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Suggested Readings

Burgless, Steven (2001) Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People

Overcome Burnout, Random House.

Covey, S & Merrill, A (1994) First Things First Simon & Schuster NY.

Glouberman, Dina (2007). The Joy of Burnout: How Burning Out

Unlocks the Way to a Better, Brighter Future, Skyros Books.

Green, T & Woodrow, P (1993) Insight & Action - How to Discover &

Support a Life of Integrity and Commitment to Change, New SocietyPublishers, Philadelphia.

Jaffe, D & Scott, C (1984) From Burnout to Balance - a Workbook forPeak Performance and Self-Renewal, McGraw Hill, New York.

Ryan, R & Travis, J (1981) Wellness Workbook - Creating Vibrant

Health, Alternatives to Illness and Burnout, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley

Ca.

Shields, Katrina (1991) In the Tiger's Mouth: An Empowerment GuideFor Social Action, Millenium Books, Newtown, NSW.

Wollman, Neil (2007) Dealing With or Preventing Burnout in Activist

Work, http://www.radpsynet.org/docs/wollman-burnout.html

Shields, Katrina (2011) Stress Management & Burnout Prevention,

ACLU,http://action.aclu.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AS_burnoutprevention

Note: this flier deals with burnout, not trauma. For issues related to trauma:

Activist Trauma Support Tel: 07962 406940

Email: activist_trauma@riseup.net www.activist-trauma.net

Activism Burnout: The Cliff Notes

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental

exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in situations that

are emotionally demanding. Burnout makes you a less effective activist,

and it can adversely affect those around you and the organizations we

work within. While burning out is part of a process of growth andinvolvement and is often accepted as a byproduct of activism, we can

work to support ourselves and others so we are more effective and

healthy. Burnout is the way your body and heart communicate your limitsto you, and it is important to listen to and respect that. We can use

burnout as an opportunity to reevaluate, prioritize and to develop more

sustainable and healthy working stylesburnout doesnt have to be abreak down; it can be a break through!

Symptoms of Burnout: The Rating Scale*Think over the past 3 months and score the following questions according

to how often you have experienced these symptoms.

0 =Never 1 =Very rarely 2 =Rarely 3 =Sometimes 4 =Often 5 =Very often

1. Do you feel fatigued in a way that rest or sleep does not relieve?

2. Do you feel more cynical, pessimistic or disillusioned about things youused to feel positive about?

3. Do you feel a sadness or emptiness inside?

4. Do you have physical symptoms of stress, eg insomnia, stomach pains,headaches, migraines?

5. Is your memory unreliable?

6. Are you irritable or emotional with a short fuse?

7. Have you been more susceptible to illness lately, eg colds, 'flu, food

allergies, hay fever?

8. Do you feel like isolating yourself from colleagues, friends or family?

9. Is it hard to enjoy yourself, have fun, relax and experience joy in yourlife?

10. Do you feel that you are accomplishing less in your work?

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Scoring:

0 - 15 You are doing well.

16 - 25 Some attention needed, you may be a candidate.

26 - 35 You are on the road to burnout. Make changes now.

36 - 50 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The symptoms of burnout, or even of self-care, are sometimes interpretedby ourselves or others as being a bad activist: withdrawal,disillusionment, short emotional fuses, and opting out of some activities

can become stigmatized. Recognizing burnout and supporting each other

is integral to a long-term, sustainable movement.*Taken from ACLUs Social Change Training, by Katrina Sheilds.

Strategies for Self -care

Reflect on your attitudes, beliefs, motives and self talk

Recognize and respect feelings of sadness or despair

Think about the relationship between who you are and what youdo, and what your expectations for yourself are

Seek support, either from your community, family, friends, or

professionals

Connect or reconnect with your form of spirituality. Think aboutwhat gives the world intrinsic value

Become a specialist and use your specific talents in the movement

Prioritize your role(s) as an activist. Reduce certain commitmentsand do less activities/projects, but do them better

Let things go: trust that others in the movement will do a good

job, and/or let specific actions or events fail gracefully Explore your creativity in areas that dont involve outwitting the

police or foiling corporate shenanigans

Get enough sleep, eat well and exercise (and call your mother)

Assess whether your use of drugs, alcohol, caffeine and otheraltering substances is helping or hindering you

Be involved in activities and communities outside of your

political work Prioritize time to have fun, relax and laugh

Think about what rejuvenates and centers you, and prioritize it:

dancing, listening to or making music, meditating, watching three

seasons ofBuffyin a row, cooking, talking walks, being in nature,

time with family or loved ones, gardening, reading novels, seeingcomedy, sleeping in, sleeping with, praying.

Strategies to Create a Sustainable Activist Culture Be intentional and deliberate about your work by setting

SMART goals.(SMART=Specific, Measureable, Achievable,Relevant, Timebound) SMART goals give the group a sharedstandard by which to measure progress and review strengths and

weaknesses. This is especially useful and necessary when group

members need to talk about workload. Create space for reflection.Emotional and physical check-ins at

the beginning or end of each meeting, periodic burnout

assessments, and planned reviews of goals and progress will help

your group become more effective and healthier. Recognize each others work.

Organize for the long-haul to keep short-term actions and goals

in perspective. Reconnect with your vision as an individual and as a group.

Most people are activists for highly personal reasons and when

you connect the groups work to individual passions it helpsfoster awareness, empathy, and creativity.

Encourage people to express feelings of distress, fear, grief

and loss and frustration. Respect them as normal and healthy

responses to unhealthy situations and the state of the world. Provide individual or group debriefing after critical incidents

or high stress campaigns.Keep an eye open for vulnerable

individuals and discuss appropriate forms of intervention

beforehand.

Put stress prevention strategies on the agenda for meetings.

Learn to facilitate conflict.

Take time to celebrate and have fun within your group or

community!

In the end, no individual solution fits all situations. Find the combination

that suits your needs and the needs of your group, experiment, invent,

enjoy.