a later start than you did. I know it can be frustrating to see people finally getting on board with something you’ve been passionate about for a long time, but remember that the ultimate goal of activism is to get more people involved. If this is happening, that means the movement has been successful! It’s important that activism communities are welcoming and supportive to encourage more people to join them, and this starts from a place of patience and understanding.

5. Don't forget how far we've come.

The systems of oppression that plague society have been constructed and consolidated over hundreds of years. It’s going to take a while to dismantle them. It can be disheartening to see how little is changing, especially when it’s at the expense of oppressed and vulnerable people. We have to remember that slow progress is still progress and that we all have the potential to facilitate that progress. When looking at things on a day-to-day basis, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and the ways things are coming together. More people than ever are raising awareness about important issues, have access to resources and information, are challenging the very foundations of our society and are demanding inclusivity and visibility in important spaces. It’s easy to take this progress for granted, but we should appreciate that as little as two years ago, activism and allyship wasn’t as prominent in mainstream culture as it is today.

Where there is a need for change and people who are willing to recognise it and do something about it, there is room for optimism and hope. Daring to believe in yourself, others and the future is an act of defiance in an unjust world that is legitimised by us staying silent and complacent. There isn’t an easy fix to remove feelings of hopelessness, demotivation and despair. However, we can and must learn how to handle them and move forward in spite of them. Social injustice is pervasive and everlasting and accordingly, our activism needs to be consistent in order to effectively combat it.