Activism Fatigue | Mental Health | Politics
Burning Out While the World is Burning Down
It’s hard to keep going sometimes, isn’t it?
Writing about activism and politics can be difficult. Part of the gig is that you have an eye on what’s going on around the world, and a front-row seat to the news when things go horribly wrong.
There are days when it feels overwhelming. Look, another wildfire. Look, another law that targets a marginalized community. Look, another hospital was bombed. Look, more refugees drowned. Look, look, look…
Our job is to look. Our job is to take in all of the details and commit them to paper for our readers.
But when you live with your head buried in the worst headlines and stories of current events, it can start to feel like a box full of rocks on the end of your neck. That weight makes it hard to stand up straight.
In time, it’s pretty common for writers in this niche to develop a form of caregiver burnout. A sense of apathy and numbness, an almost nihilistic feeling.
Things don’t get better, so why bother? Why keep leaping into the battle if you’re never going to win?
This is called activism fatigue. It’s a real bummer.
