Liberate

I’m on the verge of a burn-out.

And it’s not the first time this has happened. In fact, I have watched this occur several times over the past decade in my own life, and in the life of other activists striving for positive change in the world. Yet, although it is so common, and although it is a major threat for our progressive march to a better world, practically no one wants to talk about it openly. I recently said to some of my colleagues, “I’m on the verge of a burn-out, and if we don’t change the way things are going, I will likely not be hanging around here six months from now.” The reaction was surprising; they assumed that I was just having a bad day (week/month), that I was still upset because my lunch was eaten by someone else, or that my mother mistreated me as a child causing me ongoing stress in my adult life. But the reality is something else. I am feeling the unmistakable signs of approaching burn-out, and unless something changes, I may drop out…again.

Why is this a worthwhile issue for activists to take seriously?

Statistically, activist movements, in fact any volunteer organizations, suffer from an incredibly high turn over rate of members/activists/volunteers, and much research shows that persons working as volunteers suffer from higher levels of stress than those in paid employment. And, the reality is, movements striving for positive change must be run (or at the very least primarily supported) by volunteers. Not only is this a reality for volunteer organizations in general, but when we are pushing against very serious injustices in the world, making what seems like no progress at all, while putting all our effort into trying to make a change, it is very easy for us to start feeling a little cynical, disinterested and discouraged. When this combines with the mental or physical fatigue that comes as a result of juggling our own financial obligations and our personal relationship obligations with our activism, we start to approach burn-out.

Yet, at the same time, the world NEEDS activists, and it needs activists who are able to keep up the fight for the long term. There are so many injustices in the world, there are so many major issues that, if ignored, could literally make this world completely inhabitable for future generations. We can’t let this happen! We can’t sit down and let so many animals be slaughtered every year, so many people be deprived of autonomy, so many eco-systems be destroyed beyond repair. Therefore, we must deal with this issue of burn-out.

What is burn-out?

Believe it or not, there are burn-out experts in the world, who carry out research on exactly what burn-out is all about. They define burn-out as “the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest (depersonalisation or cynicism.)” They measure the severity of a burn-out by looking at the levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization/cynicism and the reduced sense of personal accomplishment. In other words, we put a lot of our effort into something for a long time, at the cost of practically everything else in our lives, often even at the cost of our most cherished desires and relationships, and we feel like we don’t get back exactly what we put in, thus we lose interest, become cynical about the whole situation, and we drop out. At the very least, I can say that this is what I have experienced, several times over. Burn-out is what happens when we feel like we just can’t keep up the effort that we have been forcing for so long. Burn-out happens when our stress levels excel our feelings of satisfaction that we get from being involved in changing the world, in saving lives, in fighting for a better tomorrow for everyone.

What are the causes of burn-out?

As I pointed out above, burn-out is caused primarily by our putting in a large amount of emotional effort and mental energy to achieve some goal that we feel is very important, but after long-term effort we perceive that we aren’t getting back exactly what we put in.
Burn-out is often caused when we can’t separate our personal time from our work/activist time. Burn-out can often start to arise when our activist relationships turn sour, when there is infighting, back biting and breakdowns in communication. This is particularly hard because of the fact that our best friends are often the activists that we’re working with, and suffering from burn-out with.

Burn-out arises when we are fighting what appears to be an almost impossible enemy, and we find it hard to see that we are actually making any progress at all. When we are watching the world expand in the ability to find new ways to abuse animals, despite our constant fighting and opposition, it does become hard to maintain determination. When we are trying so hard, putting in so much blood, sweat and tears in order to save lives, and as a result we only receive insults from others, and criticism from our friends, it is difficult to keep up our resolve.

These are some of the causes of burn-out. I have no doubt that many of you could describe many others.

What are the symptoms of burn-out?

When I start to approach burn-out, I can tell straight away. Firstly, I start to lose my energy levels. I sleep longer, I look more tired, and I just can’t manifest the same levels of external enthusiasm that I did in the beginning. Secondly, I lose my ability to tolerate other people’s shortcomings. I start stupid arguments, I make a big deal about nothing, and I blame others for things which were probably my fault to begin with. Thirdly, I start to ‘space-out’ more often, in other words I start to waste my time doing other things. I’ll start looking for old friends on Facebook instead of doing something else that I promised to do. And the major sign; I become apathetic. I just can’t be bothered dealing with these things anymore. I wish I could just turn my back and forget it all, as if there were no problems in the world that need my attention.

How to deal with burn-out?

Identifying the problem is always half the solution. We know what burn-out is, and what the causes are. So, how do we avoid it? And how do we deal with it when we find ourselves in the middle of it yet again?

First thing, don’t get down on yourself about it. It is easy to start blaming ourselves for burn-out. We often start to worry that other activists may think that we aren’t as dedicated as we used to be. But that isn’t necessarily true. Understand that what we are trying to do is a very difficult thing, and it takes a very strong personality to continue fighting at full speed year after year. It is not your fault!

Secondly, take breaks from time to time, where you can completely forget about things for a while. This is what I do, and plan on doing regularly to stay sane. I get out of town, turn my cell-phone off, stop checking my e-mails, and I just do something that is just for me. I may hang out on a farm for a few days. I get absorbed in reading a good book. I put some serious study into some issue that I’m interested in. I also meditate, give my mind a break from the stresses of daily life.

Finally, admit when we are over doing it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help, or to point out that you need someone to help you with your responsibilities. Talk to someone about how you are feeling, and what is causing you extra stress. See if the other activities can compensate a bit, relieve you of some of the pressure. There is no shame in admitting that we can’t do everything.

So, what are you going to do?

These are just a few thoughts on this important issue. I’m sure you all have your own ways to deal with burn-out. Let’s not be afraid to discuss these issues, and let’s support each other as we strive to keep fighting against the almost impossible monster of exploitation. Get pro-active. Fight this great enemy which threatens our effectiveness. Don’t let yourself get defeated!

What am I going to do about my burn-out situation? I’m about to take a one week holiday in Hamilton. I’m going to spend my days sitting in the Hamilton Gardens, or at Raglan, and just read and meditate all day long. And hopefully, when I return, I’ll be fighting fit, ready to continue on with my battle against exploitation.